Empathy Training for Managers and Professionals
Developing Empathetic Leadership
Understand Others
Develop your EQ through coaching and small group training to create a positive work atmosphere.
Listening Skills
Foster collaboration, build relationships, and enhance team morale by adding empathy to your management style.
Practical Tools
Learn practical tool, that help you bring out the best in your team, and develop your management skills.Refine your communication skills by learning to harness your emotional intelligence with one of the UK's most acclaimed management training courses.
Why Choose This Training?
More Than Just A Course Of Lectures
What gets in the way of developing and holding on to new communication skills are old habits of thinking and speaking. Even if the advice is very good the reason why it rarely sticks are the mental habits people inevitably revert to, especially under pressure.
Unlearning those old habits and internalising a more effective and lasting approach to communication needs more than a short course of lectures on how to do it.
What Makes This Training Stand Out?
What makes this training stand out is the exceptional support through one-to-one coaching sessions and continuous feedback. Changing behaviour is not an easy task as old habits are hard to break.
With a 40-year track record we can help you cultivate practical skills, and build your confidence to so you can successfully navigate real-world challenges, ensuring lasting behavioural improvements.
Testimonials
Join thousands of participants getting results
"What I love about this course is that I didn't just learn about the topic, this course is about ME. I'm confident I can reliably use my new skills, even when under pressure".
"A lesson for life! The power of effective communication is incredible when one masters the skills "listening with empathy" and "speaking assertively"
Clients We Have Worked With
Well-known companies who have used this course again and again, over many years
Course Summary
Training Objectives
This course will teach you how to improve your emotional intelligence and build stronger relationships with your team, senior managers and clients. On this empathy course you'll learn how to understand and respond to the emotions of others, enabling you to create better connections and foster trust and respect. With practice, you'll become more comfortable and confident in your relationships, and be seen as easier to get on with and more persuasive.
Emotional Intelligence
You will learn a set of powerful emotional intelligence communication techniques in our communicating with empathy classes so that you can manage difficult conversations, handle challenging situations, build relationships and set firm boundaries. We have another page specifically about how you can learn to master emotional intelligence.
Transferable Skills
The goal of this training is to equip you with an in depth knowlege, and the tools you need to build strong, lasting relationships in your professional life, although because these skills are so transferable many clients report vast improvements in their personal relationships as well.
Develop Skills
This is a skills development rather than just a theoretical programme, so the emphasis throughout will be on you taking turn after turn, practising your empathetic commmunication skills, while receiving feedback and coaching about your effect on others.
Repeated Practice and Feedback
In your coaching sessions you will be helped to practise dealing with the kinds of situation you find challenging, again and again, until you are confident you can do it successfully.
Video Analysis
We'll combine practical, hands-on experience with video replay and analysis and discussion of the principles involved to help you gain both skills and understanding. Special attention is paid to your individual training needs, so you can practise your skills in real-life situations that you have to handle at work.
Sustained Change
That's why as well as your place in a small group, this training includes a generous amount of private and confidential one-to-one coaching sessions online, spread over several months, ensuring an exceptional level of support. This will ensure the changes you make are sustained over a longer period of time and any obstacles are overcome. Choose between online training available worldwide, or in-person face-to-face courses in the UK.
Course Dates and Price
For a list of upcoming course dates (for online coaching and face-to-face training), the locations of the next 3-day public courses in the UK and pricing Click here.
Free Initial Session
This initial coaching session serves as an introduction to the "Skills with People" course, allowing you to understand the course's relevance and effectiveness for your specific needs before committing to it.
Related Topics
We offer a variety of empathy training course applications, each tailored to different contexts:
- Customer Service Empathy Training emphasises empathy in customer interactions.
- Empathy and Active Listening focuses on the synergy of empathy and listening skills.
- Empathy in Leadership explores the role of empathy in effective leadership.
- Empathy in Teams addresses the importance of empathy within team dynamics.
- Developing Empathy is a comprehensive course on cultivating empathy as a skill.
- Online Empathy Training offers a digital approach to learning empathy skills with online coaching.
- Empathy in Sales - we explore the practical relevance of emotional intelligence in influencing and persuading customers
Each course provides specific insights and techniques, tailored to improve communication and interpersonal relationships in various settings.
Why is this empathy training so effective?
Lead with Empathy
For more than 40 years this empathy training course has proven to be one of the most highly acclaimed. Over the years we've had thousands of managers, professionals and leaders through our hands. Many have said it's one of the best empathy training courses they ever attended. We have helped our clients develop their skills so they can communicate more effectively, and succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
Empathy is one of the two crucial skills you need for connecting successfully with others, whatever situation you're in. Its companion skill is assertiveness, the skill of making sure others understand you. Another way to look at assertiveness is self-empathy. This empathy training, through workshops and coaching, will teach you to use both skills together effectively. By combining empathy with assertiveness, you will develop a powerful combination that is key to getting on successfully with others, and a vital ingredient for any ambitious leader looking to enhance their skillset through skills development.
