What is empathy?
Refers to the ability to project oneself into another person’s point of view so as to experience the other’s thoughts and feelings.
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
The difference between sympathy (disconnection) and empathy (connection): First, sympathy means that you feel compassion for another person’s predicament from your perspective. With empathy, you view it from the other person’s perspective.
Three dimensions of empathy: Perspective taking
an attempt to understand the viewpoint of another person
Three dimensions of empathy: Emotional
helps us get closer and gain a sense of the other person’s fear, joy, sadness, and so on
Three dimensions of empathy: Concern for the welfare of the other person
Concern for the welfare of the other person
Using empathy effectively
- Put aside your viewpoint, and try to see things from the other’s point of view.
- Validate the others perspectives
- Examine your attitude
- Listen
- Ask what the other person would do?
Empathy Map: Say
What are some quotes and defining words your user said?
Empathy Map: Think
What might your user be thinking? what does this tell you about his or her beliefs?
Empathy Map: Do
What actions and behaviors did you notice?
Empathy Map: Feel
What emotions might your subject be feeling?
What four things constitute the “empathy map”?
- Say
- Think
- Do
- Feel
Tips for an empathetic conversation
- Pay attention, physically and mentally, to what’s
happening. - Listen carefully, and note the keywords and phrases
that people use. - Respond encouragingly to the central message
- Be flexible, and prepare to change direction as the
other person’s thoughts and feelings also change. - Looks for cues that you’re on target.
5 ways to encourage empathy in the workplace
- talk about empathy
- teach listening skills
- encourage genuine perspective taking
- cultivate compassion
- support global managers
Empathy in Healthcare
- Provides healthcare professionals the
ability/capacity to improve patient outcomes. - Plays a large role in nurse/client relationship and is
THE quality is responsible for establishing a caring
environment. - Novice nurses develop new roles that are very
different from other roles in their lives…new social
rule, scripts, schemata
