Show that you care about your colleagues, and model leadership behavior.
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Being physically present with others creates a sense of connection. When you are physically separated from other people, the ability to connect emotionally is critical.
Empathy in the workplace allows employees to better understand each other. When employees understand each other, they can better work together, and teams can be effective and productive. Leaders have the ability to empathize, and by empathizing they inspire others to be caring, as well. Here are eight ways you can nurture empathy in a virtually working world and continue to build a great culture:
1. Use video to communicate.
You can better understand a person’s emotions if you see the person. If you are working from home or in a remote space, leverage online video technology to see your colleagues. Visuals provide cues for how a person is feeling or what a person is thinking. The more you see, the more hints you can pick up on to understand others.
2. Listen.
If you want to be empathetic, you have to key in on what the other person is saying, both nonverbally and verbally. Emotions can be seen and heard. You can pick up on feelings based on what the other person says and how they say it, including their tone. Listen to the other person.
3. Recognize your emotions.
When you are listening and recognizing the other person’s emotions, recognize how you are feeling, as well. In order to comprehend the emotions of others, you have to understand your own emotions. Empathetic people have emotional intelligence, which is defined as “the ability to understand your emotions and those of other people and to behave appropriately in different situations.”
4. Be present and open-minded.
When you understand your emotions, you come to the conversation with a sense of clarity and perspective. This can help you to have an open mind, avoid assumptions and identify commonalities.
People tend to approach situations with preconceived notions. It helps people feel prepared for situations. It helps people to feel in control and feel more comfortable. Preconceived notions, assumptions or biases make it difficult to listen fully and the see person accurately. You see the person how you want to see them, not how they actually are.
People who have empathy enter into discussions with an open mind. They allow themselves to be surprised about what they hear, learn and find. Maybe you were unaware of a situation. Maybe your realized that you share something in common.
To increase your empathy, allow yourself to be fully present. Allow yourself to feel a little outside of your comfort zone.
5. Ask questions of the other person and yourself.
The best way to fully understand a situation is by asking questions. Asking questions demonstrate that you have listened and that you care. You want to learn more.
In addition to asking the other person questions, ask yourself questions like, “How would I feel or do in this situation?”
6. Read.
Your ability to empathize can be developed through both real life situations and literature. Read academic scholarship, non-fiction and fiction. Learning about the science of how the human brain works and about other people’s lives and cultures can strengthen your ability to understand other people.
7. Share something of yourself.
You can show empathy by opening up and sharing something about yourself. It could be something personal. It could be sharing how you are feeling.
When you open up, you help others to open up. When everyone feels comfortable, you have the opportunity to connect on a deeper, more sincere and more authentic level. When you have meaningful connections, you create the opportunity to relate to someone else.
You can open up in-person, over the phone or video call or on social media. Depending on your level of comfort, you can be vulnerable with one person or your network. Showing your vulnerability reminds people that you are human and that you share the same feelings as the other person and are experiencing similar challenges. Opening up allows others to relate to you and allows you to show empathy.
Being social is an opportunity to share information in an informal space, allowing people to feel comfortable being their authentic selves and shares their true feelings.
8. Offer help.
Sometimes, you have to take a step further by offering to help someone else. It is not enough to say, “I’m sorry to hear that you are going through this.”
Instead, say, “I’d like to help.” Or, “How can I support you?” Showing that you are willing to take time and energy to do something for someone else can go a long way. It shows that you are willing to invest in them. When people feel supported, it brings great comfort. When employees feel comfortable, they produce their best work.
Leaders care about others. To show empathy, leaders are present, listen, ask questions, open themselves up to feeling emotions and sharing about themselves, read and offer to help.
How do you demonstrate empathy? Share with me your stories and thoughts via Twitter or LinkedIn.
