Did you know that the word empathy is a relatively new term to modern western cultures? Neither did I, until I read this fascinating post about Narrative Empathy on the Psychology Today blog.
Empathy in the workplace has been historically looked down as too much of an ultra soft skill. But in the last twenty or so years with the rise of emotional intelligence, empathy has been slowly making its way into the workplace. And that’s a good thing. When people can empathize with someone else in the workplace it can also lead to a more respectful workplace.
Think about it
If you can emotionally put yourself in someone else’s place and understand their perspective wouldn’t you respect them and that position more?
Try it today
Do you work with someone who constantly has to leave work early or take days off to care for a sick parent? Instead of resenting them and their time off, try to imagine if you had a sick parent or relative and had to do the same. Wouldn’t you want the support of your colleagues?
