According to the Oxford Dictionary, Empathy is the ability to imagine & understand the thoughts, perspective, & emotions of another person.

2. What is Empathy?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Empathy is the ability to imagine & understand the
thoughts, perspective, & emotions of another person.
In simpler terms, the ability to feel what the other person is feeling.
While a large majority of us are capable of being empathetic, the practice of it is limited.
Empathy makes you pause and see the people you engage with as humans above
anything else
Barack Obama once said, “The biggest deficit that we have in our society & in the world
right now is an empathy deficit. We are in great need of people being able to stand in
someone else’s shoes & see the world through their eyes”.

3. How is Empathy different from
Sympathy
Sympathy is understanding the other person’s feeling from your own
perspective- a feeling of pity or sorrow
While empathy is when you understand the feelings of another by
identifying with them by putting yourself in the another’s place

4. 3 Types of Empathy
Cognitive- Ability to understand how someone else feels & to work
out what they might be thinking.Sometimes also called perspective
taking
Emotional/Affective-Ability to share another person’s emotions as if
they were contagious- helps you build emotional connections with
others
Compassionate/Concern-Ability to take feelings into actions. Pushes
an individual to do something and help in whatever way

5. Why is Empathy Important
Allows us to have compassion for others, relate to friends, loved
ones, co-workers & strangers
In personal life- helps in building & nurturing healthy relationships
For the world- Empathy from a global perspective is infinitely
important especially when it leads to compassion; people are willing
to help strangers

6. Why is Empathy Important in the
workplace
For teamwork- to relate to your colleagues
For a healthy work environment
Improves communication
Empathetic work cultures are more productive & lead to higher employee
satisfaction
Better connect with clients
Helps in retaining clients

7. How to incorporate Empathy at
work
Create a culture of teamwork
Accept people as they are-focus on their strengths
Be transparent & authentic
Ask questions
Practice active listening
Don’t make it about you

8. Conclusion
Empathy is a skill that can be increased or decreased
It should be taught early on as children
Not all empathy looks & feels the same
When you can find that sweet spot where you can empathise
effectively, whether navigating a workplace hurdle or comforting a
loved one, it is absolutely worth the work.
Let’s all try and practice being more empathetic!