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Empathy: Authentic or contrived, figure out how to convey it!
By Bob
Taylor March 20, 2013 I feel your pain. (At least I know how to make you believe I do.) I am forever confounded by some
manager’s inability to
convey even a modicum of empathy towards employees or customers.
Whether it’s
an aggrieved team member or dissatisfied customer, some managers simply
lack
the capacity to subordinate their own agenda long enough to, if only
for a
moment, prioritize the needs of the individual standing in front of
them.
That’s a shame, because in many instances, the mere expression of “some
understanding and appreciation” for what someone is going through is
all that’s
really needed.
In our consulting practice we frequently encounter managers that proclaim empathy as a professional strength, only to discover their real talent is being a good listener. That’s great and important, but it isn’t the same thing as being empathetic. Expressing empathy requires us to actually engage the individual, talk to them, use real words and, dare I say it, send some non-verbal messages, too. First, a note to the truly empathetic: Congratulations! Your capacity and ability to convey “caring and understanding” will serve you well and will probably allow you to easily form deep, lasting relationships. That having been said, be careful not to over play your hand. All too often, over empathizing leads to over identification with the person or situation and that’s a prescription for cloudy judgment, faulty analysis and all that goes with it. Now, for those amongst us that don’t naturally convey empathy, here’s the deal: While authentic is ideal, in most cases contrived empathy will work just fine and it can be learned. Here’s a simple technique you can use. The next time you’re confronted by a person (team member or customer) that’s had a “bad” experience, try this simple technique: Statement #1: “I am very sorry you’ve had a bad experience. Please, tell me what’s happened … because I really want to understand what you’ve gone through.” Statement #2: “Geez … based on what you’ve shared with me, I think most people would probably feel (sad or angry or frustrated or confused, etc.), too. Statement #3: “For what it’s worth, I’ve had a similar experience and certainly know how it feels. Before we jump to the “where do we go from here?” part of our conversation, is there anything else you want to share?” Statement #4: “I really appreciate you sharing this situation and your feelings with me. I know it’s not always easy dealing with sensitive topics and I want you to know I’m here to help. So, let’s talk about what our next steps should be.” Similar to the classic sales
technique for overcoming
objections, this “Feel, Felt, Found” approach will allow you to
maintain a
positive, constructive orientation to the situation while also ensuring
you are
attending to the emotional needs of the person. I won’t promise you
that it
will solve the world’s problems, but it can go a long way towards
defusing a
bad situation.
About the Author: Bob
Taylor,
co-founder and CEO of OrgWide Services, brings 30 years of hands-on
management,
real-world leadership, and business experience to our
organization. Bob's
enthusiasm and commitment for developing skills in others has resulted
in a
synthesis of a business and personal philosophy that culminated in the
inception of Orgwide. A former Sr. Manager in FedEx's
world-recognized
Leadership Institute, Bob learned the leadership trade by practicing
and
applying his lessons in the trenches. After an impressive career
in
operations at FedEx, Bob was invited back to headquarters to train and
develop
other leaders. Bob was rewarded for his contribution to the
success of
the Leadership Institute and its students when he received the
company's most
coveted award for individual contribution, the Five-Star Award for
Excellence. In 1995, Bob elected to open RFTaylor & Company,
a
management consultancy serving such corporate clients as Emerson
Electric,
FedEx, Hilton Corporation, and Nike, Inc., to name a few.
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Contact: Jim Hartigan Chief Business Development Officer & Partner OrgWide Services 165 N. Main Street, Suite 202 Collierville, TN 38017 office: 901.850.8190 Ext. 230 mobile: 901.628.6586 [email protected] www.orgwide.com |