EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT – Paul Graham of Y Combinator in Hackers and Painters “Empathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one. Some hackers are quite smart, but when it comes to empathy are practically solipsists. It’s hard for such people to design great software, because they can’t see things from the user’s point of view.”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT “Empathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one. Some hackers are quite smart, but when it comes to empathy are practically solipsists. It’s hard for such people to design great software, because they can’t see things from the user’s point of view.” – Paul Graham of Y Combinator in Hackers and Painters solipsism: extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT “Empathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one. Some hackers are quite smart, but when it comes to empathy are practically solipsists. It’s hard for such people to design great software, because they can’t see things from the user’s point of view.” – Paul Graham of Y Combinator in Hackers and Painters
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT – C.A.R. Hoare, computer scientist “The most important property of a program is whether it accomplishes the intention of its user.”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT • Users • Clients • Employers • Employees • Colleagues • Significant Other • The waiter at your favorite restaurant Many people will benefit:
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Four attributes of empathy • to be able to see the world as others see it • to be nonjudgmental • to understand another person’s feelings • to communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings back to them Theresa Wiseman, “A concept analysis of empathy” http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227941757_A_concept_analysis_of_empathy
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Two primary types of empathy Affective/Emotional empathy A shared emotional response Feels like “fluff” “I can’t change how I feel!” Indi Young, “Practical Empathy” Cognitive empathy Perspective-taking Skill, not inherent Can be learned & taught
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT –Helen Riess, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard “Empathy is not inherent. Empathy is a skill and can be learned.”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT (Source: Roman Krznaric, “Empathy: A Handbook for Revolution”) 98% of us have the ability to be empathic wired into our brains.
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Source: Marshall Rosenberg in “Non-Violent Communication” Repeat what the other person said before you respond. You will resolve conflicts, on average, 80% faster.
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Matt’s “why the &()@%” rule Stop. Cool down. Every time you find yourself saying, “Why the &()@% would this person do this?”… Now, ask, “Why the &()@% indeed would this person do this?”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT The 5 Whys • When presented with a problem, write it down… • Ask why. Write that down… • If that answer doesn’t address the root of the problem, repeat. • Really the 5-ish Whys From Toyota/Six Sigma
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT The 5 Whys of Every SaaS • The user wants an Excel-like grid of all data. WHY? • The user wants to be able to filter out just the users with the NEW status. WHY? • The users needs to be able to see a list of only the users who are new. WHY? • The users email these lists of just new people to their leadership team. WHY? • The leadership team splits up the responsibility of calling every new contact at least once.
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Let’s practice together. • Senior developer tells you to do ________ • Employee tells you ________ • Framework developer does ________ • Someone on twitter opines ________ • You come across legacy code that ________ • Your spouse ________
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Piaget’s theories of Assimilation & Accommodation Kids learning: • Dog is furry > Furry things are dogs • See a new furry thing. Must be a dog! • Nope. That’s a raccoon.
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT – Hal Abelson, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs “Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT –Stewart Butterfield of Slack "One way that empathy manifests itself is courtesy. Respecting people’s time is important. Don’t let your colleagues down; if you say you’re going to do something, do it. A lot of the standard traits that you would look for in any kind of organization come down to courteousness. It’s not just about having a veneer of politeness, but actually trying to anticipate someone else’s needs and meeting them in advance."
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT –Matt Stauffer (YES ME), Dev Discussions - The Business of Development with Tighten “We want our clients to hear us saying: We hear, understand, and often anticipate your needs. Whatever goes on… your priorities are our priorities.”
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Some great articles/podcasts • Why Code Design Requires Empathy http://spin.atomicobject.com/2013/07/06/code-design- empathy/ • Is empathy on your resume? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/business/stewart- butterfield-of-slack-experience-with-empathy- required.html • Dev Discussions - The Business of Development With Tighten http://www.devdiscussions.com/episodes/6811-episode-4- the-business-of-development-with-tighten
EMPATHY GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS @STAUFFERMATT Some great talks • Roman Krznaric - Empathy: Why It Matters & How To Get It https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lN4MRYIoCS0&list=PLFPDmaMM5XCuQEyZfgh- VMxzxaqsOe4z3&index=15 • Indi Young - A Practical Type of Empathy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSs0iB6gxV4 • Brené Brown - Empathy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw • Roman Krznaric - The Power of Outrospection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG46IwVfSu8
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