Develop Empathy

Module 1: Being a Strong Communicator, introduced the idea of empathy and defined it as “showing someone you are trying to understand their motivations and interests.” When you are working with someone who is empathetic, you feel like they are on your side. You feel like they understand what you’re going through. You’re more likely to trust them because it seems like you are working together.

You can always be generally empathetic to people you meet and work with. You can also take specific steps to become more specifically empathetic to the older adults you’ll work with as a Digital Ambassador. Empathy is not the same thing as pity or sympathy. Having pity results in feeling sorry for someone. When you are empathetic you are making connections with someone so you can help them learn new things. You are working with them. Pity and sympathy push you away from someone else.

One way to build empathy for others is to create an empathy map. This simple diagram describes the experiences and characteristics of a person or a group of people you are working with. An empathy map lists what people are thinking about relevant to a specific goal or topic. It may also list what they see, hear, do, or say. These things influence how they will act with you.

These observations can be made throughout a single day, generalized across multiple days, or isolated to a specific time, like when they are using a technology device. Empathy maps can be created by groups who brainstorm answers after interacting with potential learners. You can also create an empathy map while interviewing someone through a process called an empathy interview.