Empathy

Question # 1
What is empathy?
Question # 2
What exercises can we use to practice empathy?

Question # 1
What is empathy?

Empathy is
feeling with another person.
being in the heart of another person.
the ability to read and understand an other
persons emotions, needs, and thoughts.
https://hbr.org/2016/11/if-you-cant-empathize-with-your-employees-youd-better-learn-to
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-empathy-most-important-trait-today-ari-kopoulos
http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-you-should-have-more-empathy-1462210724
https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw

How strongly do you sense the power of empathy, the

mysterious connection we have to each other?

Example
When you drink a cup of coffee on the way to work, to what
extent do you think about the lives of the people who picked
the coffee beans?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-caring-others-better-way-get-ahead-life-david-frank-gomes

Social intelligence means being smart in

relationships by being empathetic or
being able to sense what others are feeling
and their intentions.
Secondly, it means having the social skills to
act on that information.
Daniel Goleman

Sources
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=2496899&page=1
http://danielgoleman.info/

http://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_do_animals_have_morals.html

Empathy is ingroup biased.

People have more empathy
with people they know.
Frans de Waal
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200910236

When do people act prosocially?

Example # 1
When they are confronted with people whom they perceive
to be part of their group.

Example # 2
When they anticipate that good is reciprocated with good.
Example # 3
When they see that fairness is restored.
http://www.nzz.ch/es-gibt-das-gute-durchaus-1.10664748

Empathy derives from

maternal care.
Frans de Waal

http://youtu.be/UONxT4Tb3C0

On average, eomen have more

emotional intelligence than men.
Groups with more women
therefore tend to be smarter.
Thomas Malone

http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/05/mit-management-professor-tom-malone-on-collective-intelligence-and-the-genetic-structure-of-groups/

Developing empathy requires self-awareness.

https://hbr.org/2016/11/if-you-cant-empathize-with-your-employees-youd-better-learn-to

Further inspiration
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-can-we-listen-better-1485898
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Questions-to-discover-your-values-1329394
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-differences-are-there-between-women-and-men-1430429

Question # 2
What exercises can we
use to practice empathy?

Empathy exercise # 1: Observe and listen

Observe and listen to people you work

with including customers - to learn
about problems and opportunities.
https://hbr.org/2016/11/if-you-cant-empathize-with-your-employees-youd-better-learn-to
https://hbr.org/2015/05/to-win-people-over-speak-to-their-wants-and-needs

Empathy exercise # 2: The class hour

In primary education in Denmark, the class hour is held once a

week. The purpose of the class hour is for all students to come
together to talk about any problems and learn about how everyone
feels. Students also share ideas to solve problems. If there are no
problems to be discussed, students just play.
Students take turn baking a cake for the class hour.
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/09/teaching-kids-empathy-in-danish-schools-its-well-its-a-piece-of-cake/

Empathy exercise # 3: Walk in another persons shoes

Step # 1
Think of a person, for example a user / customer.
Step # 2
Imagine
what this person thinks about.
how this person feels.
why this person does what he / she does.
https://hbr.org/2015/03/bridging-psychological-distance
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/empathy-customer-experience-don-peppers
http://www.tauckfamilyfoundation.org/outcomes/child-outcomes/social-competence

Empathy exercise # 4: Experience the day of a person you lead

If you are leader, go experience the day

of someone you lead.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenge-leaders-day-empathy-tim-brown

Empathy exercise # 5: Practice breathing

With mindfulness, we learn to stand in our own shoes.

From this perspective, mindfulness is a practice of self empathy.
This kind of self awareness allows us to develop empathic
connections to others.
http://www.mindfulschools.org/foundational-concepts/mindfulness-and-empathy/