Here are some techniques you can use to build empathy. When you practice the following techniques frequently enough, they start to become second nature. Number 1, challenge yourself. Undertake challenging experiences that push you outside your comfort zone. Learn a new skill such as a musical instrument, a hobby, or a foreign language. Develop a new professional competency. Doing things like this will humble you, and humility is a key enabler of empathy. Number 2, get out of your usual environment. Travel, especially to new places and cultures. It gives you a better appreciation for others. Number 3, get feedback. Ask for feedback about your relationship skills from family, friends, and colleagues, and then check in with them periodically to see how you're doing. Number 4, explore the heart, not just the head. Read literature that explores personal relationships and emotions. This has been shown to improve the empathy of young doctors, for example. Number 5, walk in other people's shoes. Talk to others about what it's like to walk in their shoes about their issues and concerns, and how they've perceived experiences you've both shared. You can explore a powerful approach to seeing others points of view with this exercise. Number 6, examine your biases. We all have hidden and sometimes not so hidden biases that interfere with our ability to listen and empathize. These are often centered around visible factors such as age, race, and gender. Don't think you have any biases? Think again, we all do. Number 7, cultivate your sense of curiosity. What can you learn from a very young colleague who's inexperienced? What can you learn from a client who's older and more experienced? Curious people ask a lot of questions leading them to develop a stronger understanding of the people around them. Number 8, listen more. Listen more carefully to what someone's trying to tell you. Use your ears, eyes, and gut instincts to understand the entire message that they're communicating. Start with listening for keywords and phrases that they use, particularly if they use them repeatedly. Then think about how as well as what they're saying. What's their tone or body language telling you? Number 9, ask better questions. Bring three or four thoughtful even provocative questions to every conversation you have with clients, or colleagues, or family members. Prepare for the conversation to change direction as the other person's thoughts and feelings also change. Number 10, take action. There's no one right way to demonstrate your compassion and empathy. It will depend on the situation, the individual, and their dominant emotion at the time. Remember, empathy is not about what you want, but what the other person wants and needs. Any action you take must benefit them. Remember, that empathy is not just for crisis. Seeing the world from a variety of perspectives is a great talent, and it's one of those that you can use all of the time in any situation. This adds to your adaptability and resilience. Number 11, random acts of kindness. Brighten anyone's day and make us feel more empathetic. Practice these skills often. When you take an interest in what others think, feel, and experience, you'll develop a reputation for being caring, trustworthy, and approachable, and you'll be a great asset to your team and your organization. Empathy is one of the five key components of ESI, emotional and social intelligence, and it helps to build trust and strengthen relationships. To use empathy effectively, give people your full attention, looking out for verbal and nonverbal clues to help you fully understand their situation. Set aside your own assumptions, acknowledge people's feelings, allow an emotional connection, and then take positive action that will improve your and their well being.