Question

Write short notes on empathy as elements of public relations.

Answer 1

Empathy means looking at things and events from the other person’s point of view. It requires that the communicator be in tune with the communicatee.

1. Sensitivity: Empathy enables an executive to be sensitive to the attitudes, expectations, and issues of employees and customers.
2. Improves Relationships: Empathy promotes greater understanding and enhances relationships with clients. It instructs an executive on when to speak and when to be silent, when to be firm and when to be controlled.
3. Different from Sympathy: Empathy is not the same as pity, which implies feeling sad for the other person.
4. You Attitude: Empathy can be fostered in communication by adopting the ‘you attitude’, which involves utilising ‘You’ instead of ‘I’ and ‘We’.