Empathy is a necessary part of life, and it is definitely something I have had to work on in my life. I really liked the article "Three Kinds of Empathy," because the author writes about how trying to stay calm and collected through life can actually hinder your ability to be empathetic. When I worked as an EMT, cognitive empathy was the only type of empathy I experienced, as I thought it necessary to detatch myself emotionally in order to remain calm. Although this may have been necessary, I wish that I took more time after work to look back and feel a stronger sense of compassionate empathy. I find that when I experience that type of empathy, the relationships in my life grow stronger. Empathy has defintely helped me understand those in my life with different experiences than myself, and I hope to continue to understand them even better.
I think that building software is all about communication and understanding. I must understand the expectations of my boss, my peers, and the client. If I do not understand all of those people, the software will not be as good as it should be. Empathy is necessary for understanding, and therefore necessary for any kind of communication. Creating software that is inclusive is also another reason that empathy needs to be at the forefront of the decision making process. Empathy is required to understand the viewpoints of those with lives different from your own.
As I stated above, empathy is a key to communication. In the "can you teach people to have empathy?" article, the author states that empathy is necessary for radical listening. Listening to your team is the only way to achieve successful and efficient work. I hope to work on my listening skills; and I believe that understanding the importance of the role of empathy in listening will help me in this.
4. Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
Working as an EMT, I once saw one of my partnersn experience panic attack like-symptoms in the middle of a 911 call. I knew that this person had been working in the industry for a long time, and had perhaps developed some stress from the years of it. I tried to empathize with them so we could work through the moment together and maintain a calm environment so we could complete our tasks. If I had only used "cognitive empathy," I likely would have become frustrated at the situation, instead of trying to be a kind and helpful coworker.
5. 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 be empathetic to customers or clients who are being rude. I can improve on this by attempting to change my viewpoint of the whole situation. Instead of being frustrated that a customer is being rude, I can remind myself that I do not know what is going in this person's life, and that my being kind and helpful might be exactly what this person needs to hear. Empathy is important in that in order for me to stay calm and focus on being helpful, I must understand that everyone does not mean exactly what they say.