The 'E' Word: Why Empathy Makes a Difference

By Donna Moenning, Senior Account Director

Years ago, driving my young children home from school was time I cherished.

Buckled in their seats, they were a captive audience, and I used the time to ask plenty of questions. Over the 12 miles from school to our farm, I learned about their day, the discoveries they experienced, the accomplishments they achieved, as well as their struggles, worries and disappointments.

On one occasion, a quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed that one of the girls was struggling with something. Then she blurted it out.

“Mom, he called me a naughty word. He called me the ‘E’ word!”

My son, the middle child, said not a word but flashed a smirk that indicated he knew exactly what his sister was talking about.

“Mom!” My daughter said again – only louder this time. “He called me the ‘E’ word!”

My mind raced. The “E” word? This was a new one to me. What “word” did our little boy hear in school or on the playground, I wondered. I tried to remain calm as I asked, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“You know, the ‘E’ word,” she whimpered as her eyes filled with tears.  

I was at a loss. As we pulled into the drive, I said, “It’s okay. You can tell me. What is the ‘E’ word?”

“He called me an idiot!”

Oh my. Finally, the mysterious “E” word was exposed. However, I now had a dilemma. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh, correct her spelling, scold my son or console my daughter with some encouraging words.

The Other E Word

That dilemma is not unlike what we see happening by some when consumers express concerns about practices and processes that bring food from farm to market. When you read or hear what seems like an outlandish comment, question or claim about food or farming, how do you respond?

• Laugh – That’s so ridiculous. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
• Correct – You’re wrong. Here are the facts.
• Scold – Stop trying to destroy farms, farmers or people’s joy in “said” food.

What if you responded with another “E” word?

Empathy – I appreciate your question and understand why you would be concerned. Tell me more? Why is this important to you?

Acknowledging where a consumer is coming from (not necessarily agreeing with them) and being willing to hear them out with intention is critical.

Why? Because people’s spoken beliefs, perspectives and emotions are like an iceberg. We only see the top 10%. Listening, without judgement, and asking good questions to understand the 90% that lies beneath the surface provides context that allows you to provide a meaningful response –  one that demonstrates you care and can be a trusted source.

What we say – and how we say it – can have a profound impact.

The Difference Maker

More than 20 years ago, Look East partnered with Iowa State University to develop the trust model, which shows that communicating shared values is three-to-five times more influential in building trust than communicating with facts, figures and technical information.

While that type of information is important, it falls on deaf ears unless you first open the door with empathy and values that matter to the individual or audience – like safe food, protecting the environment, caring for animals.

The shared values approach is foundational to everything we do at Look East for our clients in food and agriculture – whether we are building a communication strategy, creating social content, conducting spokesperson training, developing marketing content, producing videos – the list goes on.

It’s about leading with empathy and shared values to build lasting, deep and authentic trust.

Words matter.

In our cluttered, chaotic culture where it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information, content from a trusted resource invites us to listen, process and engage. Does your communication strategy position you as a trusted resource? If not, or if you are unsure, let’s visit.

At Look East, we’re here to partner with you in this journey where our “E” word won’t lead to backseat battles – but instead is a foundational approach that gets you to your destination.