Does Empathy Soften — or Strengthen — Effective Communication?

One former boss, an engineer-turned-director, believed messages containing empathy were rendered as lightweight as cotton candy, with about as much value.  From his perspective, there is no place in instructional communication for compassion.

Could he be right?

The boss was referring to communication plans for a capital construction project that would have a significant impact on drivers in a high-traffic area of town. Our messaging acknowledged the delays and detours and apologized for their impact on drivers.

“They’re grown-ups — they know road construction is necessary and will cause delays,” was his take.  

He was absolutely right.

That’s not all there is to it

The goal of our communication wasn’t simply to inform drivers of this essential work; it was to encourage compliant acceptance, even as we added time to their commute.

More than that, our message was intended to gain some goodwill. By acknowledging drivers’ frustrations, we demonstrated that we cared about the impacts of traffic delays on them — and by extension, had some empathy.

Research on “The Science of Empathy” has found that medical patients whose treatment instructions were not delivered with empathy were less likely to follow the instruction and experienced both poorer outcomes and “damaged trust” in their care providers.  It seems logical that the reverse is true as well. Instruction provided with a bit of compassion could help build trust and lead to greater cooperation and outcomes.

What’s the risk?

Will the intended audience see empathy as synonymous with weakness and be dismissive?  It’s hard to find research that specifically addresses that; however, our anecdotal observations were clear.

Crashes or calls to law enforcement from the construction site did not increase. And — based on measurements such as angry phone calls, nasty letters to the editor, or irate emails to the mayor — drivers generally accepted the changes and adapted without complaint.  Mission accomplished.

How to do it effectively

Consider how you’d prefer to receive the news that your most direct route home from work will be shut down?  You’d likely want clear instruction, details on what to expect from construction including how long it will last and the end result, such as a quicker, more direct commute with safer travel for cyclists and pedestrians.  But you’d also want to know that those doing the construction realize (and acknowledge) the hardship they’re creating for you and other drivers. Communication that includes all of that is both empathetic and effective.

We’re grown-ups. We get it.

Amy Cloud is a media relations and PR professional with 20 years’ experience in healthcare, higher education, municipal government and emergency management. She is a FEMA-trained crisis communicator and certified Advanced Public Information Officer (APIO). Over her career she has been a national award-winning magazine writer and editor, TV reporter, newsroom supervisor and EMMY-nominated producer. Using her master’s degree in Adult Education, Amy has prepared trainings ranging from engaging the media and effective interviews to creating public service ambassadors. She is an Emergency Management PIO and a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment.