How to Understand Others

How do you really know how a person works? Understanding others can be beneficial to your life and especially in your career.

If you’re an employer, for example, not only will it be beneficial to be understanding of the daily struggles of your employees but also for when you’re interviewing candidates to see how they will cooperate and work with others in the future.

So how do you understand people? Here are a few steps you can try:

Listen well

Listening helps you understand a person in more ways than you think.

Not only does it help you gather all the information you need before drawing a conclusion, but it also shows that you are attentive and willing to hear out what people have to say. This can matter a lot when they know you’re lending an ear to listen to concerns, problems, and suggestions.

Only give your input or speak up when it is necessary, such as if the person loses focus on the original topic to ensure that you’re getting the right information to understand the situation.

Put yourself in their shoes

Another means of understanding a person is to put yourself where they stand.

Imagine yourself in this person’s shoes, what would you do if you were faced with their current situation? The answer may be the key to you really understanding this person’s problems and what you can do to help them at the moment.

To understand better we must sympathize best, and only then will we be able to see eye to eye in a way that is productive and might even point out your own flaws in dealing with a problem like the one this person is facing.

Be patient

Understanding is more than listening in and putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes. It’s also about being patient with them in the long run.

We are not perfect. We constantly make mistakes and turn in less than quality results at the end of a long day. Understanding this means coming to terms that a person’s flaws do not detract from the overall performance that they usually give.

Give this person a chance to explain themselves if they have made such a mistake, or take it a step further by allowing them a second chance to better themselves. Their loyalty and motivation will skyrocket if done right.

Understanding people is what makes for a unified and productive workforce when we build connections with our co-workers, bosses, and even employees in a business. It also improves relationships with other people in general.