A recent study shows that today’s college students have significantly less empathy than their counterparts of decades past. In a review of 72 studies conducted with almost 15,000 college students between 1979 and 2009, researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research found that today’s students scored a whopping 40 percent lower on empathy than previous students. The biggest drop occurred after the year 2000.   The study authors point out several possibilities for their findings, including the influence of violent media, a hyper-competitive outlook on life, and the deadening of real-world interactions that occurs from the overuse of social media. Sadly, what this research shows is that the ability to understand other people’s points of view, and care about them, was simply not emphasized or nurtured among many of today’s younger generation.   While this can be disheartening, it also indicates that empathy is not a trait that is determined entirely by our genes. The ability to empathize with our fellow humans is not set in stone. If it has been inadequately developed in some younger people, then this is also evidence that it can be learned.

The “trainability” of empathy has been researched and put into practice by some leading psychologists and educators. Forefront among those has been the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. This Center has produced educational programs for school children that inform them about the nature of optimism, hope, and the importance of doing something for others. Students learn techniques for assertiveness, negotiation, decision-making, social problem-solving, and relaxation. These skills can be applied to many contexts of life, including personal relationships, academic and occupational achievement.

So although the research on today’s youth might tempt you to feel pessimistic or even self-righteous, if anything it is a call to redouble our efforts to ensure that our future generations learn the lessons that truly matter, and not just how to compete and out-maneuver others. Importantly, this type of learning and development can occur at any point in life.

Read more about the study here

In past blogs we’ve talked about some of the similarities and differences between groups of people on their Style and Versatility. One finding we noticed is that many women are Amiable and Expressive (60% combined), while more men tend to be Analytical and Driving (57% combined). So this begs the question, since many women are more comfortable showing their emotions, does this make them more effective communicators? After all, we tend to describe impassioned leaders as more charismatic communicators than leaders who are less emotional in their behavior.

So at the risk of fanning the flames for a new gender war, we decided to stop pondering and let the data speak for itself. To answer our question we analyzed people’s Feedback profiles. Feedback is the component of Versatility that indicates how effectively a person communicates in one-on-one situations.

What we found is that women have higher Feedback skills than men. The difference is not overwhelming, but it is noticeable. I’m sure many of you, especially the women, are saying, “Duh, I could’ve told you that!” But it’s always nice when hard data confirms our impressions.

So what does this mean for how we communicate with others in our daily lives? Realistically, it means that we still have to approach one another as individuals, and pay attention to one another’s Styles more so than our genders. Like all statistics, the difference in Feedback between men and women is at a group level, and interpersonal skills are, well, interpersonal. So all of us, regardless of our chromosomes, should pay attention to our communication skills and keep working to improve.

Chief Learning Officer Magazine and TRACOM will present a free webinar on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) on Thursday March 18 at 2:00 p.m eastern time. 

The webinar, Improving Emotional Intelligence Through Behavioral Style will look at EQ research and how to improve it in the workplace. 

While intellect and functional skills are important, research shows that emotional intelligence is the most important factor in effective leadership. There is a proven link between emotional intelligence and measurable business results. This webinar, sponsored by TRACOM Group, looks at the latest research on the subject of emotional intelligence including: 

• Why emotional intelligence matters.
• The business case for emotional intelligence.
• Can emotional intelligence be learned?
• Improving emotional intelligence through behavioral style. New research on emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Click here to register for this free webinar. 

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a concept focused on how effectively people work with others. EQ skills are unique from a person’s technical skills and cognitive abilities. Multiple studies have shown that EQ competencies often account for the difference between star performers and average performers, particularly in positions of leadership.  A 2009 study conducted by Colorado State University compared TRACOM’s SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility Model with multiple well-known instruments for measuring Emotional Intelligence. The study found that Versatility was in fact closely related to EQ

Daniel Goleman is a leading researcher and author on EQ. He identifies four components of emotional intelligence:

• Self Awareness
• Self Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Management

Self Awareness means having a clear understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives and capabilities. On the surface there’s really nothing new about this concept, but it’s a critical skill and it’s overlooked by many people. 

Self Management is what Goleman says frees us from being prisoners to our emotions. Without understanding what we’re feeling, we can’t control our feelings and this leaves us at the mercy of our emotions.

Social Awareness is mostly about empathy. It’s the ability to read another person’s facial expressions, voice and other non-verbal signals in order to understand that person’s emotions.

Relationship Management is where these three previous skills all come together. This is the most visible aspect of a person, and in particular leaders. This is where you see skills like conflict management, team building, and influencing others. 

One criticism of Emotional Intelligence is that it sounds good in theory but it is difficult to put into practice.  To address that concern, TRACOM’s SOCIAL STYLE resources and programs offer very specific guidance to deal with common workplace situations and challenges including the Enhancing Emotional Intelligence with Style guide. Whether addressing leadership, selling, teamwork or management issues, they offer relevant and easily understood Emotional Intelligence advice.

For more information about applying EQ in the workplace, download our EQ whitepaper.