Energize Your Workplace with Empathy
by Marguerite Ham I have often been asked “What is the difference between empathy & sympathy?” Although they are similar, they do have different meanings, especially when it comes to the workplace. Empathy is a great quality to develop to improve your leadership skills by building meaningful relationships with those you lead. Empathy definition Webster Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the thoughts feelings or emotions of someone else. An example of empathy is feeling the same amount of excitement as a friend, when they tell you they’re getting married. Empathic: the psychological identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others. Sympathy Definition Webster Sympathy is defined as feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune: an understanding between people; common feeling. In general, ‘sympathy’ is when you understand and care about the feelings of another person; ’empathy’ is when you share those feelings. Sympathy means together, at the same time; a shared feeling of community and understanding of those feelings. Empathy emphasizes the notion of projection. You have empathy for a person when you can imagine how they might feel based on what you know about that person and share those feelings. Empathy and Sympathy …