Brainstorms

Design Challenges and Brainstorms

How might we make the empathy circle more fun and engaging?

workshops/2015-07-20

Have different topics that are more fun?

• • what is a celebrations?

Timing - have a mini break in between, have some regular talking.

have direct one to one session.

• • listening

  • discussing

  • listening

  • discussing

Do more physical motions

• • laughing yoga

  • some exercise

  • stand up and shake yourself

Ask random question. Interviewee picks up cards with random questions.

• • mirrored the conversation. about anything.

  • have a set of cards that are random.

  • what did you eat for breakfast?

  • what do you like the most cheese or eggs.

  • what does it feel like to take a cold shower?

Get on the lighter side of the persons, if the conversation is deep.

stand and do exercise. 5 min physical exercies

The idea must cost a million $.

• • Masseuse comes to everyone's house and give you a massage while your doing the empathic listening.

  • take part in a bollywood movie

  • Dubmash - get the words or audio that you have to enact.

  • have a dialog and you have to enact it. enact it

  • enactment of what the other person is saying.

  • sing it back. if it is a deep issue,

How might we demonstrate empathic listening and empathy circles for educational purpose?

workshops/2015-07-25

Demo: example video of flowing empathic circle where both parties are feeling heard and understood.

demo of an “empathic circle” where the listener is not paying attention or interrupting. The speaker is getting frustrating and angry or irritated and then shuts down or shouts to be heard.

Maybe do 3 with one that is very smooth, on that is challenged but both are making an earnest effort and one that might reflect what would happen if we tried reflective listening with a challenging family member.

Add the issues that come like,

• • I feel worried.

  • add commentary.

  • pop up captions.

  • a series of people having trouble,

  • several sharing their problems and getting empathy about it.]

Pause the video and have print on the screen to illustrate what is being done effectively and what is being done that disrupts empathic connection.

Ex: during video the screen will have pop up comments like

• • “notice how the listener is giving eye contact and nodding head to create a sense of connection and understanding”

  • “notice where the speaker takes a deep breath after hearing the reflection because their nervous system is relaxing as the empathy sets in”

  • “notice how the listener says “What I think I hear you saying is that you….?” softly with a gentle humility that connotes curiosity rather than knowing”

Then when with the other video,

• • “notice the listener not looking at the speaker”

  • “notice how the listening is speaking robotically and just parroting”

  • “notice how the speaker is glazing over”

Create tools for empathic listening

• • have cards and worksheet that you can have at your desk.

Empathic Listening as Exercising

• • Create a video of some big weight lifters going into a gym. They are rippling with muscles. They walk past guys sweating and lifting huge weights. They come to a section that says, ‘Empathy Exercise‘, it has a couple of chairs and they sit down and start doing empathic listening. One guy starts talking about personal problem and they other starts reflecting it.

  • Video of people is exercise cloths,, maybe yoga type clothes and they go and do empathic listening.

  • Video of of the empathic listening and look at it afterwards and make comments. We see 5 minutes of empathic listening with reflections, and then have 10 minutes of comments.

Idea must coast 1 million $.

• • Have a personal empathy coach that follows you everywhere and gives you support

  • Have a empathy coach that does empathic listening for you during the full day.. Then you switch and do it for them for a day.

=========================================

How Might We create an empathy circle that fosters greater care, belonging, connection, heart, problem resolution, emotional support, and deep understanding for everyone involved?

workshops/2015-08-01

• • Timer

    • Some screen times.

    • soft gong sound for one minute warning

  • Needs guessing

    • after reflecting the speaker's words, we can ask them if they want a guess around feelings and needs.

    • a person specifically that is an expert in feelings and needs is standing by

    • a software program that automatically reflects feelings and needs.

  • Have in person workshops

  • If it’s an in-person workshop, would be good if it were a full day or two. Longer time = more time to sink into it and build connections

  • workshop goes on for a week, or for a weekend.

  • an empathy retreat.

  • Recharging our empathy batteries

    • a weekly recharging level of the battery

    • how to recharge the battery and tools for recharging

  • Focused topics

    • More focused topics on the circle (maybe each workshop focuses on a different topic, like family or conflict or relationships, illness, etc)

    • Creating a circle around a specific problem area, topic like,

  • work problems

  • family

  • financial

  • emotional problems grief,

  • creativity blocks,

  • Focused Circle around one person

    • deep support for one person that is in need

  • Empathy village for deep support

    • Have circle where the person who needs help in resolving a personal problem and gets the full support of the team. I imagine a village in 3rd world country where they are sitting in a circle around the speaker and providing a container and boundary for the speakers pain and issues to be seen and held with love and care. It takes a village…

    • a village - a whole village sitting around a person. A focused circle around persons that is suffering.

