{"id":12377,"date":"2021-12-09T18:53:10","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T18:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jboitnott.com\/?p=12377"},"modified":"2021-12-14T23:45:06","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T23:45:06","slug":"why-empathy-is-a-crucial-entrepreneurial-skill-and-how-to-develop-yours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jboitnott.com\/zh\/why-empathy-is-a-crucial-entrepreneurial-skill-and-how-to-develop-yours\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Empathy Is a Crucial Entrepreneurial Skill (and How to Develop\u00a0Yours)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even a casual glance at today\u2019s headlines tells a troubling story. From recent increases in worker resignations<\/a> across all fields to a noticeable uptick in interpersonal conflicts<\/a> at workplaces or in airline flights, as well as the ever-increasing political divide, it seems clear that there\u2019s just not empathy in the world.<\/p>\n

Empathy is a crucial trait in business workspaces, given the close and cooperative nature<\/a> of the environment. When you work with people consistently for extended periods of time, your ability to empathize<\/a> with them directly impacts their performance and yours.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, empathy isn\u2019t one of those traits you either have or don\u2019t have. You can develop and grow it over time with a bit of attention and focused effort. By demonstrating and practicing empathy, you begin to actually feel what others feel. You’ll also better understand those emotions on an intellectual level.<\/p>\n

What empathy is (and\u00a0isn\u2019t)<\/h2>\n

Empathy is the ability to identify, understand and personally share the emotions and thoughts of another person. It\u2019s not the same as sympathy, where you might feel concern or pity for another. Rather, it requires a shared point of view and a fuller understanding of a person\u2019s specific emotional response.<\/p>\n

Psychologists have identified three different types of empathy:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cognitive empathy <\/strong>is the ability to distinguish different emotional states in other people;<\/li>\n
  2. Emotional empathy<\/strong> is actually feeling some of what that other person is feeling; and<\/li>\n
  3. Compassionate empathy<\/strong> is knowing what the other person is feeling, experiencing that emotion yourself, and wanting to take some kind of action to help that person feel better.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Although each form of empathy can help you become a better business owner and entrepreneur, compassionate empathy in particular helps you relate more deeply to your team members and employees.<\/p>\n

    Why empathy is a crucial entrepreneurial skill<\/h2>\n

    Employees are increasingly feeling stressed out, undervalued and unappreciated. That might in part be contributing to the great resignation<\/a> movement. Empathy from the top levels of the company helps alleviate those issues so employees will be less likely to resign and more likely to perform better on the job.<\/p>\n

    Empathy is a crucial interpersonal skill that helps you better lead your team, improve employee engagement<\/a> and grow worker loyalty to your company. It also helps you make better decisions that take into consideration all relevant factors, including those that impact the people working for you. Finally, empathy may also help you assess another person\u2019s emotional response to a work-related issue more objectively and manage the situation more effectively and appropriately.<\/p>\n

    Develop your workplace empathy skills with\u00a0practice<\/h2>\n

    If empathy isn\u2019t something that flows naturally for you, try practicing it. Just like playing a musical instrument or any other skill, empathy can be developed through a routine series of practical steps.<\/p>\n

    To practice empathy, try these steps, suggested by Andrea Brandt in a 2018 article for Psychology Today<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Consider someone you know fairly well and have spent some time with over several days recently. This could be an employee, a member of your family, a fellow executive or a friend.<\/li>\n
    2. How would you describe their temperament over the last few days?<\/li>\n
    3. Next, brainstorm potential causes for that mood. What has transpired in their life that might be contributing to their emotional state?<\/li>\n
    4. What part might you be playing in creating that mood, even unintentionally?<\/li>\n
    5. Can you put yourself in your friend or colleague\u2019s shoes and try to feel what they\u2019re feeling now?<\/li>\n
    6. Finally, consider what you can do to help improve the situation for the person.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Spend some time each week engaging in this exercise and you\u2019ll find your natural sense of empathy begins to develop. Soon, it will flow more readily and won\u2019t require your focused effort.<\/p>\n

      Expressing empathy<\/h2>\n

      Much of the work we can do to demonstrate and practice empathy in any context, but especially in the workplace, has to do with the words we choose to express ourselves.<\/p>\n

      The mere act of asking an open-ended question is a nice way to make others feel heard and valued, especially when it\u2019s a supervisor or leader who\u2019s asking. Thoughtful questions tell your team members that you\u2019re engaged in the discussion, that you\u2019re listening, and that you\u2019re interested in resolving issues fairly.<\/p>\n

      You can let others know you\u2019re trying to see things from their perspective with the words you choose. Expressing empathy helps you show your intention and effort to understand others more fully. Specific phrases you can use to convey more individualized empathy include:<\/p>\n