Benefits of this Empathy Training Course for Managers
This empathy training won't just make you more understanding of people. You'll actually make them feel more understood, and that's what makes the difference, because that's when they can relax with you and trust you more. Here's how;-
|
Topic |
Benefits of this Course |
|
Empathy |
Recognising the difference between empathy and sympathy, and practice showing empathy. |
|
Active listening |
Learn techniques to repectfully acknowledging others' feelings and perspectives, even if you don't agree. |
|
Emotional intelligence |
Develop skills to recognise and manage emotions (yours and theirs), increase your compassionate listening. |
|
Assertiveness |
Expressing thoughts and feelings openly and honestly. Learn to handle difficult conversations and situations more easily. Learning to balance empathy with self-expression (these skills go hand in glove). |
|
Self-awareness |
Becoming more aware of your own emotions. Identifying your biases and blind spots that can hinder empathy. |
|
Video Camera |
Role-playing empathy in simulated real-life situations. Practicing skills in a safe environment, and receiving feedback on how others perceive you. |
|
Diversity and inclusivity |
Learn to understand and appreciate different perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds so that you can enhance your empathy skills (particularly relevant in cross-cultural environments). |
|
One-to-one coaching support |
Receiving ongoing mentorship and coaching for continuous development and refinement of empathy skills. The private coaching goes on long after the group training sessions are over. |
Empathy
We'll teach you to understand what empathy is, how it works, and how to demonstrate yours. It's not as simple as saying, "I know how you feel". In order for your empathy to work properly you have to make an educated guess at naming their emotion, and make sure you're being diplomatic and compassionate, otherwise they're likely to reject your suggestion out of hand. We'll teach you how to recognise the difference between empathy and sympathy and the benefits of practicing empathy so you can demonstrate empathy at the drop of a hat when managing your team.
Active listening
To be good at empathy you'll need to develop your active listening skills. We'll show you techniques for paying attention and acknowledging others' feelings and perspectives even if you don't agree with their point of view.
Emotional intelligence
As you develop your emotional intelligence, you'll become much more skilled at recognising and managing your own emotions, as well as recognising those of others. With increased empathy, you will become a more compassionate listener.
Assertiveness
You'll learn how express your own thoughts and feelings openly and honestly you'll be able to handle difficult conversations and challenging situations more easily. Otherwise know an self-empathy this skills goes hand in glove with you ability to tune in on somebody else's wavelength. In order for it to be a balanced relationship you'll need them to take turns listening to you too. For example, you can use assertiveness training provide clear feedback without having to hold back.
Self-awareness
We'll help you to become more self-aware. You'll need to be more aware of your own emotions and how they affect others. Initially most people struggle a bit to identify their own and other people's emotions, and are also not very confident about how to articulate them. With practice this comes more easily. This includes learning about your own biases, tendencies and blind-spots that might impact your ability to recognise certain emotions and get in your way when empathising with others.
Video Camera
We frequently use a video camera to practice and role-play empathy in simulated real-life situations. This will help you to understand and apply your skills more effectively in a safe environment, so you can practice without fear of making mistakes. You might be intimidated by it at first, but you'll come to love how helpful it can be for showing you what others see when they look at you.
Diversity and inclusivity
In some cases (when relevant) we'll cover the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. You may need to learn how to appreciate and understand different perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds to enhance your empathy skills. For example, it can be an enormous effort for people from non European countries to have to unlearn cultural habits, and develop approaches that are more appropriate in the West (e.g. the UK, Europe and the US). This is vital if you want to integrate seamlessly with clients needs here. This takes more than a lecture on how to do it.
One-to-one coaching support for continuous development
On this empathy training course you'll receive support for continuous development and refinement. There is a generous amount of one-to-one coaching sessions included, which provide opportunities for ongoing learning and practice during this empathy course. This communicating with empathy online course will provide you mentorship and coaching for months after the group training sessions are over.
The science of empathy
How does empathy work?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It involves recognising emotions in others, imagining what someone else might be feeling, and then reacting with a corresponding emotion. Empathy can be triggered through nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, as well as through the things you say.
Empathy can be enhanced through imaginative exercises like by putting yourself in someone else's shoes to see their perspective. The neural mechanisms underlying empathy involve the activation of brain regions involved in social cognition and affective processing, such as the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and the amygdala.
Why does empathy work?
When you display empathy to someone else it allows you to show that you understand them, and connect at an emotional level. This can lead to greater social bonding and cooperation, as well as an increasing your ability to respond to the needs of others with compassion.
