Empathy

A LITTLE BIT OF EMPATHY WILL TAKE YOU A LONG WAY IN BUSINESS

When I was small and got into conflicts with someone at school my mother used to say: "put yourself in the other person's shoes." She gave a lot of good advice. Those days I did not understand that what she was telling me to do was called empathy. Nowadays we call this idea empathy, but it's the same thing.

When I first heard the word empathy after I started my business communication class, I did not understand what it actually meant. Empathy? That doesn’t sound like something which is in business. It sounded more like a word which would be more commonly used in chemistry or some other subject in the science field.

Therefore to get a better idea of what “empathy” meant, I searched around on the internet.

"The ability to imagine oneself in anther's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. It is a term coined in the early 20th century, equivalent to the German Einfühlung and modelled on "sympathy." The term is used with special (but not exclusive) reference to aesthetic experience. The most obvious example, perhaps, is that of the actor or singer who genuinely feels the part he is performing. With other works of art, a spectator may, by a kind of introjection, feel himself involved in what he observes or contemplates. The use of empathy is an important part of the counseling technique developed by the American psychologist Carl Rogers." Dr. Sam Vakin (as cited in The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999 edition)

While on my further quest to get a better understanding of empathy, I found out that there isn’t just a single correct definition of empathy, but there are several theories on empathy which differ from a person to person basis.

"A motivation oriented towards the other." (Batson, n.d.)
"The capacity to know emotionally what another is experiencing from within the frame of reference of that other person, the capacity to sample the feelings of another or to put one's self in another's shoes." (Berger, n.d.)
"A sense of similarity in feelings experienced by the self and the other, without confusion between the two individuals." (Decety, n.d.)
The capacity to (a) be affected by and share the emotional state of another, (b) assess the reasons for the other’s state, and (c) identify with the other, adopting his or her perspective. This definition extends beyond what exists in many animals, but the term “empathy” … applies even if only criterion (a) is met." (Waal, n.d.)
"An affective response that stems from the apprehension or comprehension of another's emotional state or condition, and that is similar to what the other person is feeling or would be expected to feel." (Eisenberg, n.d.)

Lately, after about two months of doing my business foundation course and getting a clear understanding of what empathy truly is, i see that empathy is a crucial factor in maintaining a good business. I’m starting to see how empathy links directly to marketing, sales, product development, management, and, ultimately, business success. On that note, I decided to gather more data to figure out if what I thought was correct.

“Empathy is understanding another person's situation and relating to his emotions. Even if you are a naturally empathetic person, empathy in business communication can often be lost in the process of getting the job done. After all, business decisions and management issues are based on facts, not emotions. However, you can gain employee and client trust by incorporating empathetic values into your day-to-day business communications. Empathetic values show you are considering not just business objectives but the needs and desires of employees and clients. Business communication empathy is developed by exercising general interpersonal communication skills.”

Step 1
Smile and refer to people by name. This makes you approachable to others who will more readily share ideas, concerns and feedback.

Step 2
Take time to listen to customers, employees, managers and shareholders. Offer surveys, questionnaires and suggestion boxes as well as open the floor to new ideas or concerns during staff meetings. Listen to what a person says and notice what his body language says as well. Most of what we communicate is in body language.
Step 3
Withhold any judgment when listening to ideas that diverge from your point of view. You can not understand another person's point of view if you are judging it. Quietly consider all points then later take counsel with those you trust to determine what has merit and where thoughts and ideas can converge.

Step 4
Ask questions and develop relationships with managers, staff and clients. While you won't become best friends with everyone, you should know the basics about those you communicate with to understand driving factors such as family, financial goals or volunteer efforts. You may find you have more in common than originally imagined making empathy much more natural and easy to achieve.

Step 5
Give praise freely. Let employees know they did a good job or that you like someone's new hairstyle. These may not seem like much, but people feel more connected when they feel noticed.
(Miranda, n.d.)

After Reading this, I concluded that my idea on empathy was indeed correct. Being an empathetic person and using empathy in a business will take you a long way. Therefore empathy is not only necessary, but I would say it is the “key” factor of succeeding in a business.