Imagine you are in a jungle and happen upon someone who has fallen into quicksand. Sympathy is jumping in with them and agreeing this is bad. Empathy is acknowledging their situation is bad and then getting a vine to help pull them out of the predicament.
Source: Rework, February 14, 2018.
That’s empathy – seeking to understand someone else’s perspective and how their experiences have shaped that perspective. It’s not an easy thing to do in the office. As long as work is getting done, you might not even realize that your perspectives differ from the people around you.
INSIGHTS: Start by realizing another person’s perspective is their reality. Then suspend your own version of reality for the moment to fully appreciate their perspective. Finally respect their right to a different perspective at this moment and remember that respect does not imply agreement.