Emotional Intelligence: Empathy

Empathy: the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people; skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions (Goleman, 2004, p. 88). The following are key indicators of empathy.

  • Expertise in building and retaining talent
  • Cross-cultural sensitivity
  • Service to clients and customers

Empathy refers to a person's ability to understand how others are feeling even without being explicity told (Griffin & Moorhead, 2007, p. 65).  

 The Emotional Competence Framework: Empathy (Social Awareness) ("EI Framework," n.d., pp. 3-4)

Empathy: Sensing others' feelings and perspective, and taking an active interest in their concerns. People with this competence:

  • Are attentive to emotional cues and listen well
  • Show sensitivity and understand others' perspectives
  • Help out based on understanding other people's needs and feelings

Service orientation: Anticipating, recognizing, and meeting customers' needs. People with this competence are:

  • Understand customers' needs and match them to services or products
  • Seek ways to increase customers' satisfaction and loyalty
  • Gladly offer appropriate assistance
  • Grasp a customer's perspective, acting as a trusted advisor

Developing others: Sensing what others need in order to develop, and bolstering their abilities. People with this competence:

  • Acknowledge and reward people's strengths, accomplishments, and development
  • Offer useful feedback and identify people's needs for development
  • Mentor, give timely coaching, and offer assignments that challenge and grow a person's skills 

Leveraging diversity: Cultivating opportunities through diverse people. People with this competence are:

  • Respect and relate well to people from varied backgrounds
  • Understand diverse worldviews and are sensitive to group differences
  • See diversity as opportunity, creating an environment where diverse people can thrive
  • Challenge bias and intolerance  

Political awareness: Reading a group's emotional currents and power relationships. People with this competence are:

  • Accurately read key power relationships
  • Detect crucial social networks
  • Understand the forces that shape views and actions of clients, customers, or competitors
  • Accurately read situations and organizational and external realities