  • a lot of love and care and attention. support under

  • invitation to get advice., get more support.

  • actual tangible support

  • a design project for a week

  • be clear around boundaries - a boundary meter or a boundary sensor =-

  • codependency meter gives a warning

    • people will be able to come up with the answers - no fixing

Could we design a book on empathy where we go around and each person adds their comments and material. They can rearrange the material until everyone agrees.

Develop one Prototype

Gustave Doré: The Bible Illustrations Jacob dreams of angels ascending a ladder to heaven and Jacob's Dream by William Blake

We Build the Empathy Ladder of Skills

Creating a gentle path to the empathy village

• 1. screening is huge - protocol in place

  2. how to bring people on who are not there yet

  3. find the quire

  4. empathic listening as first step

  5. different people need different structure.

  6. empathic listening

  7. video training

  8. Focused groups

  9. screening people and safety

Deepening the listening and needs guessing

• • reflect -

  • ask the speaker if they want feeling and need guessing

  • if yes, guess what they are feeling and needing

People having the same issues to work on.

• • lgbt, work,

  • apathy and empathy at 12 step

How Might We… clarify the definition of empathy to promote consensus about it before beginning the empathy circle?

workshops/2015-08-06

• 1. Ask participants to state what they think is happening/going to happen in the empathy circle?

     1. ask participants what

     2. look at the camel

     3. define your terms - educate myself

     4. owell it’s standford - I don’t get it. feeling self judgements -

     5. keep stanford out of it and communicate about the

     6. design thinking is elusive -

     7. this process we learn by doing.

     8. feel like failing - we will celgrate failue.

  2. Ed -- ask each participant to define “empathy”

  3. don’t feel ‘Ive contributed

• • 1. discuss with the group afterwards

• 4. Ed - The technical aspects of Design exercise are bewildering to me. Probably I need to study the process more carefully, need to read a book or something. The IDEA behind it makes sense. The methodology seems strained. Ideally, everybody would agree on definition of empathy before starting to discuss it. That would avoid apples vs. oranges and distinctions without differences. And camel perspectives.

  5. ask participants to active listen after leader reads strategies for empathic listening

  6. seek to learn what each person hopes to gain or give in the empathy circle

  7. clarify that empathy is a process of seeking to know another person’s experience, and that we don’t have to agree or get it perfectly right for empathy to be present.

  8. explain the role of intention setting, and how it is related to empathy

  9. explore participant’s ability to suppress internal monologue (ie: judgments, bias, past experience, beliefs, values….) in service of empathizing and listening.

We had the intention,. but it wasn’t explaining what intention?

how to suppress the internal monologue.

Ask people at the beginning how they define empathy

Ask questions of the participants in order to better understand where they are coming from definitionally and thereby incorporate the different understandings into one complete definition for the group

Listen, reflect, and empathize to make sure everyone has the same idea of empathy before starting.

Edwin

• • have a definitions page

  • do an entire empathy circle on what are people definitions and understanding of empathy

  • have a reference

  • create a short documentary on definitions

  • explore if definitions are really important. do and not define

  • have a set of acti

  • have a more graduated empathy design process that is not so complicated

workshops/2015-08-08

How Might We…. facilitate empathy circles with ease and comfort?

set the intention to be caring, empathic, focused

Measure the anxiety. what is your anxiety level?

Lee-Anne:

*meditate at the outset of the empathy circle.

*release judgments and worries about empathizing and not knowing, as a group, before the empathy circle begins.

have a person

so many links -

*set intentions as a group that facilitate spreading an empathic way of being - going deeper into intention setting than just the intention to be empathic.

expand, each person set a specific intention.

first time needs simplicity.

if it is an ongoing circle.

the invitation to set aside judgment.

get together beforehand,

*Lovingkindness practice before the empathy circle begins.

* “Just like me…” practice before the empathy circle begins.

*Complimenting empathy practice with compassion practice may mitigate the anxiety/discomfort/suffering that arises with intimate and empathic sharing.

*Create ground rules together at the outset

*Work with partners to create support--

• • just like me anxiety exercise

Judgment practice: As a group identify and reveal judgments we each bring to the table when joining an empathy circle. It can be a brainstorming practice, and/or just sharing and releasing judgments.

