A super simple way to establish empathy via connection... with three common words... in your day-to-day talk
I respect....
I appreciate....
(and if you really mean it) I agree...
When you're put in a position to be a listening and someone comes to you with a challenge or problem... for example, say you're friend comes to you to be heard.... (it might go like this...)
"I'm so tired... my boss is just dumping all this work on me..."
Typically we might be inclined to start off our response with these words: "I understand"
"OH I TOTALLY understand....."
DO WE REALLY? Kind of funny isn't it? Especially with empathy we "THINK" we might understand, but given the situation and the way we internalize complex sets of emotions, we all process the experience in a very different way. No matter how similar the situation, can we not agree we would all process and FEEL different about that experience?
Try and consider instead...
"OH I can TOTALLY respect that...."
If you're giving feedback to another point of view...
"I can appreciate what you're saying.... and...."
"I respect where you're coming from..."
"RIGHT??!! I totally agree with where you're coming from..."
Doesn't that seem, sound and feel a little more congruent to you? Give that a GO and let me know in the comments what you guys think AND give it a try a let us know if the experience of connection improved!
#KeepthePassionAlive #UnleashYourPotential #StartEmpathy
P.S. And as always, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and share your thoughts and feedback! I am always happy to meet passionate people from around the world. If you find that I have overlooked an issue of importance to you, or that you want to share some of your experiences, I welcome your feedback.
P.P.S. I like the idea of sharing knowledge, therefore, please share this post with your network.
A little about me... Hi! I'm Duncan So, the Founder & Chief Catalyst of Phinklife, a Systems Change Agency, and the Head of Global Education at the Phinklife Institute for Social Impact empowering leaders for social impact.
Are you considering to heed that call to adventure and make profound and transformative impact, feel free to start here at: www.startyourimpactjourney.com