How to develop empathy in business

It is the ability to hear not only words, but also the feelings behind them. In negotiations — to understand a partner’s fears and motivations. In a team — to notice signs of burnout before they lead to resignations. In customer service — to speak not in scripts, but in a human voice that resonates with the customer’s situation.

The head of sales at an IT company used to “push” in negotiations. Switching to an empathetic approach — asking questions like “what is critical for you in terms of timelines?” and “where did you face risks in your past experience?” — reduced objections by 30%. The buyer felt that the goal was to understand them, not to win.

The HR Director of a large logistics company introduced a simple technique: during interviews, they asked, “What would you never want your manager to do?” The answers revealed candidates better than any test. The team began to be built not only on competencies, but also on compatibility.

— Start meetings with the question “How are you?” — and genuinely listen to the answer (really listen — attentively!)

— After difficult conversations, ask yourself: “What might have been behind this person’s words?”

— Build empathy into your processes: check-ins before meetings, feedback not only on tasks, but also on well-being.

Empathy is about effectiveness. It is the ability to see people, not just roles. Where there is empathy, there is higher trust, lower turnover, and a stronger team. And that means better results.

If in your company it still exists only in words — start with yourself.