Mary:

-call out the “elephant in the living room” - normalizing how judgements may show up (one of the judgements we must have is “I’m the only one struggling with…”)

-encourage people to practice from a place of “beginner’s mind”

-create a group culture of celebrating imperfect action/trying/experimentation - maybe mention this as the group creates agreements at the beginning

-acknowledge how hard all of this can be, especially in difficult conversations, when there’s an empathy circle occurring because of a challenge or conflict

-allow/encourage people to ask for help from the group with a reflection or more time to think

-if it’s a small enough group (and not on google hangouts, where this might not be easy) just allow the whole group to organically be the collective “listener” so the responsibility is shared

Call out the anxiety -

everyone is nervous in a new circle

an menu of empathy options.

structure versus less structure. have simple agreements and not a lot of details

less structure less anxiety.

some people don’t want to do things are hard.

going into the agreement can be off putting.

how it’s framed in the beginning - the facilitation makes a difference.

depends on the facilitator's ability to hold space

edwin: need more training material. that explains the steps

edwin: Create a web page of empathy circle anxiety points.

• • gather a list and stories.

  • document them in writing

  • make a video of each aspect.

  • have baby step for the process so that people can get to know each other.

    • anxiety of meeting new people

public service announcement

natuatil tv

setting ground rules and teams and partners and fish bowl

speak when you feel move

The idea needs to cost a million $

a PSA on national tv to promote empathy everywhere!

really try out the intention setting - do a whole design workshop around empathic intention setting

Based on feedback, develop one prototype

I vote for ground rules

4 different perspectives

develop the ground rules

it’s hard to come up with the agreements

it takes effort

having a sense of some ground rules. already preset.

The intentions.

structure for discussion

Set the Broad intentions

name: what is your specific intention.

have a little dialog.

it sets a persona rule

We set the intention: to foster an empathic way of being in the world?

Edwin:

I set the intention to personally deepen my empathy.

To find and implement effective ways of promoting empathy in the world.

Tara: I set my intention to stay focused on the experience of the speaker.

Lee-Anne: I set the intention to focus my attention on the speaker.

Mary: I want to be in my authentic flow as I listen and speak.

workshops/2015-08-18

How Might We… create and hold the container for and prepare people for being in the deep experience of the empathy circle?

• • have video clips of samples - just a section where the exchange is happening

  • small short clips

  • words doing

  • vials discretion - visual do away with the visual

  • test that

  • mute control

  • Create a sacred space

  • introduce the canal. - bring an object of meaning to the space.

  • softw music at the background 0- filling the dead ait

Idea must cost $1million

• • in person flying around the wld

  • take an empathy circle cruise around the world

  • have it in person - fly people in

  • a circle in Macu Picchu,stoned heage

  • Greece, delphi,

  • dulan training -

  • an empathy circle

  • Create a software platform

    • facebook for empathy

  • an empathy circle tv show.

  • building a community

  • create a co-counseling modeling

8. Based on feedback, develop one prototype

technology - a facebook - a social media platform

do a test on hylo,

and interface -

do circles, for

what circle

Do a test on hylo

• • being heard

workshops/2015-08-22

How Might We… address the issue of people feeling discomfort with being recorded and broadcast on youtube or the internet?

Velina’s ideas:

Upfront Explanation video

Clear disclosure with detailed examples of how the recording will be available to the world. Just saying “recorded” doesn’t not have the impact that “broadcast on the internet through youtube” does.

Have 3 different groups; (meet the need for choice)

( ) those who are ok with broadcasting “broadcast”

( x ) closed groups that aren’t going to be recorded at all “off air”

( ) groups that are ok with recording but for internal use only. “inhouse”

Have an option on the screen for those who can pause recording for when they speak to remain private.

Have the option of the person using a cartoon/avatar of them and an alias and maybe even a voice altering device so that they can join in and contribute while remaining anonymous. This opens up the floor for all to participate regardless of their need for privacy

Maybe just using a “stage name” and blurring their face and voice like I’ve seen on tv.

Edwin’s Ideas

• Have more explanations of how recording is part of the free testing phase of the workshop. Every empathy circle will not be need to be recorded.

• Create a whole webpage on the topic of openness and privacy.

• Create a whole Mini empathy workshop on privacy vs openness and develop a document about the

• Have a magic wand that makes the world safe place so that people don’t have to worry about vulnerability and safety

• Make a documentary about this issue this comes

create an openness v privacy meter, how open or private do you feel at this moment?

Edwin: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( x ) 8( ) 9( ) 10( ) open

• • subissies -

Velina: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( ) 8( ) 9(X ) 10( ) open

Tim: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( x ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( ) 8( ) 9( ) 10( ) open

Tim’s Ideas

A Video upfront that talks about privacy (also legal implications - health/defamation etc!)

• • what are the legal issues?

An easy way to review personal contribution (tagged content & opt-out editing)

• • video tagging start ups - allow bookmarking in the video clip

  • click and go

  • youtube direct link

  • soundcloud - people add comments to audio - tag points

Define Goals first - so topics of conversation are useful & relevant

• • tell people what are trying to get from the circle will frame the conversations.

