Empathy is the basis of understanding and respect for people. Combined with assertiveness, it becomes a quality that every leader must train. But can empathy be learned? Although some people are more empathetic than others, the short answer is yes, because with practice and the motivation to persevere, it can be improved.
What three aspects can help you?
Active listening : You need to be 100% present when you talk to others. You can't be in a meeting, doing other tasks on the computer, with your phone in your hand or showing little interest in what your colleague is saying. Therefore, eliminate distractions, pay attention to their body language and concentrate on what they are saying, instead of thinking about what you are telemarketing in belize going to say in response.
Be curious : Never take anything for granted. Always ask questions and use conversation starters, i.e. questions that don't have implicit answers. Ask about tastes and hobbies. Anything that breaks the ice or creates common ground will definitely help a lot.
Don't always act : Share some of your most important beliefs and life experiences. Be accessible, as this will undoubtedly shorten the distance.
Tip 2. Balance between what is important and what is urgent
Humans are designed to respond first to what takes the least effort, but, in general, the abuse of certain communication channels (such as email) generates added pressure due to the need to carry out tasks without knowing how to distinguish which ones are of greater value, since we become information overloaded.
If we start from the premise that knowledge is a source of competitive advantage (because it is linked to the speed in solving challenges) and we accept that carrying out quality projects requires avoiding the constant simultaneity of tasks from different projects, since it reduces productivity, attention and lateral or creative thinking in the search for solutions to challenges, we can conclude that the way many organizations work does not help.
The pressure of having to respond to emails as soon as they arrive in your inbox, especially if they are from a superior, while simultaneously having to complete urgent tasks such as preparing high-quality creative presentations is a strain that every leader feels. The result is that many of us spend most of our time chasing urgent tasks rather than doing our most valuable work, which can be both demotivating and counterproductive to performing at our best and expanding our skills.
Here are three simple steps we can take to help in this situation:
A weekly meeting of no more than 20-30 minutes where we reflect on all current and future tasks. If we organize them in terms of urgency and importance, we will facilitate the work between team members, since many tasks can be connected to each other.
Set aside a fixed time each day for important tasks. Ideally, they should be consecutive. Within these tasks, do not include more than two projects simultaneously or your time will be very unproductive.
Organize your time and don't get distracted.
