Gear Up Pre-Work

gear_up_pre-work.md

Gear Up - Empathy Reflections

• As a man who works full-time, is in a committed relationship, and maintains connection with a close group of friends, empathy plays a major role in my everyday life. Every interaction is purposeful, so it becomes an habitual process to listen and understand the people I work with and care about. At work, having empathy (or a lack thereof) could be the difference between accomplishing a common goal with co-workers or completely halting an otherwise promising opportunity for impact and productivity. Personally, empathy has helped me deepen my relationships by teaching me what my loved ones need and discover ways of meeting those needs (and vice versa).

• The article written by Mathieu Turpault discusses a number of ways empathy can inspire better software design. Of the ones presented, what stuck with me most was the idea that subverts and dissuades potentially misguided preconceptions. Approaching project or an issue with certain expectations applied is limiting and can lead to missed opportunities for improvement. Having the see, understand, and feel someone elses experience reframes the problem and opens up a new host of possibilities and, most importantly, solutions.

• Interpersonal skills, the core of which being empathy, is crucial in the workplace. Unnecessary conflict is not only unproductive, but also actively destructive to a team. Work can regularly be stressful, which heightens emotions and has the potential to create incongrous reactions to otherwise helpful, well-intentioned feedback. Every great group achievement begins with unifification, establishing the common goal; fundamental to that is evaluating the task from all perspectives and making it known that each voice is heard and understood.

• Empathy is a skill I utilized at work just today. In a small, historic city that is prone to water main issues, I work closesly with a hard-working (and under-staffed) water/wastewater division. During our workday two urgent tasks made themselves known that required their assistance: one that they were invested in and another with which I had a connection. With empathic consideration in mind, we each expressed our needs, prioritized, managed expecations, and accomplished both tasks.

• I find it most difficult to be empathic in the workplace when I perceive my own self-worth to be in jeopardy. Insecurity can manifest in moments where my needs or goals are in direct opposition with someone else. At that point, it's not unexpected that defensive behavior may reveal itself. It's a decision that I intentionally and continuously must make to not see criticism or a simple difference of opinion as evidence that I have less value as a person. I choose to remember that, like myself, my co-workers generally have good intentions and are trying their best to be a part of a greater solution to problems.