Author: The 99U Team / Source: Adobe 99U
Four 99U speakers explain why they’re cultivating a greater awareness of the thoughts and needs of others.
When we set the theme for our 2019 conference — The Creative Future — we imagined a future where creative skills are more pervasive and prized, and how that might reshape the world around us.
As we prepare for the event in May, we’re asking our speakers to share a skill they think is important for all creatives to navigate what’s to come.***
When we asked our speakers to share a skill they thought was futureproof, they surprised us with how many responded with a passionate call for empathy. We’ve rounded up why they value the drive to understand the thoughts and needs of others and why it will be so important in whatever future lies ahead.
Tina Essmaker, creative coach and cofounder of The Great Discontent
Empathy has been the foundation of my work, regardless of my role. When I was a social worker, empathy was the starting point for meeting my clients where they were. In my current work as a coach for creatives, empathy is vital to building trust and rapport.
Our work is better when we understand who we’re making it for—which empathy helps us do—and we work better together when we’re open to many perspectives and experiences outside of our own.
It’s a skill we can get better at with practice. Start with a genuine desire to understand someone else’s experience, and put aside your desire to be right. Be curious and open. Give people a safe space to talk about their experiences. Ask questions with the aim to understand and learn more. Then truly listen.
Jake Barton, principal and founder, Local Projects
I try to mix empathy and imagination. Empathy, so that I can project myself into my audience’s perspective, and imagination to project what would create awe and wonder within their experience. These two…
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