A 23-year-old introverted and shy girl who recently completed her BBA is waiting to start an MBA program. She struggles with communicating with others due to a lack of confidence. She feels nervous talking to strangers and overthinks what to say. She wants to improve her communication skills as they are important for her future career, but she believes she is not smart and lacks self-confidence. The problem is her fear, as once she overcomes that initial hesitation, she is a flexible and good communicator. However, her negative thoughts prevent her from gaining confidence. She needs a way to learn how to feel more confident when interacting with people so that she can get a good job.

1. Design Thinking Action Lab
Empathy Map and Problem Statement
Prepared By- Syeda Rifat Ara

2. Empathy Map & Problem
Statement

3. Stakeholder
A young, introvert, shy, 23 years old
non-confident girl who has completed
BBA program recently and waiting to
get admitted into MBA program.

4. 1. SAY
communicating with people :
1. „„I feel hesitated about what to say, how to
express what I want to say.‟‟
2. „„I become tensed and nervous while talking
to strangers‟‟
3. „„I think too much about how to make the
listener understand what I want to say‟‟
4. „„I communicate less as I have fear of
becoming a source of laugh‟‟
5. „„I usually try to avoid talking with strangers‟‟
6. „‟I don‟t hang out with friends. I want to hang
out but at the last moment, I change my
decision.‟‟

5. 1. SAY (Continued…)
7. „„I always think „what people will think about me if
I say this‟.‟‟
8. “I hate it about myself. Sometimes I think why I
can‟t be like other people, why I can‟t be flexible.”
9. “As a business student, I have to give
presentations. But I can‟t give good
presentations.”
10. “I don‟t participates in any competitions or
debates though I want to.”
11. “In this world of competition, I am staying
behind.”
12. “As a business student, I should be more
confident and smart while communicating with
others.”

6. 2. DO
1. She was becoming nervous at first.
2. was hesitating whether to talk to me,
give me answers or to avoid the
questions at first. But after some
moments, she became flexible.
3. She was a good communicator when
she became flexible.
4. was worried about her problems.

7. 3. THINK
1. She thinks she‟s not smart.
2. She is not self-confident.
3. Communication skill is very important
for business students.
4. She‟ll face much problem while
giving interview for job.

8. 4. FEEL
1. She is a good communicator indeed but she
doesn‟t realize that.
2. The problem is with her fear.
3. Once she is out of her fear, she is quite
flexible and smart.
4. she doesn‟t notice the fact that she needs to
make the first move. After that she‟s good at
conversation.
5. She has some negative thoughts about her
actions. Which actually preventing her from
being confident.
6. She needs to improve her communication
skill.

9. Problem Statement
 A young, introvert, shy, 23 years old
non-confident girl who has completed
BBA program recently and waiting to
get admitted into MBA program needs
a way to learn how to gain confidence
while communicating with people
because self-confidence and good
communication skill is very important
to get a good job.

10. Insights
1. Having a good communication skill
helps to grab a good job.
2. University life and job life are two
different things. Getting a degree
from University doesn‟t ensure
getting a good job.