I use “constructive empathy” as a style of active questioning and listening that bridges understanding with goal-oriented action. Constructive empathy is “empathy with purpose.” I will acknowledge a client’s or group’s existing emotional and situational landscapes while redirecting the conversation toward future solutions and goal achievement. Constructive empathy creates trust and authenticity while maintaining an unbiased and solution-focused perspective.
Incorporating constructive empathy into my consulting, coaching, and facilitation services is also crucial to the discovery process and establishing ground truth – an essential aspect for uncovering deeper insights and understanding the underlying issues.
Clients can also receive training on constructive empathy to help them become more effective leaders during challenging situations like an adversarial negotiation, a reduction in workforce (RiF), addressing performance issues with another department, or any situation that requires “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” I offer two types of training, one as part of executive coaching and the other as part of our team development. Constructive empathy is a powerful tool and you can read more about it in the article titled, “Bridging the Silos“.