Empathy
- What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?
Empathy is something that I struggled with years ago. Becoming aware of this encouraged me to make a conscious effort to change how I interact with others. Once I started focusing on being empathetic, I believe it helped me to grow positively as an individual. Regularly practicing empathy has improved relationships in my life, personally and professionally. Taking the time to not only listen, but try and relate to others has opened my mind to so many new perspectives and ideas, that I would not have had the privilege of understanding otherwise.
- How does empathy help you build better software?
When building software, empathy can help you create a better product. Any product created is intended for use, the best way to have a successful product is to provide one people will like and use. Therefore, if you want to build software people will like and use you need to have a clear understanding of their needs and wants. Taking the time to empathize with potential users will give you the ability to know what these needs are and build better software.
- Why is empathy important for working on a team?
When working on a team the level of empathy can make a huge difference. The more empathetic each teammate is the better everyone will understand each other, maximizing overall productivity. We desire to be in a work environment that we enjoy and feel comfortable sharing. Without empathy, the likelihood of everyone feeling able to share and contribute can decrease. Additionally, I can refer to the previous prompt; a team will be more successful if they are able to empathize with their clients or customers.
- Describe a situation in which your ability to empathize with a colleague or teammate was helpful.
When I was working as a Reset Merchandiser I had a partner that was very in experienced. There were multiple occasions where I would find myself getting frustrated by mistakes they were making and would even fix them without saying a word. The problem was, nothing changed and my frustration grew each time. Finally I thought to myself, If I was the one consistently making mistakes and causing my partner the same feelings I would want to know and have the chance to improve. I also didn't want to be hurtful in this process. I approached the situation by first taking responsibility for not taking the time to teach him the proper way to complete the task, then worked though it as a together so he could learn the correct way to complete the task at hand. Over time he became a very dependable and reliable partner.
- When do you find it most difficult to be empathetic in professional settings? How can you improve your skills when faced with these scenarios?
One of the most difficult times to be empathetic in a professional setting is when I feel disrespected. Instinctually my defense mechanism kicks in and I want to push back or shut down, neither of which is productive. A way to improve my skills in this type of situation would be to take a moment and replay the scenario in my head and pinpoint the moment that caused me to feel disrespected. I need to be sure that I was not overreacting or misinterpreting the scenario. Once this is determined, and I believe my feelings are justified, I need to communicate it to the appropriate person. This must be done in a healthy and productive manner, keeping in mind they may not realize their words or actions caused me to feel this way.