Empathy– the ability to emotionally understand what another person is feeling.
The last week has been tough. Wherever you look, people’s emotions are on edge due to the recent election. People have taken sides and each group is having difficulty understanding the motives and reactions of the other group. Some people are elated, while others are feeling a multitude of things: disappointment, fear, anger and grief.
Being trained in Mental Health, I spend every waking hour observing others. It’s just something that I do instinctively. I don’t necessarily engage in feelings— I just observe from afar and try to understand why and how people are responding.
Friday, I met with a connection that told me she had spent time guiding a company on how to handle a physical fight between two workers on opposite sides of the political argument. Yes, people are on edge everywhere you look and that emotion inevitably seeps into our workplace.
There is a lack of empathy in much of our communication. I observe individuals demonstrating their own personal values, beliefs and attitudes about life. The problem is that they also expect others to adhere to those same values, beliefs and worldviews. Following last week, there appears to be a lack of understanding—
We have trouble making room for human differences and the inability to see that individuals don’t necessarily fit into neatly defined categories.
What I do see is a strong compelling need to demonstrate WHY I am right and I have the right way of thinking.
Nowhere is this more evident than on Social Media. Here, you see a total lack of empathy and a complete lack of the ability to imagine how others feel. You see individuals pushing their belief system on others while refusing to listen. You witness people expecting others to see things their way, and if they don’t, they are attacked. You observe people feeling the need to rationalize their beliefs and expecting others to support them— or else. Polarized thinking is rampant and stirs up anger, hate and decisiveness.
You see a whole lot of JUDGEMENT but very little empathy.
As humans, we are a complicated species. Each one of us has a worldview made up of values, attitudes and beliefs based on our many life experiences. You won’t understand me unless you actively listen, without judgment, to where I am coming from and what I feel. I won’t understand you unless I actively listen, without judgment, to where you are coming from and what you feel.
Until this happens, we won’t have successful communication and understanding propecia dosage.
So how do you ensure that EMPATHY is part of your Leadership toolkit?
You become more Empathetic by practicing these skills daily.
- Use your energy to actively listen to others and understand how they are feeling.
- Refrain from minimizing others’ feelings and rationalizing about your own feelings.
- Hold yourself back from making judgments about others that think differently than you. Just meet them where they are.
Remember during this time that empathy is the ability to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Truly live up to this standard.
