Empathy is a key characteristic of effective leaders. As described in a report from Catalyst titled COVID-19: Women, Equity, and Inclusion (Ohm et al., 2020): “Empathy is linked to effective team collaboration, increased morale, reduced stress, and more inclusive attitudes at work”. The authors described empathy as one of 5 strategies for a better workplace,Continue reading "The benefits of empathy at work"
Do I need an empathy reboot?
I give regular workshops on empathy and perspective-taking. I'm writing a book for Higher Education professionals on how to be more empathetic at work. I research empathy. I think about empathy every day, all the time. And yet, many days I leave interactions with my partner or a colleague wondering, wishing I'd dealt with itContinue reading "Do I need an empathy reboot?"
Empathy & the Self-Other Distinction
One of the most important parts of developing one's competence in empathetic relationships and communication is the ability to maintain a separation between yourself and the person or persons you are empathizing with. This distinction must be preserved even as you are trying to understand how that person is feeling from their perspective. This separationContinue reading "Empathy & the Self-Other Distinction"
What is empathy?
So far, we've talked a bit about what empathy is (compassion, sympathy) and what I often see people misunderstand about empathy (e.g., that it requires action not just understanding of what someone else is feeling). Today, I'll dive deeper into what empathy actually is. Academics have described empathy as the ability to have an "accurateContinue reading "What is empathy?"
The Difference between Empathy, Compassion, and Sympathy
Sometimes, in the empathy workshops I facilitate, people fear that learning about empathy means they'll spend the workshop talking about their emotions. Others believe that empathy isn't appropriate or accepted for their workplace or lifestyle. "We don't have time to talk about feelings, we have a job a to do!" That perception reflects a misunderstandingContinue reading "The Difference between Empathy, Compassion, and Sympathy"
Empathy requires action
I find that the more I learn about effective relationships, leadership and positionality, the more I see how integral empathy is to developing skills in those domains. In Teaching Empathy in Virtual Settings through an Ethic of Care, a chapter Sara Kitsch and I wrote for the fourth volume of the Teaching and Learning forContinue reading "Empathy requires action"
The Empathy Classroom 