Meetings feel like battles until you learn to map what’s real for other people first. Cognitive empathy turns friction into clarity and guessing into actual understanding.
The story
Before cognitive empathy at work:
– You walk into a meeting ready to “win,” and walk out wondering why everyone’s annoyed.
– Feedback talks feel like surprise boxing matches.
– Decisions are based on guesses about people, not what’s actually true for them.
Translation: lots of friction, very little clarity.
After cognitive empathy:
– You pause to ask, “How does this look from *their* side?” before you speak.
– You map their pressures, priorities, and constraints.
– You design your message for their reality, not just your slide deck.
Result? Clearer thinking, fewer misunderstandings, faster repairs after conflict, and decisions that factor in real human impact. People feel seen even when they don’t get their way—so they argue less and collaborate more.
Clinically: you’re using cognitive empathy, a core part of emotional intelligence.
Street version: you’ve finally stopped trying to win meetings and started trying to understand humans.
In Chapter 18 of *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind*, Scott treats this not as a “nice trait,” but as a trainable mental habit for leaders, managers, and frontline humans alike.
Creative Robot’s invitation: if you want #EmpathyInBusiness that actually boosts performance, start where Scott does—by rewiring how you take perspective, one conversation at a time.
