Are you concerned about your basic client relationships? Is the source of your concern the fact that you don’t seem to be able to connect as effectively as you would wish? If so, there are a number of key steps that you can take. These steps will help you learn how to practice empathy with your clients.
Communication is the Key to Understanding
Being the probate attorney Houston citizens rely on in their time of need can be a tall order. There are many different clients to keep track of, all of them with different things that they require from you. As a result, the constant hubbub and action can get a bit wearying.
However, you are in the exact kind of position where you can’t afford to treat any new client as a “one size fits all, been there, done that” type of proposition. It is true that you don’t and can’t interact with them in the same manner as a priest, doctor, or therapist. But there is still a great deal that you can do to empathize with them.
The important thing is to listen to their needs. Another cliche to add here will be the old adage about putting yourself in their shoes. But the truth of the matter is that all too few people, even among the legal profession, pay attention to the core of these simple sayings. Doing so will be the key to becoming a better attorney.
Communication Leads to More Effective Solutions
The first thing you should realize is that a higher level of empathy between you and your client will naturally lead to improved communication. This is crucial because your client expects you to come up with innovative and highly effective solutions to their problems. Without empathy, you won’t be able to arrive at the right response.
Knowing what your client expects and how they arrived at these expectations gives you a leg up. Being able to judge these expectations against the situation itself in an objective manner may fill in the rest of the puzzle. Now it comes down to being able to craft an approach to solving their problem in a way that fits their personal needs.
Empathy will once again be the key here. You can craft a solution that is based on a holistic understanding of the situation. Your view of this matter will be experienced from a dual perspective. This will comprise an empathetic understanding of your client’s needs as well as a better-informed objective comprehension of the solution.
Once you have arrived at this level of understanding, you can consider yourself a more empathetic attorney. This is the knowledge that will help you not only to win cases but also to be a much better listener and leader.
A Better Listener Will Be a Better Leader
Another benefit of learning to be a lawyer with empathy is that it may help you to become a better leader. A person who can cut down to the root of a client’s emotional as well as legal issues is one that can also work much more effectively to assist them.
Improving your level of empathy will give you a much sharper and more efficient insight into the actionable nature of your client’s complaint. The fact that you understand much more about where they are coming from will help you to better anticipate their ultimate needs. This is the knowledge you can act directly on.
Doing so will make you a more incisive and decisive leader. The skills that you acquire just by sharpening your ability to listen and be empathetic can grow with you as you climb higher up the career ladder. For example, a judge is ideally a person who is able to listen and be empathetic to all sides of an issue that is being presented.
The Time to Improve Your Communication is Now
Improving your level of empathy with your client can lead to excellent results. You will gain a higher level of communication that can enhance your skills as an attorney. Having this higher communication will give you the understanding that you need to do your job more effectively. It may also sharpen up your basic leadership skills.
