Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings and emotions in various circumstances. It is a vital part of forming good relationships both at work and in personal life. Most people are born with a sense of empathy to a greater or lesser extent but developing empathy skills is beneficial. Following are a number of ways to strengthen empathy:
• Experience challenging situations that push a person outside their comfort zone.
• Get feedback from others about relationship skills.
• Ask other people about their life and experiences and how they feel about them.
• Try to examine biases and inbuilt prejudices about others.
• Cultivate a sense of curiosity about people and their situations.
• Ask questions that show concern about others and what they are going through.
• Travel and meet people in different cultures and social situations.
• Build relationships with people who might otherwise be distant.