Guiding Conversation - Staying on-topic - not straying into stuff that isn’t sharable/sensitive.

• • how interjections are made

Predefined Topics which are Shareable vs Private

Time to reflect - even if happy to share, having time would be better rather than immediate public share.

• • be able to think about it. have a buffer of time to reflect

A formal privacy “waiver” of some kind. (Also consider privacy laws outside the USA)

• • log on window of hangouts has a wavier

  • different laws in different countries.

An “intro” / tiered approach - doing non-personal sharing to build familiarity with process/people.

• • non personal sharing of the workshop - don’t be personal to begin with

  • after familiarity feel more comfortable making judgements

  • a beginners course that avi

The idea must cost $1 million

• • you have a gang of hit that will knock off anyone that threatens you?

  • slush fund for paying legal bills if you get in trouble by what yu saidn

  • you will receive $1 million if what you say is taken advantage of by someone

  • $1M talk-therapy - money back guarantee!

The idea must contain magic

• • we become ideal image of ourselves on sceen, instead of being velina - have the body and voice of her creation

  • It works great - but expires at 12am

  • Downloadable Empathyshop filter.

  • paint things with the empathy filter. - all your troubles solved with the empathy filter softwares - pain away frea,

  • erase your crap relationships

  • better looking air brush

Empathy is something we need when we need help with something.

is empathy needed for non private issues.

empathy is always related to tenderness.

not need for fun stuff

has most value for Tim around tender issues.

• Edwin’s story of the family of positive stories.

• Topics that are good

• appreciative inquiry - a

• guide the topic for creating

• if we understand the goals.

• people are going through life. and we live in a litigious world and make accommodation for that.

• part of me was irritated by people not wanting something public.

• had jackel around privacy. but now see it.

• want people to come to the point of openness and overcoming shame

• a group energy of being safe ain a group . took years. to get to this point.

• a big subject. - important to hold the need for a better world and a yearning . detail with the reality as well. ie insurance companies.

• most importantly for the individual tenderness.

• my situation is

Edwin

could be an opening as well.

Want it for education, training, promotion. pr.

4 layers of announcement

• • on webpage

  • email

  • sign in

  • I announce

tim -

• we live in another world.

• we are hunter gatherers living in an age of technologies. .

• are even biologically equipped to live in the technical world

• can we do a workshop on this topic?

• biology and technology and how it affect our physiology

• surfacing the big issues, nibble away

team-6/2015-08-24

no brainstorms

workshops/2015-08-27

How Might We… promote connection, inclusion, and safety in empathy circles?

Lee-Anne:

Use a snap or “ho” (Native American Counsel practice) for passive observers to chime in, be heard, and participate in a way that is respectful to the flow.

listeners write what they are hearing in a google do

Lee-Anne: At the outset of the circle, ask participants what/how they would feel included in the passive observing parts of the circle.

Lee-Anne: Remind team to use nonverbal language during the passive observation phase, so they can a) feel included, and b) contribute to the process. “ho!”-nb

Lee-Anne: Invite passive observers to comment in chat window...

Xuan: Each person has a set of signs with basic emotion words (e.g. joy, excitement, puzzle, curiosity, upset, anger) written on them that they can choose to hold up and signal what they’re feeling without interrupting the speaker.

Lee-Ann, Edwin

Xuan: Play a game at the beginning of an EC session to energize people and create bonds. Games might include: gift-giving, shared memory, three things, etc. (I can explain more about the games. They’re mostly improv games).

Edwin

empathy circles specifically on empathy related to: connection, inclusion , safety

Edwin: practice practice practice circle

Edwin: do more pretest - of set up.

Edwin: Private message coach being each person at home

Edwin - ask for one word how are you now periodically.

Edwin - after each person reflects, the group does a shared movement..

oxytocin nasel spray

Nicholas:

more explicit visual signs, emoji to thumbs up. for some/most pieces.. having an ordered response(option) sequence, in which people can pass. Time ins (a pause to check in with internal exp) sharing exp (optional). Updating changing impact of the process and priorities (toward what’s most alive).

Gabrielle: Empathy requires resonance and vulnerability, for set-up, introductions

Share a personal story

• 1. Share a heart story when you’ve experienced being heard/connected/a part of

  2. Share a heart story when you’ve experienced being othered/disconnected

In order to get to know who you’re seeking empathy with

Stop and/or Slow Down-Dig into the moment, Staying dynamic, reprioritizing when things come up

8 Based on feedback, develop one prototype

Xuan: Each person has a set of signs with basic emotion words (e.g. joy, excitement, puzzle, curiosity, upset, anger) written on them that they can choose to hold up and signal what they’re feeling without interrupting the speaker. Nichlos: emoji

Lee-Ann, Edwin

workshops/2015-08-26

How Might We… train people to be able to concentrate on empathic listening?

