I Am Empathetic
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Welcome
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Welcome to the Essential Skills Program’s “I Am Empathetic” training!
This training course has been designed to scroll like a website page, along with a drop-down menu to show each section and your progress. The sections are required, but the pace is up to you!
You will go through a total of 5 videos, on average 2-7 minutes long. All videos have transcripts and closed captions in addition to audio.
Each video is followed by open-ended or multiple-choice questions. Some of the open-ended questions are self-reflections just for you, while others may be completed in group settings, either online or in-person. This will be up to your instructor or trainer.
The learning outcome of this training will help you understand:
- what being empathetic means versus sympathetic
- why employers value this skill
- how to build an empathetic mindset
- how to use action steps to practice empathetic behaviors
At the end of the training, you will provide feedback on your experience.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
Learning Outcome
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Knows how empathy and sympathy differ, and can determine which to use given the situation.
Think about a time when…
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I Am Empathetic – Introduction
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Self-Reflection
Open ended question
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Think about a time when someone told you about a personal life experience they’d had that you’d never experienced before. How did you react? Was it hard for you to relate to them and their story? Was it interesting to try and understand what their experience must have been like?
What’s Next?
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Now that you have reflected on how you have previously related to others’ experiences, move on to the next section to learn how you can adopt a mindset that is open to being empathetic.
Mindset: Ask yourself…
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Your mindset is your overall attitude and beliefs about how you view the world or your work.
Watch the video to learn how you can adopt a mindset that will help you become empathetic.
I Am Empathetic – Mindset
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Self-Reflection
Open ended question
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When you become aware of someone’s emotional response – say a close coworker or friend – do you tend to want to pull back, or put distance between yourself and that person’s feelings? Is it sometimes confusing? Or, do you want to be right there and jump into the thick of things, often sharing some of those emotions?
Terms We Will Use
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Sympathy – When you can observe what someone is going through or how someone is feeling.
Cognitive Empathy – When you use your mind and thoughts to help you know what a person is experiencing.
Emotional Empathy – When you can actually feel what another person feels.
Compassion – When you experience empathy so strongly that you are moved to help another person.
Interactive Reflection
Complete the sentence
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You can think through this question as a self-reflection, or you can discuss it in an online meeting like Zoom, or in person with a group.
Make sure you follow your instructor or trainer’s specific guidelines.
Your mindset and comfort level with emotions can influence whether expressing sympathy or using empathy comes more naturally to you. Complete the sentences:
- If I only express sympathy when someone shares their emotions and experiences, I might:
- If I take the time to use empathy to understand how others feel, I could:
Action Steps
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Action steps are small, practical activities you can do to help match your mindset with your behaviors.
Watch the video to learn how you can practice action steps that will help you determine when to use sympathy versus empathy.
I Am Empathetic – Action Steps
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Knowledge Check
Multiple response
Multiple choice
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Some ways to know how to choose sympathy or empathy include:
- Decide if someone needs you have a deeper understanding of their experience or feelings
- Start by gaining a general awareness of how a person is feeling in a certain situation
- Always try to “walk a mile” in someone’s shoes so they know you care
- Learn what perspective, or point of view, a person has about a situation
- Decide if someone needs a general acknowledgement of their experience or feelings
When practicing empathy, what are some strategies for staying objective to offer help, while at the same time, avoiding burn out?
- Show compassion
- Identify support strategies
- Address basic needs
- Move toward a positive solution
- All of the above
Practice
Open ended question
Deciding when to use sympathy or empathy requires you to be observant. What are some ways you can practice noticing the clues people give through their body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions?
Scenario: What would you do?
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In this section, you’ll watch a video about a work situation and then reflect on ways to respond to it, using what you learned about how your mindset and action steps play an important role in being empathetic.
I Am Empathetic – Skill Scenario
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Interactive Discussion
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Open ended question
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These questions can be completed in an online meeting like Zoom, or in person with a group in a guided discussion. Make sure you follow your instructor or trainer’s specific guidelines.
Jim notices that Heather is really struggling. How does he find out more about the situation? What in his conversation and actions lets you know if he’s chosen to express sympathy or use empathy?
How might things have gone for Heather if Jim hadn’t stopped to ask if she needed help?
Self-Reflection: What would you do?
Open ended question (Individual reflection)
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If you were put in a similar situation to Jim’s while at work, what would be easy for you while interacting with someone who you could tell was upset? What would be challenging?
Optional Interactive Discussion
Discussion
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This optional discussion is designed to help you think broadly about the concepts you are learning. You may participate in this discussion by meeting with others in person or by using an online meeting tool, such as Zoom, depending on your instructor’s guidelines.
Sometimes, showing empathy or acting with compassion is not needed in a situation at work, and instead sympathy is needed. What are some examples of when it is best to just acknowledge what someone is going through without going deeper into feelings or direct action? Share any real-life examples you may have.
Summary: Your goals…
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In this last lesson, you will wrap up what you learned about empathy and then reflect on your goals. Start by watching the video.
I am Empathetic – Scenario Debrief
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Goals
Open ended question
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As the host mentioned, part of developing your emotional intelligence is practicing both sympathy and empathy, and knowing which to choose given the situation. Not only is this incredibly helpful in workplace interactions, but it can be very useful in your personal life as well. After watching the video series, what are some of your personal goals to continue to expand your skills and comfort with using empathy?