Empathy in Evaluation
Hey there,
Today, I want to reflect on something that has been on my mind a lot lately: empathy in evaluation. Whether it is giving feedback at work, critiquing a program/policy, or just interacting day-to-day, I have realized how crucial it is to weave empathy into these moments.
What's Empathetic Evaluation Really About?
Empathetic evaluation is not just trying to see things from another's viewpoint. It is like diving into their world - understanding their motivations, feelings, and struggles. The practice does not mean we toss critical thinking out the window. Instead, we try to embrace the human in me, a little bit more.
Photo: Fatima Zahra. Place: Harlem, New York during the winter of 2021.
Why I Think Empathy in Evaluation is Critical:
1. Connections Get Real: When we evaluate with empathy, we connect on a deeper level. This builds trust and openness, making any feedback we give more likely to land well.
2. A Deeper Dive for Better Insights: Empathy helps us understand the 'why' behind actions. This insight leads to feedback that's not just surface-level but really gets to the heart of things.
3. Growth and Learning Get a Boost: Empathetic evaluation, in my opinion, is not about pointing out what is wrong. It is about understanding and playing to each other's strengths and challenges.
How I am Trying to Implement This:
1. Really Listening: I am working on listening to understand, not just to reply. This means giving my full attention and being genuinely open to what others are saying.
2. Asking More, Assuming Less: I am trying to ask questions that help me get into the other person's shoes instead of jumping to conclusions.
3. Balancing the Good with the Bad: I aim to balance critiques with a nod to what's working well. Acknowledging efforts and successes is just as important as noting what could be better.
4. Tuning Into Emotions: I am learning to recognize and respect the emotions in the mix. Sometimes, understanding how someone feels about their work is as crucial as the work itself.
However, I must acknowledge that empathetic evaluation may not be effective in all situations. The intention to be empathetic is a noble one indeed but a particular context may not allow for it to be effective. People may distrust an empathetic evaluator due to differences in background, race, beliefs, values, or perceived ulterior motives. In racially charged situations, empathy toward minoritized individuals can feel threatening to those clinging to the status quo. In those cases, I recommend accepting these limitations as real and taking a step back to fully understand the context before engaging with the target audience.
What To Do When People Misconstrue Empathy
In racially or ideologically charged environments, the effective evaluator transcends conventional methodological approaches by deploying what might be termed "strategic empathy"—a sophisticated synthesis of rigorous analytical frameworks and nuanced stakeholder engagement. This approach, in my opinion, necessitates explicit recognition of embedded power structures, wherein resistance to evaluation or empathy or both often represents a rational response to perceived threats to institutional hierarchies rather than mere obstruction.
Practically speaking, in environments where race or beliefs cause tension, I suggest, empathetic evaluators must build trust through careful methods and open communication. We need to recognize that people often resist evaluation because they fear losing power or status. To build trust, evaluators should clearly explain why the evaluation matters, show how understanding different perspectives leads to better insights (not bias), and include diverse voices in the process. Using solid data helps create common ground when emotions run high. Building credibility takes time and requires being fair, consistent, and finding supporters within the organization. Effective evaluators, in my opinion, center understanding people's different perspectives with careful analysis, showing that including diverse viewpoints actually makes evaluations more accurate and useful, not less.
Wrapping It Up:
The inclusion of empathy in evaluation creates a major shift in our approach that requires deep commitment, careful methods, and real connection with different viewpoints. This approach brings important benefits: it changes top-down relationships into partnerships based on mutual respect; it improves the quality and completeness of evaluation results by including diverse perspectives; and it builds environments focused on ongoing learning rather than just passing judgment. However, showing empathy does not mean accepting unfair power structures—thoughtful empathetic practice maintains clear ethical standards, understanding that true empathy requires equitable participation and refuses to accept discrimination disguised as understanding. As an evaluation scholar, I urge evaluators to practice openness to different perspectives with clear values, creating spaces that respect human complexity while promoting dignity, justice, and mutual respect.
