The key to empathetic communication? Enter their story.
When you communicate with others, especially around difficult subjects or regarding a controversial topic, do you sometimes struggle to connect?
We often start with face-to-face engagement. An in-person meeting or video call. Then, if if the message isn’t landing, perhaps you follow up with the written word – an email outlining your key points.
Are they still not getting it? Maybe you need to enter their story.
You see, instead of trying to land a point with someone, when we enter their story, we shift our communication from a series of transactions into an engagement that’s grounded in relationship.
When we enter their story…
We understand their point of view.
We find opportunities to reshape our own message accordingly.
Maybe our approach, our vocabulary, or even how we see the desired outcome, changes.
And importantly, instead of delivering words, we deliver understanding and empathy.
This week, let’s enter their story. Whether we know them well or not. Whether we like them or not. Whether we’re well aligned or regularly find ourselves at odds. Let’s pause to listen and seek to understand. Let’s enter their story.
Everyone’s story comes from their unique perspective. I always loved this comic.
