What's the difference between empathy and emotional intelligence?

These are two important, closely linked concepts often mentioned in the same breath. Understandably so. They are complementary and together they add huge value in the workplace. While empathy gives you the skills to work with someone to understand how they see things, emotional intelligence is about managing your own emotions, to help you see things clearly and constructively.

Removing unnecessary emotional barriers and opening your mind to understand what is happening with other people leads to meaningful, at times powerful conversations.  

The result is a more powerful connection between colleagues. 

Take the sales environment; a salesperson who can truly dive deeper into understanding what another is trying to communicate is likely to be able to build stronger trust foundations. This could be at a relatively hidden communication level. One that is not outwardly conveyed through verbalised words. In fact, it is often what is hidden beneath the words, that is actually what is trying to be said.  

“If people like you they will listen to you, but if they TRUST YOU, they’ll do business with you.” 

Zig Ziglar 

Emotional Intelligence 

Removes barriers between you and others. 

Emotional intelligence is about understanding your emotions so that you can operate more rationally and reduce the impact of natural / unconscious responses to things. 

Empathy 

Enables you to understand how they see the world and work successfully with them.  

Empathy is about seeing things through others’ eyes and getting closer to what is driving them. 

Problems happen when empathy is missing. In a sales scenario this frequently leads to someone struggling to connect with their prospects’ or customers’ thoughts and feelings. The implications of which on the receiving side is a litany of questions – ‘are they really hearing what I am trying to say?’, ‘are they really interested in what I need?’ and ‘why don’t they have the time to spend with me?’. Taking it deeper into when emotional intelligence is missing too, the danger is complete disengagement as the salesperson fails to spot the hidden verbal cues. At this point, trust and rapport is diminishing, if it was ever there at all. The result – fewer sales! 

Equally within a team dynamic, this lack of empathic or emotional intelligence is bound to lead to problems. How can team relationships develop if this is lacking? Realistically, you probably can’t, as you’ll be facing communication breakdown, lack of understanding between people and as a consequence negative impact on sales, service levels, productivity and innovation.  

If these are challenges you are facing, then Em-Path can help you succeed. Of course, we would say that! Yes, the programme takes participants through a journey of knowledge-building scenarios in a practical way. Yes, it’s accessible and the skills learnt can instantly be put into practice. But it does it in a short, simple and flexible way (about two hours in total), which avoids pulling people out of the business for lengthy times.  

And its overriding unique point of difference…it can be made available to EVERYONE in your business.

Em-Path Online is an e-learning tool helping people and organisations create a more empathic culture. For only £59+VAT you can learn how to be more empathic too - https://www.themotivationagency-online.com/course/empath