{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F0be0260c-dba6-4113-9557-7e89c6d03657","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"082 Alison Whitmire | How Empathy Is The Key To Successful Communication","description":"Constructive feedback and discussion is vital to the health of any organization.\n\nBut what happens when that feedback triggers an adversarial response from someone that creates an impasse, rather than a bridge, to understanding?\n\nToday\u2019s 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.\n\nAlison 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.\n\n\u201cOne of the key challenges in any genuine, authentic communication can be a lack of empathy,\u201d Alison says. \u201cUntil we have an empathetic point of view for an opposing point of view, we\u2019re missing really valuable information and that\u2019s true almost in every context, particularly in the business context.\u201d\n\nAlison 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!\n\nListen to this episode and discover:\n\n\u00b7 Why being empathetic is good for business.\n\u00b7 The difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one.\n\u00b7 The misconceptions that exist about showing empathy, particularly if you don\u2019t agree with another\u2019s point of view.\n\u00b7 What you can do to be more empathetic.\n\u00b7 And so much more\u2026\n\nEpisode Overview\n\nAs 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.\n\n\u201cEmpathy under stress and empathy not under stress are very, very different things,\u201d Alison says. \u201cMost of us are much more empathetic if we\u2019re not in conflict with someone. When we\u2019re in conflict, relationship patterns from the past tend to override what would (otherwise) be a really empathetic response.\u201d\n\nAlison 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 \u201cone plus one equal three.\u201d Today you'll learn:\n\n\u00b7 How stress greatly affects someone\u2019s ability to demonstrate empathy.\n\u00b7 Why some people may lack empathy.\n\u00b7 Five steps to develop more empathetic responses.\n\nWhen 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.\n\nFor full show notes and other resources, please visit:\nhttp://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/alison-whitmire-empathy/","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/cabd0c22-23ae-409c-890e-eb30e43f1b3e/artworks-000212224572-8ee53u-t3000x3000.jpg"}