Using Empathy to Increase Communication Effectiveness

In communication, one of the most important things is that it’s effective. We want that the sender clearly sends the message, and the receiver appropriately responds. When this happens, we likely have effective communication.

Empathy can play a vital role in how responsive a receiver is to a message. Empathy is your ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes so that you can feel how they would feel in a certain situation. It’s your ability to feel someone else’s pain. When you’re empathetic, you’re more likely to have an appropriate response to someone.

Here’s how it works. You have a customer who comes to you irate because the person has to pay fees for services that, in the past, the person received free; and the customer is going off, telling you,  “You shouldn’t charge me these extra fees, and I shouldn’t have to pay for them!”

If you choose not to be empathetic, then you could say, “Well, you used the services, and you incurred the fees so go ahead and pay up.” However, if you choose to be empathetic, then you can put yourself in that person’s shoes and say, “O.K. At one point, I got these same services. I didn’t have to pay for them. Now, I have to pay for them. My bill has increased, and I can see where this may seem unfair.” Once you put on your “empathetic hat”, so to speak, you tell the customer that you understand their position. At one point, they didn’t have to pay for the services; but, now, they do. You’re sorry. You don’t mean to cause them any pain or grief, but the new policy is that they now have to pay for these services.

When you’re empathetic, you’re able to show the person that you put yourself in their place. You feel their pain, and your response, to them, is more appropriate than it would be if you weren’t empathetic to them.

The next time someone comes to you, you want to put on your “empathetic hat”, to be more empathetic to the person, so that you can be more appropriate in your response.

Thank you for listening. I’m Jovi “Professor Jovi” Brown. Until next time, let’s think better, and do better. I’ll respond to comments on this blog right here at jovibrownweekdaywords.blogspot.com, or you can go to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

Thank you; and, for more information about my company, go to topbrainiac.com/development. Have a great day! 

Written by: Jovi "Professor Jovi" Brown

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