Edwin

• • do regular empathy circle

  • motivation - people need motivation. have a series of video that show people talking about the benefits of empathic listening

  • have a book and documentary nust on empathy listening

  • have a movie star like Meryl Streep do an empathy circle

  • have a web page with testimonials and video of the benefit of Empathic listening .

have a program that helps with the training. step by step,

Iris

• • talk face to face, make eye contact

  • be honest and direct while talking

  • concentrate on the person in front of you

  • meditation - staying silent for a while

  • have an inperson empathic listening

  • with problems I am the person in the middle

  • online mediation

  • connect random strangers - chatroulette, random strangers. met for the sake of meeting.

  • sometimes with a

Franz

• • do regular circles

  • create an App - someone speaks - you rephrase - compare afterwards

    • (or select from different answers)

    • You could also have different tasks like 1. sum up, 2. Paraphrase, 3. Exact words

    • see https://www.jointogetherstrong.com/

    • https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/together-strong/id903930751?mt=8

Susanne

start with saying the exact same thing with same intonation as the other person as first exercise

forbid people to use the word ‘I’ when doing the exercise

let them start with paraphrasing short passages

meditation - learning not to think about anything at all

exercising to talk about something without any judgements

exercising to distinguish between what someone says and what we interpret into that

Step-by-Step Empathetic Listening Curriculum starting for 5 Minutes everyday (incl. Reminder App)

@Work @Family @Home @Friends > Practice everywhere

Thomas

- Lunch Break Listening > Take 5 Minutes everyday with a colleague and just listen and way around

- Empathetic Listening Award > Make people have interviewing each other. Every interviewer who hears “I felt heard” owns a star. Most stars at the end of the week wins a beer.

- Connect Random People “Chatroulette” Style > Empathy Roulette > One Listener & One Talker

- Listen to a “robot” and repeat App

- A “just listen” hour at work every week > Empathy Circle

- Listening weekend at Mountain Lodge with the team

intensified empathy circle.:” a weeked of emapthic listening

empathy and beyond - We mempathiu kend

do recording to listen to your

do an empathic listening and have it a group evaluate it.

have a graduated lesson

empathic listening

pharaign

summaries

own words

focusing

Idea must cost $1 million

8 Based on feedback, develop one prototype

break the steps down step by step

create a curriculum

and do something everyday for 5 minutes

workshops/2015-08-29

How Might We… address the issue of people feeling discomfort with being recorded and broadcast on youtube or the internet?

Velina’s ideas:

Upfront Explanation video

Clear disclosure with detailed examples of how the recording will be available to the world. Just saying “recorded” doesn’t not have the impact that “broadcast on the internet through youtube” does.

Have 3 different groups; (meet the need for choice)

( ) those who are ok with broadcasting “broadcast”

( x ) closed groups that aren’t going to be recorded at all “off air”

( ) groups that are ok with recording but for internal use only. “inhouse”

Have an option on the screen for those who can pause recording for when they speak to remain private.

Have the option of the person using a cartoon/avatar of them and an alias and maybe even a voice altering device so that they can join in and contribute while remaining anonymous. This opens up the floor for all to participate regardless of their need for privacy

Maybe just using a “stage name” and blurring their face and voice like I’ve seen on tv.

Edwin’s Ideas

Have more explanations of how recording is part of the free testing phase of the workshop. Every empathy circle will not be need to be recorded.

Create a whole webpage on the topic of openness and privacy.

Create a whole Mini empathy workshop on privacy vs openness and develop a document about the

Have a magic wand that makes the world safe place so that people don’t have to worry about vulnerability and safety

Make a documentary about this issue this comes

create an openness v privacy meter, how open or private do you feel at this moment?

Edwin: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( x ) 8( ) 9( ) 10( ) open

• • subissies -

Velina: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( ) 8( ) 9(X ) 10( ) open

Tim: closed 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( x ) 5( ) 6( ) 7( ) 8( ) 9( ) 10( ) open

Tim’s Ideas

A Video upfront that talks about privacy (also legal implications - health/defamation etc!)

• • what are the legal issues?

An easy way to review personal contribution (tagged content & opt-out editing)

• • video tagging start ups - allow bookmarking in the video clip

  • click and go

  • youtube direct link

  • soundcloud - people add comments to audio - tag points

Define Goals first - so topics of conversation are useful & relevant

• • tell people what are trying to get from the circle will frame the conversations.

Guiding Conversation - Staying on-topic - not straying into stuff that isn’t sharable/sensitive.

