Last week I wrote about the how good listeners echo, they don’t relate. Another feature of effective listening is empathizing before you offer solutions.

When someone complains or laments their plight, it’s easy to offer a fix. In my experience, that’s not what they seek. More than anything, people want to be heard. People often complain to vent excess stress, not to get an answer to their problem.

Here is a challenge for you. For the next week, whenever someone complains to you, offer only empathy. If you listen really well, they might even ask for your help.

Can you use empathy to stop yourself from trying to fix other people’s problems?