If you look up empathy in the dictionary, it means being aware of and sharing another person’s feelings, experiences, and emotions. Empathy is the action of understanding, being aware of, and being sensitive to the feelings and thoughts fully communicated in an objectively clear manner, thereby vicariously experiencing them. Why is trying to see things from another person’s point of view considered taboo? When did empathy become a bad thing?

We have two ears but only one mouth. Some people suggest that it is because we should spend twice as much time listening as talking. Others suggest it’s because listening, really listening to what is being said, is twice as hard. – Dr. Ralph Nichols.

There is a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is that you heard something – listening is that you understood what you heard. Having the ability to really listen to someone is an acquired skill. We are not ‘wired’ to be a good listener. A recent survey revealed that individuals listen about 25 percent of the time, most people only recall 50 percent of what they hear, and 70 percent of all misunderstandings occur because people don’t truly listen to each other. The good news is we can learn to be good listeners.

In the industrial age, the CEO sat at the top of the hierarchy and didn’t have to listen to anybody. However, in the information age, you have to listen to the ideas of people, regardless of gender, generation or position within the organization. – John Scully.

To become a great listener, master these three key listener skills.

1 – Pay attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention. Do not interrupt.

2 – Paraphrase what the speaker said so they know you understood their point of view. If need be, ask open-ended questions for clarity.

3 – Pause and reflect on what was said. Do not become emotional.; respond respectfully in a professional manner. Remember Covey – ‘I listen to understand, not necessarily to agree. We are adults and we can agree to disagree.’

Always keep this in mind. Active listening, receiving the message as it was intended, is as essential to effective communication as speaking. You won’t learn a thing if you keep talking. Pay attention – paraphrase what the speaker said – pause and reflect before responding respectfully and professionally. When did empathy become a bad thing?

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event, or planning a training session at your location? Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. He works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, resolve conflicts, build collaborative teams or motivate others to perform at their best.