Empathy Lesson
Austin, TX | 2021 © Alicia Kae Miller
It is October, and you know what that means.
In Central Texas, the tenth month of the year signals the return of cooler evenings, the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival, and regardless of where you live, that irreplaceable fall feeling.
This time of year, more than any other, I push the pause button on the state of my being and reflect on lessons learned, and there have been a lot.
So, when I sat down to write this month's Perspective, a moment in early September came rushing back.
For context, during a recent crisis, I was asked to create a spreadsheet for someone in desperate need of organization within an emergency. Enthusiastically, I responded with, "consider it done!"
I created columns and sorted the document by the last and then the first names. Soon after that, I handed over what I considered a clear and concise recreation of the original.
However, the next day I could not help but notice that the person who asked me to create the roster was still taking notes using her hand-written version. When I asked P. why she wasn't using the new and improved copy, she kindly said, "you created something that suits your style, not mine."
Her truth hit me with an empathy left hook.
I was in such a hurry sorting and alphabetizing according to how I view life, and I never stopped to ask her what would make her job more manageable.
Immediately I began to recreate her hand-written copy in Excel to a tee. Once complete, I printed out four copies, and guess what? She shredded her original and began using the "how P. views the world" version, and the rest is, literally, history.
Let my myopic focus at that moment serve as a lesson in empathy for all of us.
We all have tunnel vision now and again, which generally becomes a lot more narrow when we are in the middle of a crisis. So, I challenge you to join me, and let's actively slow our pace, step back, and ask clarifying questions, so that we can set and ultimately meet mutual expectations.
Until we meet again, take the time to listen and learn from one another. ❤️
Yours in Solidarity, -akm
October 2021