THE NEW EMPATHY
How empathetic are you?
Our working world is changing dramatically: people no longer work only in the office, but also remotely in hybrid form. Digitalisation makes this possible. However, this also increases the challenge of reaching people equally. Besides establishing content topics, people need to remain integrated in processes – both remotely and in person. ‘Being empathetic’ has never been more important than today. Especially now, since the new generation expects attention and consideration of their needs.
In order not to neglect the social aspects in this changed world of work, it is important to communicate regularly with others, regardless of location, and to empathically understand the (non)verbal language of interlocutors.
But what characterises an empathetic person? On the one hand, an empathetic person has access to the emotional reactions of others, such as sadness, anger or joy. He or she can empathise with a wide variety of other people’s feelings. On the other hand, great empathy also means seeing things from the perspective of others and understanding what drives them. This is not necessarily about acceptance. Empathy does not automatically mean sharing or accepting the opinions of others.
Are you curious about your empathy level?
You get immediate feedback on your score after completing the test.
And now? Recommendations for action.
Being empathetic has many benefits. By understanding why people react in certain ways, you are better able to respond appropriately and honestly to those around you. Empathy is important wherever you interact with people. It is just as effective in your private life as in your work and in personal and digital contact. Especially in management positions, the degree of empathy often has a significant impact on the relationship between employee and supervisor and on work outcomes. In negotiations, you can use this ability to interpret and respond to your interlocutor’s point of view. Knowing the effect of your own words and behaviour increases your powers of persuasion. In private life, empathetic people are often sought-after interlocutors who stand out for their genuine compassion and willingness to help. If you are empathetic, you are more likely to be perceived as sympathetic.
The disadvantages of too much empathy are mainly found when people are unable to set boundaries. Excessive empathy can lead to others’ feelings taking precedence over one’s own. People who are “too” empathetic cannot “stay with themselves” in cases of particular emotional distress; they take over the other person’s feelings. Here, it can be particularly important to learn to set boundaries better and to be able to say “no”. This also helps to prevent those around you from taking advantage of you.
After your personal categorisation, the following tips can help you act more empathetically in different situations in the future, creating good conditions for better listening in the new digital working world.
How can you become (even) more empathetic? Here are 5 tips:
- Create sufficient opportunities for conversation. Initiate team meetings and 1:1 meetings. But also spend your lunch break together (in person or digitally) or take a walk with a colleague, for example.
- Actively ask questions when you notice others saying something you cannot interpret correctly. Start by asking about what you noticed and whether you understood it correctly. Ask the person you are talking to to share his or her view and compare this with your own impressions.
- Be more attentive during conversations: Have you sufficiently recognised your interlocutor’s (non)verbal signals? Pay attention not only to gestures or facial expressions, but also whether your interlocutor turns away, changes tone, turns off the camera (digital communication), there is little exchange, the gaze is down, frowns, etc.
- Talk about personal matters more often. For instance, find similarities and common ground with your interlocutor and build on them. In this way, synergies are created that form the basis for empathetic communication.
- Think critically about whether you make differences with people when it comes to being empathetic. For example, do you show more empathy with people you like? Why do you find it harder to empathise with people who are different from you? What do you attribute this to? Who or what could help you avoid making distinctions in the future?
Want more tips? Contact us via info@pawlik.nl and discover how you can be even more empathetic!
