Empathy is essential when working in teams, especially in the charity sector. Understanding and supporting each other is crucial, but sometimes it’s hard to see things from someone else’s perspective. This is where AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be a game-changer.

Using ChatGPT to see someone else’s’ perspective

Recently, an incident at a community pub I run was annoying and hurtful to some team members. I wrote a message to someone to get their take on what had happened. Before sending it, I asked ChatGPT for insight into how the message would be received.

ChatGPT highlighted parts of my message that might annoy or upset the person. With this feedback, I rewrote the message using less aggressive language.

This small change enabled a more productive conversation and enabled us to discuss areas I hadn’t been aware of before, and might otherwise have been ignored.

How AI Demonstrates Empathy

This experience showed me how AI tools can help us demonstrate empathy. Empathy means seeing things from someone else’s perspective. This can be tough when we’re stressed, tired, or busy.

AI tools, however, do not suffer from these limitations. They provide feedback and highlight potential issues we might miss. To make the most of this feedback, you must always define the role that the tool is playing - otherwise it can be too broad.

More Example use cases

Volunteer Coordination

A volunteer coordinator noticed that some volunteers were not showing up for their shifts. She drafted an email to remind them of their commitments. Before sending it, she asked ChatGPT to review the email.

Prompt: “How might volunteers feel about this email?”

ChatGPT suggested that the email might come off as accusatory. It recommended softening the tone and expressing appreciation for their efforts. The coordinator revised the email to include thanks and understanding, which resulted in a more positive response from the volunteers.

Donor Communications

A charity’s fundraising manager wanted to address a recent drop in donations. She planned to send a letter to long-time donors asking for feedback. Using ChatGPT, she checked how the letter would be received.

Prompt: “What parts of this letter might upset or discourage donors?”

ChatGPT pointed out that the original letter sounded desperate and might make donors feel guilty. It suggested focusing on gratitude for past support and inviting them to share their thoughts. The revised letter was well-received, with many donors providing useful feedback.

Team Conflict

Two team members had a disagreement about project priorities. Their manager wanted to mediate but wasn’t sure how to address both sides fairly. She used ChatGPT to draft a mediation script.

Prompt: “How can I mediate this conflict in a way that shows I understand both sides?”

ChatGPT helped her create a script that acknowledged both perspectives and suggested solutions that respected each person’s concerns. This approach helped resolve the conflict amicably.

All of these solutions would need some refinement - and you may well still go ahead with your original instincts, but you’ll at least be more informed about others points of view…

Building Empathy with AI Prompts

Here are some prompts you can use with AI tools to build empathy in your team:

Message Review

Before sending a message, ask the AI how it might be received. It can point out areas that could be misunderstood or hurtful.

Prompt: “Act as the other party in this discussion, review this message for tone and potential misunderstandings.”

Perspective-Taking

Use AI to simulate the viewpoint of others. Ask questions like, “How might this situation feel from their perspective?”

Prompt: “How would a team member who tends to be fairly introverted, feel receiving this feedback?”

Conflict Resolution

When resolving conflicts, ask the AI for suggestions on calming and understanding language. This can help defuse tense situations.

Prompt: “Suggest ways to phrase this feedback to avoid defensiveness.”

By using AI tools like ChatGPT, we may be able to enhance our empathy and improve communication within our teams. This doesn’t remove the need for human interaction - it is helping to make that interaction more effective.