• • how interjections are made

Predefined Topics which are Shareable vs Private

Time to reflect - even if happy to share, having time would be better rather than immediate public share.

• • be able to think about it. have a buffer of time to reflect

A formal privacy “waiver” of some kind. (Also consider privacy laws outside the USA)

• • log on window of hangouts has a wavier

  • different laws in different countries.

An “intro” / tiered approach - doing non-personal sharing to build familiarity with process/people.

• • non personal sharing of the workshop - don’t be personal to begin with

  • after familiarity feel more comfortable making judgements

  • a beginners course that avi

The idea must cost $1 million

• • you have a gang of hit that will knock off anyone that threatens you?

  • slush fund for paying legal bills if you get in trouble by what yu saidn

  • you will receive $1 million if what you say is taken advantage of by someone

  • $1M talk-therapy - money back guarantee!

The idea must contain magic

• • we become ideal image of ourselves on sceen, instead of being velina - have the body and voice of her creation

  • It works great - but expires at 12am

  • Downloadable Empathyshop filter.

  • paint things with the empathy filter. - all your troubles solved with the empathy filter softwares - pain away frea,

  • erase your crap relationships

  • better looking air brush

team-6/2015-08-31

How Might We… promote greater awareness of how empathy is tied to happiness, connection, survival, joy, and well-being?

PSA’s with celebrities

• • meryl streep and friends Meryl Streep http://bit.ly/xQtmFf

  • radio, billboard, bus stops, tv, internet, etc….

Manualize tools and empathy circle, promote and sell the manual

workbook

playbook

Create and present professional development trainings for educators, criminal justice workers, corporations, etc…

Empathy Tents

• • occupy downtown berkeley

  • get pepper sprayed for

  • http://cultureofempathy.com/OccupyEmpathy/index.htm

  • occupy empathy tool kit with toilet.

  • different farmers markets - have high school students looking to meet community service requirement

  • conferences and conventions

  • permits -

empathy determination meter. 0 to 10

Empathy Stories on Wheels - telling personal stories - with trucks and stories - an empathy twist to receive empathy

Empathy Encounters - a spa weekend. extended workshop at Esalen

Partner with organizations promoting mindfulness, compassion, education, healthy living to reach broader audience

• • greater good

  • CCARE

  • d.school

  • etc

  • parners lsits

-Lee-Anne

Create fun videos in a sketch or drawing format (reference clean water video)sharing empathy related statistics, skits

PSAs

Have school beta empathy education - document their findings

• • find schools that are doing design.

  • connect with

Get celebrities on board

Get media outlets on board

Create posters, stickers, flyers

- Wendy

Tv show, movie, musical, promoting empathy

• • occupy empathy having a great time

  • president says everyone has empathy, ceos.

edwin

web table of environmental , social problems, and how they relate to empathy

INFORGRAPHIC

series of stories on the web of how empathy relates to survival

• • cruelty to animals

  • environmental pollution

people do not know how empathy relates for survival.

Stories of people who were save from committing suicide because someone heard them,\

Table of emotions relating them to empathy

• • happyness

  • connection

  • joy

  • well-bing

also a short video on each of these issues.

weight lot loss type concerciales about empathy

making empathy training mandatory

forful guerrilla style empathy revolution

Picket signs with the word Empathy on them….

chase

living things

have non manipulative approaches. entertainments a tv show

infusing empathy into famous tv shows

how to make people interested by doing things they like and enjoy.

Based on feedback, develop one prototype

\INFOGRAPHIC

powerful Stories of empathy and survival

Contact Merly streep

a empathy circles in the farmers market.

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team-7/2015-09-02

How Might We… support better human connection in the empathy circle?

edwin

• • do more empathy circle prep work

  • do some a full empathy circles in person and at home and with friends to get a sense of how it works.

  • create a manual for how to do an empathy circle with text, video, multimedia online. to support to creating empathy circles at home.

  • as a group, do a full 2 to 3 hour empathy circle

  • we form empathy buddies pairs and do a 1 hour one to one empathic listening practice

Tim

• 1. Explain upfront that the technology is immature / acknowledge limitations

  2. have practice sessions before course to build familiarity with technology

  3. resist temptation to redesign Google’s UX

  4. allow time for unstructured reflection in between exercises to build rapport between the groups

  5. have members meet online in pairs

  6. explain the feelings that might come up as a result of going through a process that is new like this.

melissa

• 1. more time to learn about / get to know people before the circle starts (share bios, etc)

  2. 1 to 1 meetings outside circle (on or off line)

  3. prior to circle, send each other something “real/tangible” to put in front of you while conversing online : then you can fiddle with it, look at it while the other is talking (something they touched makes them seem more “real”)

     1. empathy pillows

  4. 3Dimentional hologram heads of participants instead of a thumbnail.

