Empathy has been highly important in most instances in my life— not only has it been vital to every growth period I've gone through, but it's been useful in making others feel heard and in diffusing tension or anger. When I'm actively trying to make big steps in being a better human being, I often try to imagine myself more like the people I look up to. I visualize what it is like to think and feel like them, which helps to understand how to be more like them. I also try to envision what it's like for people who are more disadvantaged than me or who face undue suffering, which helps motivate me to offer more help and do things with others in mind. Empathy also helps immensley with active listening; when you are trying to understand and share another's feelings, you must really listen to them; in turn, it builds their respect for you and making them more apt to truly listen to you. Finally, empathy has been very useful in disseminating tense situations; when someone is feeling intensely, being shown empathy not only makes them feel heard & therefore less isolated and on-edge, it helps you to imagine what you would do in that situation and offer useful solutions.
Empathy helps build better software because the designer is almost always building something for other people. In order to truly understand what your client or audience needs and wants, one must first understand their unique perspectives. According to the Bressler Group, empathy lets you see what people do, while not being limited to what they say. This shared experience also allows the designer to reframe the problem and not only reveals opportunities for new product applications but also reveals possible future mistakes. The Wall Street Journal has a similar outlook; they say empathy "enables employees to observe & understand the wants and needs of the client, especially emotional behavior that may not lend itself to quantitative analysis." The WSJ adds that the diverse markets of the modern day require understanding of a vast variety of cultural preferences and choices; customers have quick access to huge amounts of information, and easy, powerful ways to share, so it is highly advantageous to be empathetic to everyone. Furthermore, as an individual programmer, you’re bound to need others' help throughout your career and showing empathy towards others will lead them to be more empathetic to you when you're facing a problem or challenge.
Empathy is important for working on a team because the best teams are highly diverse and in order to collaborate effectively, you need to connect with your teammates and understand where they are coming from. According to The Muse, "empathy is the pathway to better communication, and the combination of logical and emotional skills is the key to more effective environments for all... When you understand others' perspectives & effectively integrate feedback, from both machines and humans, in a way that neutralizes defensive behavior and emphasizes value creation, you and your team can be much more effective." The Wall Street Journal states that relationships and persuasion (both of which are enhanced with empathy) have become essential for success because many companies' structures are changing from top-down to more collaborative. The BBC says that "empathy is the cornerstone of healthy human relationships," and quotes neuroscience research which claims that empathy is wired into almost everyone's brains, and thus can be re-learned— mainly by recovering the curiosity that we have lost throughout life. That kind of recovery would not only augment successful teamwork, but lead to more creativity and innovation.
My ability to empathize has proven very helpful in working with others. For instance, I wanted to complete a permaculture project building a swale & berm in my friend's yard to help conserve water runoff during big rainstorms and snow melts. I realized that I needed more help than I anticipated, but my friend is older and has knee problems and I didn't want her to risk her health with the heavy lifting it would require. We talked about possibilities and she was open to strangers coming over to give a hand, so I emailed our local permaculture listserve and found a couple of generous volunteers. My friend was grateful for my understanding of her limitations, so in return, she made us a delicious lunch and kept us well-hydrated. We all learned a lot from the process and everyone left feeling appreciative and appreciated.
When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
I find it most difficult to empathize With adults who are downright rude or disrespectful to strangers. I don't understand how people can be so horrible to others without knowing almost anything about them and it makes me angry and hostile toward them. I think that when facing a situation with a disrespectful person, I need to first remember that everyone has bad days and this person could just be highly distracted and unaware how they are acting. While trying to maintain understanding for the person, I should then confront them, try to identify what, if anything is wrong, and further bring to their attention that they are mistreating someone or behaving in a way that I find inappropriate. I think it's important for me to not hold a grudge against them, but to continue to stand my ground when I disagree with their actions.