Learning Principle #4: Learning With Empathy
- Mike Byrnes
- May 21
- 3 min read
🧠 Principle #4: Learning with Empathy
If we want learners to care, we have to show them we do.
I’ll never forget a feedback session with a tenured rep named Michelle during a pilot onboarding program. She had decades of experience and a sharp eye for what worked—and what felt hollow. After one exercise, she paused and said,
“This all looks good on paper, but it doesn’t speak to the pressure we’re really under. It’s like the content forgot we’re human.”
That line stuck with me. She wasn’t wrong. The content was technically correct, but it didn’t acknowledge the chaos of the field, the pressure to hit quota fast, or the unspoken doubts new reps carry. It didn’t meet her where she was.
Michelle didn’t need more content. She needed context, connection, and care. And that changed how I design learning.
💡 What Empathy in Learning Really Means
We often focus on what we want learners to know or do—but not enough on how they feel during the process. Yet neuroscience and behavioral research consistently reinforce that emotion drives attention, memory, and motivation.
Empathy-centered learning respects that. It means thinking about:
Understanding where learners are starting from—emotionally, cognitively, and contextually.
Asking: What’s it like to be in their shoes?
Considering what they feel pressured by, what they fear, and what they hope for.
Recognizing the barriers they face—from outdated beliefs to distractions to limited bandwidth.
Building a bridge between where they are now and where we need them to go.
As Brené Brown says,
“Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection.”
And connection is what drives change.
It also means removing the elephants from the room:
“Yes, you’re under pressure. Yes, there’s too much tech. Yes, you’ve heard this before. And yes—we still need to get better.”
👥 The Expert Angle
In Daniel Goleman's work on Emotional Intelligence, he notes:
“In a very real sense we have two minds—one that thinks and one that feels.”
Ignoring that emotional mind in learning experiences means missing half the opportunity.
And all sellers have lived experiences. When we ignore those, we create friction. But when we design with empathy, we create relevance, trust, and pull-through.
🧰 Applied in Sales Enablement
So what does empathy look like in action?
Context before content: Start every module by answering why this matters right now.
Onboarding with realism: Use real calls, tough scenarios, and emotional roadblocks. Don’t sanitize the experience—humanize it.
Language that connects: Use words that reflect their world. Skip the marketing speak.
Coach the coaches: Equip managers with empathy-based coaching prompts. Encourage curiosity, compassion, and vulnerability—not just compliance.
Address beliefs head-on: If learners think, “This won’t work in the real world,” say it out loud—and then disprove it with data or stories.
Time it right: Deliver content when it’s needed—not just when it’s ready to launch.
Design for real-world distractions: Keep it modular, mobile-friendly, and rewatchable.
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