Happy Valentine’s Day!  Thinking about the best romantic and loving way to celebrate? May we recommend a three-course dinner of empathy and compassion, with a generous serving of curiosity for dessert?  What could be more loving? Your significant other is going to feel like royalty.

You know who else will love that?

Your clients, colleagues, and business contacts.

All three qualities are important parts of a romantic relationship, and they’re needed in all relationships, romantic or professional.

Empathy means you sense or imagine someone else’s feelings and perspective.  They feel seen and heard by you, because they are.  You’ve put yourself in their shoes.

Curiosity means that you recognize that your clients and colleagues are always evolving and changing.  What’s new with them?  When they have a different point of view than yours, what causes that? Curiosity means asking clarifying questions that demonstrate a genuine interest in someone else’s perspective, even when you don’t agree with it.

So in addition to lavishing the person who puts stars in your eyes and a thump in your heart with empathy, compassion, and curiosity, why not show a little love this Valentine’s Day by asking some great questions that bring out the empathy, compassion, and curiosity in both of you? Here are a few questions to get you started:

• I’d like to hear what you are thinking.
• For you, what’s most important about this?
• How can we work together to positively influence this?
• What results you want to see from here forward?
• Is there a common thread among the options we have been discussing?
• What would make it even more meaningful or relevant for you?