  5. time to write notes after you listen to each person’s initial speech : so the tips, ideas, questions can be asked later / don’t get lost.

  6. physical shared experience : all eat same food/wear same socks to feel a bond (Empathy circle t-shirts!, same shoes!)

mercedes

• 1. allow a moment of expression/relate to what the person speaking/being listen at/ says.

  2. Mirroring the feeling/idea through small gestures/ signs

  3. Use other virtual tools

  4. Sign/symbols/ language

  5. working in pairs - (not allow to talk with others)

  6. Use other resources that appeal to other senses

  7. Use activities that support the empathic listening but help dissolve resistance

  8. allow people to choose who and what in some moment

Xuan

• 1. Build in more opportunities for freely expressing oneself

  2. More topic-specific ice-breakers.

  3. More nonverbal.

LULU

focusing on the group, creating a healthy community

• 1. use passion: have a mini conference where each one should talk (with passion) about something he likes

  2. share an experience: dancing

  3. having pauses (lowering the rigidity of time)/ enable time for “breathing”, eg having a tea

  4. play a game: build up the community through fun / homo ludens

team-8/2015-09-03

How Might We…create relaxing physical, mental and social environment at the initial stage of empathy circle to address participants stress, anxiety and being a bundle of nerves?

Edwin

• create a stress, anxiety and bundle of nerves webpage

• have a list of testimonials of how and why people felt stressed and how they overcame them.

• Have everyone that takes part have a notepad to write down their stress

• warning page about possible stress and anxiety at the beginning of the meeting.

• explain why name it

• create training videos , to explain why people feel stressed,

• watch a calming video of guided meditation - seascapes

• share a stress with the group. this can reducit.

• hold an empathy circle on stress and anxiety.

Sophie

• People dress in comfy clothes e.g. pajamas, can eat and drink while doing the exercise

• Simple yoga poses, breathing exercise, meditation,

• Each person share an embarrassing story of themselves

• Improv exercise

Jacob

• Play an online game before the start of the session

• Everyone does 2 min (standup) sitdown comedy at start

• Do a pre session online team activity

• Ice breaker - literally

John

• Play soft relaxing background music.

• Do some relaxing visualization.

• Share some funny joke as a warm up.

• Share some happy moments

Andreas

• • Move the felt-sense & mirroring exercise to the beginning

  • Invite people to tell a joke

  • Invite people to make mops and mows

  • Invite to share 1 personal story addressing a specific experience (e.g. first kiss)

  • Invite people to share what they feel ashamed for and ask others who shares this experience

  • Use google hangout effects

• use effects while doing empathic listening

How Might We… facilitate optimal participation in the introductory empathy circle?

workshops/2015-09-05

Sherry

Exercise for participants to be more connected

• • physical exercies

  • getting to know others in partners. 3 minutes listening to someones name

  • nothing to added

  • a mindful meditation

Have participants design/create what they need to participate fully

List of what to do if technology isn’t working

Other options for technology

Edwin

video of a full empathy circle, the process in brief

• • great idea - perhaps raising awareness they might have to advance consent

  • explain the purpose of the video and how it will be used, and how long it will be keep

  • shared ideas about lateness, host empowerment lens -have it on the screen

find ways of setting up with less distractions.

• • no late participation,

  • some check on how the technology is working? a test sites.

Naming possible Issues on a web page

• • in a FAQ

meet in person to avoid technical issues.

What is alive for you now?

Share a personal story of your life?

What is a concern, anxiety or fear you are dealing with in your life?

team-8/2015-09-17

How Might We… develop a positive growth cycle of empathic listening?

Edwin

• • think about the nature of positive cycles of empathy . understand how they work. do research

  • think about the positive empathy cycle.

  • do a empathy circle on the theme of a positive cycle. break it down to the cycle components

  • practice, practice, practice - how to make a cycle of practice

  • develop the Empathic design practice curriculum

    • one to one empathic listening practice.

    • taking part in an empathy circle

    • taking part in a mini design

    • taking part in a 10 week empathic design

    • facilitating or hosting a one to one with new people

    • hosting an empathy circle

    • hosting a mini design

    • hosting a 10 week empathic design

    • teaching or hosting others.

do an exercise in failure. write down your feeling of failure during the empathy cricle. when you do test circle at home. We celebrate the failure.

Andreas

• • Actually the course is a weekly growth cycle

  • Create an insights documents to sum up our learnings

  • Create a diagram where participants self evaluate and track their current empathic listening grade

  • Create a diagram where the other participants grade and track the empathic listening progress of each other

  • Encourage the person who talked to say that she or he doesn’t feel understood, if that’s the case.

