Listen In!

In the previous lesson, you began experimenting with building more empathy for others. Even simple human moments of warmth can feed our spirit. Building rapport can make these moments more frequent.

Watch this brief video of Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Case Western Reserve University.

Here’s a summary: Empathic people make an effort to understand others. Their intent is expressed through listening and genuine interest in others’ goals and motivations. Making sure people feel heard and cared about creates rapport that is critical to our relationships and between leaders and employees as well.

In a meeting or at dinner, you could practice empathy by focusing on what is said and then trying to interpret how that person is feeling or what they may be thinking. After the meeting (or dinner), approach that individual and ask how they felt during the meeting (or dinner) and/or what was going through their head, and check how accurate you were. You can also practice active listening and making eye contact during everyday conversations. This becomes easier and feels less artificial over time.

Even simple human moments of warmth can feed our spirit. Building rapport can make these moments more frequent. In this lesson, as you return to the well-wishing practice and extend compassion to yourself and others, bring to mind the curiosity and openness you’ve strengthened throughout the week.

Remember, you can use your own phrases that work better for you than the ones suggested in the audio segment. The most important thing is that you take the time to do it. Another important tip is to remember visualizing the person or people you are extending well-wishing towards.

Taking some time on a regular basis to wish well to yourself and others helps foster a greater sense of ease, kindness, and greater well-being.

Another option: Use a routine activity such as walking your dog or driving to work to do the well-wishing practice silently. Offer good wishes to the people nearby, to the people who you will be meeting with next, to those with whom you just met, or even to yourself.

Click here to download the file as an MP3

Congratulations! This module, you learned how we connect with others and the ways we can strengthen our ability to connect. Now we’ll wrap up our empathy experience by reviewing some of the key points from the module and reflecting on your intention for empathy.

• The empathy competency allows you to consider others’ perspectives, sense their feelings, and take an active interest in their welfare. This reflects the fact that there are three types of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and empathic concern.
• Cognitive: we understand the perspectives of others.
• Emotional: we understand how others feel.
• Empathic concern: we care about others and take action to help them if needed.
• Cognitive empathy can be strengthened by working to better understand the rules of social engagement and common emotional reactions.
• Good leadership requires the ability to feel the full range of human emotions and to be able to offer and receive compassion.
• Empathizing with another person activates our brain’s salience network, enabling us to experience our compassion first-hand.
• When we take responsibility for forgiving and caring for ourselves, the compassion we extend to others also becomes more genuine.
• The human moment combines physical presence with mutual attention. The result is empathy and rapport.
• Making sure people feel heard and cared about creates rapport, which is critical to relationships throughout our lives.
• Research has shown that people who spend time each day wishing well to themselves and others foster a greater sense of ease, kindness, and well-being for themselves.

Take a few minutes to reflect upon your experience over the course of the module as you began to hone your capacity for empathy.

• To what extent have you worked toward the intention you set at the beginning?
• Have you noticed any positive changes?
• How will you further hone your empathy beyond this course?
• What tools will you continue to utilize?

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