| People crave the feeling of being understood without judgement. To me, being compassionate is to show people real understanding. Few techniques that I found helpful: - Actively listening. Keeping any input you might have till the end. - Repeat what you understood back to people - mirroring. - Ask open-ended questions. Just be genuinely curious. Don't show any judgement. - Be vulnerable first for them to open up and share their vulnerability. - Often the solution is just listening. Suggest solutions only when explicitly asked for. As mentioned by others, Non-violent Communication is an amazing book about the subject. A comment about the book NVC. Often people get stuck in the implementation details of the book's recommended way of communicating. When X happens I feel Y, could you Z? But there is so much more to it than that. One needs to be self-aware. To know more precisely: a) What actually happened, seeing reality as it is without their interpretation. b) What they are feeling c) What needs do they have d) Concrete actions to resolve a conflict How these things are communicated is important but still, but the awareness of these components is often overseen. That is why meditation is often recommended. It is easier to be a better communicator if you are more aware of your feelings, thoughts, and your current environment. Really being present. |