Empathy has helped me tremendously in my own life, as a figure skating coach and choreographer. It was very important that I become an active listener AND an active watcher in order to better understand my students' styles of learning. That skill crosses over into software development in so far as truly understanding the needs of my clients from their own perspectives, not just my own. Empathic thought and expression is also an important skill to implement in team building and teamwork. I also find that group empathy can be exercised into corrolating to community building. I recall having a very heated and intense discussion with a coworker about his attitude in the workplace, and subsequently the impact that his attitude has on our clients, our coworkers, and ultimately the business.
He later explained to me that it was the 1-year anniversary of the day that he'd lost his daughter in a car accident. I was able to immediately empathize with what he was experiencing inside, allowed him to exp