Improving Your Empathy

9 Practical Activities to Increase Empathy at Work

  1. Active Listening Practice
    • Activity: Dedicate time in meetings or one-on-ones to practice active listening—don’t interrupt, ask clarifying questions, and paraphrase what the other person has said to ensure understanding.
    • Tip: Focus not only on their words but also on non-verbal cues such as tone, body language, and facial expressions.
  2. Regularly Ask for Feedback
    • Activity: Ask your colleagues how your actions or communication impact them and how you could improve in understanding their needs and emotions.
    • Tip: Be open and non-defensive when receiving feedback, showing empathy toward their perspective.
  3. Perspective-Taking Exercises
    • Activity: Regularly engage in role-playing or perspective-taking exercises where you assume the viewpoint of someone else in a situation. Reflect on their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
    • Tip: Practice this with both clients and coworkers to see different viewpoints and emotional needs.
  4. Empathy Mapping
    • Activity: Create empathy maps for different people you interact with at work (e.g., team members, clients). This involves identifying what the person is thinking, feeling, saying, and doing.
    • Tip: Keep the map updated as you learn more about them over time.
  5. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Training
    • Activity: Learn and practice Nonviolent Communication, a method for communicating with empathy and understanding. Focus on connecting to the emotions and needs behind others’ words.
    • Tip: NVC is particularly helpful in conflict resolution.
  6. Journaling and Reflection
    • Activity: After meetings or interactions, write down your observations about how others may have felt or what their underlying needs might be.
    • Tip: Reflect on how you can approach similar situations with more empathy next time.
  7. Building Emotional Vocabulary
    • Activity: Regularly practice identifying and naming emotions you observe in others.
    • Tip: The broader your emotional vocabulary, the better you can understand and empathize with others.
  8. Volunteer for Team Building or Mentorship Roles
    • Activity: Engage in team-building exercises or mentor less experienced colleagues, practicing patience and understanding as you help others grow.
    • Tip: Mentoring requires a deep level of empathy to support someone’s growth and emotional needs.
  9. Empathy Walks
    • Activity: Take a “walk” around the office or in meetings to observe and listen. Don’t just walk for the sake of it—actively pay attention to colleagues’ emotional and non-verbal signals.
    • Tip: This helps you gain insight into emotional dynamics without direct interaction.

Books to Improve Empathy

  1. “The Empathy Effect” by Helen Riess
    • This book explains the science of empathy and offers practical strategies for enhancing your ability to connect with others at work and in personal relationships.
  2. “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” by Marshall B. Rosenberg
    • This classic book on Nonviolent Communication provides tools for expressing empathy in difficult conversations and building deeper connections.
  3. “The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace” by Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman
    • A great resource for understanding how emotional intelligence (including empathy) works within organizational settings and how you can use it to foster better work relationships.
  4. “Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It” by Roman Krznaric
    • This book explores empathy from a philosophical and practical angle, offering exercises to develop this crucial skill.

TED Talks on Empathy

  1. “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown
    • Brené Brown explores vulnerability, a key aspect of building empathy and deep emotional connections.
  2. “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” by Julian Treasure
    • Julian Treasure talks about the importance of listening to understand others, an essential part of empathy.
  3. “Understanding Empathy” Simon Sinek
    • Simon Sinek explores the importance of empathy in successful organisations.

Top Tips for Increasing Empathy

  1. Be Fully Present: Focus on the person you’re interacting with and put away distractions (e.g., phone) to show you’re listening attentively.
  2. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage others to share their thoughts and feelings by asking questions like, “How does that make you feel?” or “What’s on your mind?”
  3. Express Understanding: Use phrases like, “I understand how you might feel” or “That sounds really challenging,” to show empathy.
  4. Cultivate Patience: Sometimes, understanding others takes time. Allow yourself and others the time to express their feelings.
  5. Practice Self-Compassion: Being kind to yourself helps you extend that kindness to others. The more you understand your own emotions, the better you can understand others.