Is empathy something you can learn?

There is a lot of value in empathy at work. Understanding your colleagues' situations can help you work more effectively with them. Understanding customers and clients can help to provide better service.

Some people naturally consider other people’s perspectives and emotions when interacting with them, while others can be oblivious to their goals, motivations, and feelings. 

If empathy doesn’t come naturally to you, there are some ways to learn to show more empathy and make a habit of it.

If you want to show more empathy, you have to notice what is happening with the people around you and then incorporate it into your interactions. 

It is helpful to remember the following three questions:

1. What does this person want? Thinking about their goals is important. The emotions people experience is directly related to how things are going for them motivationally.
2. What situation are they in? When you understand what they are dealing with, you can better empathise with them.
3. What are they displaying to you? Watching them closely will give you a sense of what is landing with them.