Issue link: http://baypath.uberflip.com/i/830925
30 Bay Pathway Spring 2017 Empathy — It's the Right Thing to Do Chris Conley '04 BS IN LEGAL STUDIES Attorney, Law Office of Lori M Comforti General Assembly Representative, State of Connecticut Each client who retains my firm is looking for help with a specific problem. It is important for me to listen to them carefully, develop a plan and expectations, and ultimately, tackle their problem head-on. In addition to being a lawyer, I serve as a State Representative for parts of Groton and Ledyard, Connecticut. In that role, I'm responsible for resolving issues with services, budgets, and every- thing in between. Some of the issues I face cannot be resolved quickly, so practicing empathy through active listening and thoughtful communication is important. Many of my colleagues are understanding by nature, but there are times when we all need a reminder as to empathy. I believe that it is important to be welcoming to others and offer help whenever possible. Lead by example, and take a few minutes to congratulate a colleague on a move, promotion, birth of a child, or express sympathy for an illness or loss. These gestures may seem small, but they show that we are a family of office workers, attorneys, or legislators. Denise Pumphrey '06 BS IN BIOLOGY Veterinarian & Owner Westfield Animal Clinic Empathy is a very important part of my job. Not only do I have to treat the animal, I also have to treat the client that brings in the animal. For many people, pets are like family members. When they Empathy, or the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, is at the heart of our work at Bay Path—especially this year. Not only was it the theme of our 22nd Annual Women's Leadership Conference, drawing upon the talent of this year's keynote speaker, acclaimed author Nicholas Sparks, whose characters are routinely guided by their own empathy, it's also the first-ever badging skill to be offered at the University through our brand new Office of Strategic Alliances. With this strong theme of emotional intelligence, communication and understanding in mind, we asked alumni to tell us—what does empathy mean to you? Here's what they had to say.