Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection

by Ximena Vengoechea

To put empathy into practice, try these tips: Let others’ perspectives take the lead. Embrace the process of understanding your conversation partner’s lived experience by asking questions specific to them and giving them the floor to share more. Remind yourself that it’s not about you. If you find your mind wandering to, “I would have handled that differently . . .” do your best to table these thoughts. Think less about how you would have reacted if it were you and more about why your conversation partner may have made the choices he or she did. Tap into their emotions. Even if you do not have firsthand experience with your conversation partner’s exact experience, try to relate to the underlying feelings that may be driving the conversation. With empathy as our starting point, we can begin to meet others where they are in conversation.