Empathetic listening has a number of psychological and physiological benefits. It reduces stress, improving mental health, and promoting prosocial behaviour. Empathy can also facilitate conflict resolution by helping you see the perspective of others and by promoting understanding and mutual respect. It only need take one person to create a transformation in a difficult relationship by demonstrating empathy. It doesn't need both of you to have mastered empathy skills for it to work.
How does empathy affect brain chemistry?
Empathy has been linked to the release of oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in social bonding and is thought to be involved in the regulation of social behaviour. Oxytocin has been linked to increased levels of trust, increased communication, and increased feelings of empathy and compassion.
Studies suggest that oxytocin can increase the activity of the reward centre of the brain, resulting in an increased feeling of pleasure and reward when engaging in activities that involve empathetic behaviour.
Is this the right training for you?
Might your need to develop your empathy be met by this training?
Yes, if you agree with the following
- I need people to trust me more and to boost my career.
- I want people to take me more into their confidence.
- I'd like to be better at making people feel understood.
- I tend to get into arguments when I'm trying to persuade people, and it doesn't seem to get me anywhere.
The Importance of Empathy at Work
Empathy is essential for successful interactions, and an invaluable skill to have at work. You'll have the capacity to understand and share the feelings of other people around you. When used effectively, empathy can help create a better work environment, foster collaboration and trust, and encourage creativity.
Having empathy at work is important because it helps create a safe and respectful atmosphere. It allows you to understand and respond to other's people's feelings and perspectives in a way that is more meaningful and productive. It also helps you form deeper connections with your colleagues and build trust. When team members are able to genuinely empathise with each other, they are better able to collaborate on projects and work together to achieve goals.
Empathy also encourages creativity and innovation. When your team are able to understand and appreciate different points of view, they are more likely to come up with innovative solutions. By creating a space for open dialogue, they'll feel comfortable expressing their ideas and contribute without fear of being shot down in flames.
Empathy helps your customer service team members connect with customers and build better relationships. By demonstrating empathy, your team members can improve customer satisfaction and make customers feel heard and understood. When customers are unhappy about something, empathy-driven communication can lead to more meaningful conversations and better customer service, resulting in happier outcomes for both the customer and the team.
Why managers need empathy
London UK-based management training called "Skills with People"
Empathy is a key skill for ambitions managers who want to become even more successful. Empathy can often be underestimated, but it is just as important for effective management as technical proficiency. Taking the time to understand and share the feelings of others is a key skill to have, especially when difficult situations arise. Empathy is a valuable tool to have in your managerial toolbox.
Showing empathy and responding to the needs of your team will build trust, respect, and a healthier work environment, leading to greater success.
Empathy helps you gain insight into your team members, allowing you to provide better guidance and support. You'll be better able to recognise and meet the individual needs of your team, giving them the tools they need to succeed.
Empathy can help you give thoughtful feedback that is considerate and effective, and which encourages growth and development in your team.
You can also use empathy to help you express appreciation to your team. By demonstrating your understanding of how much you recognise your team's hard work it can help you create a positive work atmosphere.
How the skills you'll practise on this course will make you much more successful at showing empathy at work
How is listening with empathy different from the way we usually listen to people?
To understand the difference let's indulge in a spot of introspection. What goes on in your mind when another person is telling you something about what's going on in their world, or asking you a question?
For most of us our minds instantly get busy with our own thoughts and feelings ... thoughts about how similar or different their experience is from our own ... memories of our own ... advice we would like to give them ... or, perhaps, thoughts that have nothing to do with them at all. Our attention is mainly absorbed with what's going on in our own mind. We've very little to spare for what might be going on in theirs.
And that's the difference. To listen with empathy you simply turn your attention from your own thoughts and feelings to the other person's. It's like flicking a switch. It's a deliberate decision to switch attention for a moment from your own thoughts to theirs. To many people the possibility you can do this is a surprise. But you can, and learning this empathy training for managers will enable you to master it.
When you're listening with empathy what actual words can you use?
In a nutshell, here are the tools and the method this empathy training for managers will help you to practise:-
- After hearing what the other person says, respond by saying in your own words as accurately as you can what you think is going on in their mind. For example, "I get the impression that what's really bothering you is .... and that the reason why you're so bothered about it is ... ".
- Then pause to give them a chance to say more. For example, they might say, "Exactly", or "Not exactly, what's really bothering me is ...."
What are the benefits of this empathy training?
- It trains you to keep your attention focussed on the other person's thoughts and feelings instead of being distracted by your own. The more you practise it the better at it you become.
- It encourages and allows the other person to let off steam, which helps them calm down get themselves into a rational state of mind.
- It allows them to judge for themselves how well you understand them, and it gives them a chance to correct you if you've misunderstood.
- It wins their trust, because you can't trust someone who fails to understand you.
- It makes you a more powerful persuader.
Is there more information on this website relevant to empathy training?
Yes. You might also find our pages on listening skills training, assertiveness training, emotional intelligence and examples of people who have benefited from management training course relevant and helpful.