082 Alison Whitmire | How Empathy Is The Key To Successful Communication

Constructive feedback and discussion is vital to the health of any organization. But what happens when that feedback triggers an adversarial response from someone that creates an impasse, rather than a bridge, to understanding? Today’s guest is CEO and executive performance coach Alison Whitmire. Alison is the President of Learning in Action Technologies, a company committed to her passion of making the non-conscious conscious. Alison has worked with hundreds of top performing executives to help them be more effective leaders and communicators. The lessons she shares regarding the role of empathy in communication in this episode may inspire you to look more closely at the way you communicate in your business and in your life. “One of the key challenges in any genuine, authentic communication can be a lack of empathy,” Alison says. “Until we have an empathetic point of view for an opposing point of view, we’re missing really valuable information and that’s true almost in every context, particularly in the business context.” Alison and I talk about the difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one; how to develop the self-awareness needed to respond more empathetically in high-stress situations; and how the current political climate underscores the lack of empathy in most discussions today. Listen in for these topics and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why being empathetic is good for business. · The difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one. · The misconceptions that exist about showing empathy, particularly if you don’t agree with another’s point of view. · What you can do to be more empathetic. · And so much more… Episode Overview As a performance coach, Alison Whitmire works with CEOs and senior-level executives who often find themselves in high-pressure, high-stress situations that require strong communication skills. If handled correctly, communication under difficult circumstances can lead to breakthroughs and collaborations that can propel a company forward, she says. If handled poorly, communication can create dysfunction and logjams. “Empathy under stress and empathy not under stress are very, very different things,” Alison says. “Most of us are much more empathetic if we’re not in conflict with someone. When we’re in conflict, relationship patterns from the past tend to override what would (otherwise) be a really empathetic response.” Alison lays out the five steps to manage your response in stressful situations so it becomes a win-win for everyone or, as Alison puts it, where “one plus one equal three.” Today you'll learn: · How stress greatly affects someone’s ability to demonstrate empathy. · Why some people may lack empathy. · Five steps to develop more empathetic responses. When you listen in, you'll hear what shapes our ability to be empathetic and why no two people ever respond the same way to any situation. You'll also hear on this edition of Grow My Revenue how an old Saturday Night Live skit resembles how most people communicate today. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Alison Whitmire. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/alison-whitmire-empathy/