  • so that learning is possible. (Positive culture for failure)

John

• • Assess the feelings and needs with effectiveness grading (e.g scale of 1 to 10 in effectiveness )

  • Capture learning and insights

  • Practice map ( e.g diverse practical and effective empathic listening gathered from all teams )

create big map with a cycle

Jacob

• define the steps.

• what it means

• agred for common rules.

• measure and give feedback

• a feedback loop. from the circle. for improvement

Based on feedback, develop one prototype

Edwin - failure celebration. track and celebrate our failures.

edwin

Jacob

john

John - Effectiveness grading of empathic listening practice

create a journey map

Andreas - Create an evaluation diagram to track the individual progress

Jacob : Empathetic Listening growth cycle defined visually Andreas

workshops/2015-09-19

How Might We… close the gap between limited intellectual empathy and shared experience empathy?

Edwin

• • add Focusing techniques for felt experience - speak from the felt experience. Edwin, Herbert

  • if you have an idea, don’t just share the idea but describe where the idea is in your body

  • when speaking start with a motion of how you feel in the moment, have the listener reflect it.

  • when ending a sharing, do a motion and have it be reflected..

  • create more physical activities and synchronized movements.

  • don’t stop until you feel a deep connection.

  • have a measurement of how much you feel what person is saying S

  • hold a empathy circle with some trained Focusers (sept 6) and ask for their input on how to hold a more feeling based circle.

  • have a more felt experience would be engaging.

Kendra

• • Simulation activities (e.g. games where you take on the persona/role of someone unlike you)

  • Encourage primary resource consumption of specific topics (especially if new to reader) and moments in time/history

    • Consolidate resources of specific experiences, especially those that are not had by dominant groups of people

  • Discourage "understanding" rhetoric when no shared experience is truly present

  • Encourage empathy self-discovery (e.g. tests, definitions of vocabulary)

  • Promote the division between types of empathy (e.g. intellectual versus shared, etc.) so that no one ever feels like they've "mastered" empathy or have no more work to do

Sonja

• 1. Draw or paint your feelings with colours.

  2. Show where you felt the experience, and how it felt. Use sensory descriptors (heavy/light, dark/bright, smells nice/stinks etc.) Edwin,

  3. Use a metaphor: something from a common, shared experience. “Like eating an ice cream on a hot summer day”, “Like being blamed for something you didn’t do”

  4. Write a haiku about your experience. Imagine a scene that corresponds to it. Haiku is supposed to capture the mood of a scene without describing thought, just describing the scenery.

  5. Play the music that corresponds to your experience. Maybe choose from 5-10 different tunes.

  6. Role-play the other person’s experience. Either in person (like acting) or in a game, could be virtual. Kendra

Herbert

• 1. mindfulness trainings

  2. serenity exercises

  3. show feelings as a sculpture

  4. walk through the room without touching, get a feeling of the others aura

  5. global day of empathy (people do empathy circles around the world on that day)

  6. collecting empathy success stories

team-6/2015-09-21

How Might We… support HS Students in gaining effective tools, natural processes/approaches for dealing with difficult discussions?

Brainstorm

Edwin

• • interview students to find out about their difficult conversations.

  • Have students co-design solutions around this theme

  • Need to build an infrastructure around supporting this, train facilitators

  • have one on one empathic listening for a students that is having difficult discussions.

  • have a school empathy tent with facilitators that can assist with dialog facilitation

  • work with the school counselor

  • how to test talking about a difficult conversation with the team

  • put together a resource link of existing tools and methods.

  • create video examples of how to address difficult conversations

    • this is an example of that a difficult conversation looks like.

Lee-Anne

• • Include improv games for fun, physical movement, and opportunities to practice nonverbal empathy

  • Empathic Failure Celebrations !!!

  • Community Service experiences followed by debriefing in the format of Roots of Empathy circles

  • Make the curriculum several weeks long; have group games that build trust and connection for the first few sessions before introducing EC

  • Make EC the climax of the curriculum rather than the whole curriculum

  • Restrict EC’s for teens to same age groups only and/or single gender groups only

Wendy

• • Free Ice Cream - 2 question survey

  • Empathy Hike this Saturday - “Bring your Best Bud”

  • The Moth or Radio Lab (NPR - radio show) Share your story

  • Tent with a big sign “We’re here to Listen!”

  • Have meetings w/ school administrators discussing the need for more empathy and the impact it would make on a school level, community, etc.

School empathy Day

Curriculum - develop the curriculum.

• • games

  • exercises

  • empathy test

  • improv

  • one to one

  • EC

• Panda suit