Step In Someone Else's Shoes
A lesson in empathy - the most important skill of the 21st century
In this digital age, the most important skill you’ll need to cultivate is empathy.
Empathy is a vital part of developing and growing relationships. My daughter, who is now at the first stop of her career, does not have the benefit of reading a room or studying someone’s face in the office to learn how their day is going. She is forced to read the tea leaves of an email, text, or slack chat and wonder how that person is feeling. This dependence on digital makes it so much harder to read and connect and people wind up falling into negative thinking.
Exercising empathy allows you to cut through the uncertainty, step into someone else’s shoes and level the emotional playing field.
Empathy allows us to focus on collaboration and not waste time wondering. Being empathetic is about being brave - taking the time to explore the realities of others, opening up your mind and allowing yourself to be moved.
Everyone is different and has unique life and work challenges. Don’t waste time thinking about your differences and instead, challenge your preconceived notions and biases. You need to feel other people’s emotions as if they were your own.
Here are a few great empathetic openers to use in email, text, or slack that cut through the uncertainly and put both of you on the same page. I recommend openers like these to my daughter whenever possible.
I imagine things are really crazy right now…
I know you are busy working on other important projects but…
I’m sorry that you’ve had a rough (insert - day, morning night)
Those simple lines will instantly allow the recipient to loosen up and let their guard down. You’re more than likely to get the result you want and will spend less time worrying about what they might be thinking or going through.
So put yourself in someone’s else shoes. Always and step away from unwanted uncertainly and emotions.
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