View work through the perspectives of others.

Building empathy can make it easier to deal with stress at work and not take things too personally. If you get frustrated with a coworker or a project, pause and consider what pressures they might be facing. Sometimes, a tough request from another department is due to a tight deadline or a rule you might not know about. Seeing things from your colleagues’ perspective can help you stay calm and act professionally.

To strengthen your relationship with your team, try being curious. If a teammate solves a problem in a way that seems unfamiliar, instead of judging, ask them about it. You might say, “I’m curious about how you got to that conclusion; could you walk me through your thinking?” This way, people are less likely to get defensive, and you might learn a new approach you hadn’t considered.

Empathy helps you improve your people skills. As you take on more responsibility, your success will rely on how well you work with different personalities and handle conflicts calmly.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to swap defensive reactions for genuine curiosity.