[smt88]

> The biggest problems I've had in projects has always been of techical nature

In my 15 years in web software development, my experience has been exactly the opposite. In fact, all the technical problems came from people problems.

"Empathy" may be too narrow or too loaded a word, but I agree with the idea here.

> people failing to understand problems of techical nature

You may be illustrating the problem yourself here, if you'll allow me to be a bit presumptuous.

It is the technologist's job to prevent failures of understanding. Believing that everyone else thinks/feels exactly the way you do is often how misunderstandings happen.

[basurihn]

There's been an odious trend "coaching" as an actual job title lately - promoting cooperation and positive environments as if the acts of just listening and inclusivity can make even incompetent technology teams better.

It can only make competent technologists and receptive junior technologists who wish to learn better. Caring what the dead wood thinks is a recipe for an inferior product.

Empathy is not a solution for turning dead wood into live wood. There's negative value in making incompetents feel like equal members of a team.

[doyoulikeworms]

How can you turn dead wood into live wood?

[basurihn]

You compost it.

[rightbyte]

Ye well, "empathy" is the art of understanding what other people feel intuitively or to share feelings (feel the same thing as the subject) more or less. It helps to have be good at that, but, when you are talking about people problems, if you allow me to be abit presumptuous .. :) .. it is most likely some kind of anti-social behavior (drama, turf war, pride, w/e), not lack om empathy.

Empathy can even be utilized used to fuel drama. It doesn't have to be used for good. If you are surrounded by asses no amount of empathy will help.

The advice can just as well be "work with nice and kind people - they make great teams together". Empathy in this case is just a buzzword for something obvious.