Empathy Map

Sam is a 30 year old male who is married with a two year old daughter. He got his undergraduate degree in criminal justice and his masters degree in security services. 

What Does He Think and Feel?

The health, safety, and well-being of his daughter and family are what really counts. This falls hand in hand with his employment and being able to provide for his family. Sam’s job determines if he can pay the bills, send his daughter to good, safe schools, and provide enough for his wife and daughter. His career goals and performing at work consume a lot of his thoughts, especially since he has been seeking a new job with the Secret Service, FBI, or another federal agency for a while. A major preoccupation is his health and fitness, because fitness plays a major role in the career field he is seeking. He worries about how he can differentiate himself as more than another, white, male detective with a criminal justice degree. He feels that if he works really hard on his fitness, he will have a better chance of setting himself apart from other applicants.  

What does he see?

As a detective, Sam sees a lot of crime and victims, particularly from lower social classes. After working in the same area for 5 years, he describes that many of the people that he is around feel entitled to things, and dealing with those people makes you appreciate what you have. It makes Sam grateful for how fortunate he is and that he has money to feed his wife and kids, has a car, etc. Most of his friends that he sees day to day are his work collogues. He also has some friends that he grew up with that he sees less often, but enjoys having them over if they are in town.
Sam spends most of his time at work or at home. He doesn’t have a gym membership, so if/when he shops it is often for new workout equipment at places like Academy or Dick's Sporting Goods. Due to his job, he has also purchased a few guns and then buys amo sometimes for recreational shooting at gun ranges. Within the year, he got promoted to detective from police officer, so he had to purchase a lot more office clothes at retailers like Macy's and Dillards. When it comes to his purchase process, he often looks online at things first.

What does he or she say and do?

Before working for the police department, Scott didn’t notice people as much. However, he is now very aware of his peers in every setting.  As a member of the police department, he holds himself to always be professional, nice, and polite unless another person is being disrespectful. When not working, Sam is very polite, cordial and very attentive about his surroundings. He is very much on the protective side, especially with his two year old daughter Jamie. Sam is polite, but not outgoing. On a plane, it would be uncommon for him to start up a conversation with the person next to him unless he knew them or clearly had something in common.
With his friends, Sam is a silent leader and a decision maker. He is confident in his choices, and not a follower of the group. He is not the center of attention with his friends, but they really respect him and his opinion. Sam’s sense of humor and conversations are different with his friends than with his collogues and family. He won’t cuss at work, but his friends cuss pretty often so he sometimes changes in that setting. Sam can also joke about certain things with guys that he can’t with his family or at work.
As for his appearance, Sam finds it hard to respect someone who dresses inappropriately or like a slob. However he understands that certain professions (such as bartenders) have some exceptions. He tries to dress nicely whenever he goes out in public, but at home or when he is working out he just wear gym clothes, old t-shirts etc. 

What does he or she hear?

With his older friends that have kids, they will often talk about their families, their careers, or their interest. At work, there a quite a few younger employees who he will often discuss his career path and his experiences with. The younger guys are often exited and express the opportunities they are looking forward to.
His direct boss treats him like an equal unless something big is going on. If something comes up, his boss will step up to his authoritative role and put him or others in their place. Unless his boss brings it up, their conversations remain pretty professional, unlike talking with one of the Sargent or another guy he works with.
Sam’s family is very motivating, and very interested in what is going on in his life.  When he talks to his parents or brothers once a week, he feels they want to participate in what he is doing. Relationships and career, and how they can be improved used to be the number one topics. Now, its those things plus his daughter Jamie. Before Jamie, he used to see parents and in-laws only a couple times a year. Now he sees them all the time. She has really brought the family a lot closer.
Impactful events in Sam’s life include the government’s tight budget and economic situation because they are currently not hiring or barely hiring for federal agencies like the Secret Service and the FBI. This makes it harder for Sam to advance in his career in the path he wants to take.  He also watches local news because that is where he hears about 5ks or Tough Mudders. He also watches the news to hear the highlights on sports, especially football. 

What are his pain points?

Sam is worried most about job security and keeping a steady job and income to provide for Julia and Jennifer.  He is also always concerned with the health of himself,his family, and especially his parents. Obamacare is a concern for him since it will effect how he provides the healthcare coverage for his family.
At work, one of his biggest frustrations is micromanagement. He finds it overbearing and unproductive when his boss monitors every little thing he does, instead of giving him clear expectations and checking in at stages. Outside of work, his main pet peev is that he is a bit of a neat freak, and his wife isn’t at all, so he has to make up for her. 

What does he or she hope to gain?

He hopes for a career advancement. However, he doesn’t want it just for the money. He wants more responsibility and accomplishment; he wants to make progress. He sees success as people doing their job well and being responsible for their actions. It doesn’t matter if he are a janitor or an accountant. If he does their job well and abide by good values, he can be considered successful in his career. Our society is based on money, and if you don’t have it, life can be hard.  An obstacle he faces is differentiating himself from others applying for same job(s) he is. In 5 years, Sam envisions himself at another job, and therefore living somewhere else which he doesn’t mind.  At home, he would like for his family to continue to grow with another child.