How to improve empathy.
Empathy has been defined as the ability to “perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy, and with the emotional components and meanings, as if one were the other person, but without ever losing the ‘as if’ condition.”
In that sense, empathy is an active listening skill—both verbally and nonverbally.
If you want to hone your empathy skills, consider assessing yourself on its three dimensions:
1. Sensing—hearing the actual words of the speaker. Sample item: “I am sensitive to what the other person is not saying.”
2. Processing—the cognitive operations of the listener. Sample item: “When I am not certain of the meaning of the speaker’s statements, I ask for clarification.”
3. Responding—the signals listeners send back to the speaker indicating they have been heard. Sample item: “I make certain that the speaker knows that I understand by restating or paraphrasing important points.”
Applying this framework allows you to identify specific areas for growth and design an action plan accordingly.
Source:
Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23(2), 161-180.