Summary: Introduction Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else feels by imagining yourself in their position. The ability to show empathy is a very important social skill in making and maintaining friendships. In business, too, it’s important to be able to show empathy with customers, clients and even co-workers, particularly when dealing with disputes, complaints and other negative situations. You're much more likely to be able to resolve a problem with someone if you show them that you understand their position or how they feel. Some people are naturally empathetic; others have to actively work on developing the skill. There are a number of useful techniques for showing empathy which we’ll look at in this podcast lesson. Situation 1 In the following situation, Mary discusses a problem with her colleague, John.
