Even if you haven’t experienced the same situation as the speaker, you can try to find similarities anyway. To be present, it is important to minimize external distractions and refrain from planning your responses while the other person is talking.Ĭompassion: The main component to being an empathic listener is identifying with the other person’s emotional experience. Presence: More than just be physically in the same space with the speaker, presence entails being focused closely on the conversation. Here are some important qualities you’ll likely need in order to listen empathically: Read More: Active Listening Skills: Definition and Examples Qualities of an empathic listener One main quality of empathic listening is giving support and encouragement rather than advice or criticism. Also called active listening or reflective listening, empathic listening requires you to be considerate of the other party’s input. Listening empathically entails making an emotional connection with the other person and finding similarities between their experience and your own so you can give a more heartfelt response.

What is empathic listening?Įmpathic listening is the practice of being attentive and responsive to others’ input during conversation. In this article, we’ll define empathic listening, discuss why it’s important and provide tips and examples for empathic listening in your career. Validating others’ viewpoints and expressing your compassion is an important way of communicating for building and maintaining strong working relationships. Being a close and caring listener can be as vital in the workplace as it is in your personal life.

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