Harvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybody

Harvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybodyHarvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybodyEmpathy is the ability tounderstand how another person feels. According to new Harvard research inThe Empathy Effect,its a trait that can be taught and developed. Build empathy and youll be a more effective entrepreneur and leader.Author Helen Riess is a Harvard psychiatrist who has developed empathy training based on her research inneurobiology. Although her studies are done onhealth careprofessionals, the empathy traits shes identified can be used to make stronger connections between you and your employees, customers, or peers in any field.Here are the sevenskills you need to develop E.M.P.A.T.H.Y.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreE - Eye contactIn Western societies we say that the eyes are the window to the soul. Many cultures hav e a version of the same phrase. Making eye contact is among the very first human experiences, writes Riess.Riess recommends that you hold meetings face-to-face as much as possible. Itll help you plattl up on nonverbal nuances that a persons voice doesnt convey. Also, when meeting people for the first time, maintain eye contact until you notice a persons eye color. That extra beat telegraphs the notion that you truly see them.M - Muscles for facial expressionOur brains are wired to automatically mimic facial expressions. When someone smiles at you, you alfruchtwein always smile back. Its an automatic response. But youre also wired to tell the difference between a fake smile - just turning up the lips - and the Duchenne smile, a genuine smile of happiness. Muscles in the face rarely lie. Pay attention.P - PostureSit up tall. It suggests happiness or confidence. As a doctor, Riess conveys respect and authority by sitting down with patients, turning her body toward them, leaning forwa rd, and sitting at eye level.A - AffectAffect is the scientific term for emotion. Pay attention to a persons emotional state - is she sad, irritated, confused, or elated? Theres little chance of communicating effectively if you dont understand where someone is at emotionally. Once again, millions of years of development have wired our brains to be remarkably accurate at assessing emotions. Trust your gut - it really does know something your brain doesnt.T - Tone of voiceI learned a new yep in Riesss book prosody. Linguists use prosody to refer to your vocal pace, rhythm,and pitch. According to Riess, prosody infuses a layer of emotion to the spoken word that goes above and beyond the singular meaning of each word. That is,howyou say something telegraphs a wealth of content.In medicine, Riess is teaching health care providers to match the volume and pace as if they were having a conversation with a friend during a difficult time. Soothing tones result in better patient conversations and outcomes.H - Hearing the whole personEmpathetic listening means paying attention to another person, identifying her emotions, and responding with compassion and without judgment, writes Riess. For example, dont speak when youre in the red zone. When emotions are running high in an argument, take a step back. Dont interrupt. Dont match the other persons emotion by raising yours to the red zone. Youll find that the conversation will de-escalate quickly if you follow these rules.Y - Your responseEmotions are contagious. You might not realize that your emotional state is rubbing off on others. Through shared neural networks, your feelings about others may transmit very important information about how they are experiencing what you say and do, according to Riess. If youre angry or unsure of yourself, or fearful, those emotions will leave an impression on others and impact the quality of your communication. Pay attention to how you feel because its a signal of how people around you w ill feel.The actorAlan Alda, who played one of the most empathetic characters in television history- M.A.S.H.s Hawkeye Pierce - wrote the forward toThe Empathy Effect. Alda says hes been on a quest to improve communication. After he met Riess, Alda says he realized what he was really searching for was empathy. His big takeaway- empathy can be taught. Empathy, Alda says, is the fundamental thing that helps us to thrive.Empathy might be your ticket to connection and, ultimately, success.This article originally appeared on Thrive Global.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people