Empathic Feedback: The Role of Empathy in Feedback

Feedback is an emotional process; one that may cause feelings of embarrassment, shame, anger—or possibly pride, elation or relief. In addition, the feedback we give may or may not be consistent with how the other person sees himself and this can trigger some very primal reactions. To give feedback (or insights) effectively, we need to have empathy for what the other person is experiencing – particularly, if the other person is getting defensive. People get defensive because they don’t feel safe. As the giver of feedback, it is your job to understand (and care) about the other person’s experience. This takes Emotional Intelligence.
In the article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” Daniel Goleman discusses the main elements of Emotional Intelligence. In addition to self-awareness, self-management and social skill, is social awareness. Empathy is one of the key components of this social awareness. Goleman defines Empathy as “skill at sensing other people’s emotions, understanding their perspective, and taking an active interest in their concerns.”
The more we have empathy for the other person’s experience, the more we are attuned to what’s really going on for them. This allows for better communication and mutual understanding that can build the relationship. Providing feedback (or insights) to others is a valuable way to not only develop your people but to build your relationships.
Looking to develop your empathy skills online, but not sure how? Follow this link to learn about the 4 Ways to Develop Empathy on Social Learning Platforms.
Otherwise, contact NovoEd Sales today for a discussion about your training needs.
If you enjoyed this content, be sure to read our Self-Management article.
Blog
With functions and industries evolving so rapidly due to the role of AI, hundreds of millions of workers will need to be reskilled with future-oriented abilities. We asked more than 500 professionals about the expectations for today’s learning experience and their thoughts on the future. Here are 5 key findings of the primary insights gleaned from our research.
Blog
Cohort-based programs provide better learning outcomes in difficult-to-teach domains like management and leadership, but are difficult to scale. Here are some practical tips on using a cohort-based learning platform to impart capabilities to a large and distributed team.
Blog
Discover why having a trusted innovation training partner and the right technology helps organizations embrace design thinking.
Blog
Learn about the differences between Agile and Design Thinking, and how they complement each other in creating customer-centric and innovative solutions. From our partners at ExperiencePoint.
Blog
In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: Practice & Application, Discussion & Feedback, Mentors & Managers, Effective Facilitation, Team-Based Learning, and Curated & Goal-Aligned Content.
Blog
In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: Practice & Application, Discussion & Feedback, Mentors & Managers, Effective Facilitation, Team-Based Learning, and Curated & Goal-Aligned Content.