7 Steps to Close the Empathy Gap (+1 to keep it closed)
Here at Volition Project, we help brands build relationships - bridging the gaps in understanding between our clients and their customers. Some of the methods we use can be applied to bigger pictures, like the gaps between black and white, or left and right.
Go to them (adjust as necessary for pandemics).
When we conduct customer interviews, we much prefer going to participants’ homes or workplaces, rather than having them come to a stark interview room. When people are in an environment that they are familiar with, their answers will be that much more natural and authentic.
Listen.
Yes, customer interviews are conversations, but we are not trying to convince them - we are asking them to convince us. Bridging an empathy gap requires giving the other side a chance to express their views. In our interviews, we make sure to let customers say everything they want to say, so we can understand their entire picture.
Understand needs, goals, attitudes, and behaviors.
What people say is the surface message. What they actually mean is the secondary message. Instead of taking what people say at face value, it’s our responsibility to ask probing follow-up questions to get deeper into what they feel, how they think, and how that affects what they do.
See their perspective.
Like two eyeballs looking at the same scene, people on opposite sides of an empathy gap are looking at the same situation, but from different angles. It’s important to see what they see, and assess how different it looks. This is crucial to understanding why they can have such a different reaction to the same situation. Only when you put the two perspectives together can you focus on what you have in common instead of what keeps you apart.
Be vulnerable and allow your mind to be changed.
Empathy doesn’t mean agreeing with someone, but to sincerely seek empathy, you have to leave that option open. If you’re not open to the idea that what you learn may change your mind, then you’re not really learning. Being brave enough to allow that vulnerability - to let your opinions face change - is absolutely necessary.
Socialize what you learn.
Not everyone has the time or sense of security to go talk to the other side. If you do, it’s your responsibility to share what you learn. In our projects, socializing the findings is often harder than gathering the findings in the first place. It comes down to storytelling, of course, but there are a bazillion ways to do that. Decide what will get through to the audience on your side most successfully.
Turn it into action.
When our clients pay us to close empathy gaps, they are committing to bringing about change. Your commitment to societal change is up to you. Hopefully, what you learn about the other side inspires you. Every little bit helps. Just don’t do nothing.
Repeat the cycle.
No solution lasts forever. It will take constant awareness and effort to keep that empathy up-to-date. Situations change, and every relationship depends on staying in touch.
