Ashford 5: – Week 4 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Empathy

In this week’s readings, the authors discuss emotional intelligence, a concept which measures people’s ability to understand emotions and express them appropriately. As you have learned, this ability is crucial to communicating effectively in interpersonal relationships. One of the major components of emotional intelligence is the ability to empathize with others.
Prepare: As you prepare to write this discussion post, take a few moments to do the following:

• Read the writing prompt below in its      entirety. Notice that there are three      tasks:
  1. Based on what you’ve learned in Chapter 8, start       formulating a definition of empathy and consider why it is important in       effective communication.
  2. Brainstorm some examples of times when you had       difficulties empathizing with others.
  3. Think of some ways you could have handled the       situation differently.
• Review the grading rubric.

Reflect: Take time to reflect on why empathy is so important in becoming better communicators. Consider how we might become more empathetic.
Write: Based on the information in Chapter 8 in the text:

• Define empathy and explain why it is important for      effective communication.
• Share an example of a time when you found it difficult      to empathize with someone. How did you handle the situation?
• What could you have done differently to empathize with      them? Consider what you’ve learned in class this week.

Thoroughly address all three elements of this prompt by writing at least two to three sentences on each element. Use the course readings at least once to help you make your points. Consider copying and pasting these tasks into a word file and addressing each of them separately.
Your initial response should be 200-300 words in length and is due by Thursday, Day 3.
Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts and try to find some common ground or expand on the students’ ideas. Use the text to expand on everyone’s understanding of the importance of empathy in communication. Ask questions that will enhance both of your understanding of the key concepts. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Monday, Day 7. Response posts must be 125 to 200 words in length. If you have questions about how to participate in discussions, consult “About Discussions” under the Course Home menu.