Empathy requires you to step into the speaker's shoes. You do not need to agree with their perspective, but you must respect their right to feel the way they do. Validate their emotional state by explicitly naming the emotion you observe (e.g., "That sounds incredibly frustrating" ). Managing Your Own Reactions
: Asking open-ended questions to fill in any gaps in your understanding. 3 components of active listening
Naming emotions, practicing empathy, managing personal triggers. How to Practice Active Listening Daily Empathy requires you to step into the speaker's shoes
For every 2 minutes of listening, give a 10-second paraphrase to confirm understanding. Managing Your Own Reactions : Asking open-ended questions
Wait three seconds after the speaker finishes talking before you formulate or deliver your response. This ensures they have completely finished their thought.
Once the speaker is talking, the second component kicks in: the cognitive processing of the message. The biggest barrier to this stage is our internal "rehearsal." While the other person is talking, we are often mentally drafting our witty comeback or counter-argument.
It is a jarring disconnect. In that moment, you weren't heard; you were merely a pause in the other person’s monologue.