Edwin Rutsch 3

Intention:

I want to create tools for fostering more empathy in the world. I’d like to make connections with people who value empathy and build a movement.

Comments:

I felt a deep sense of connection and warmth in the empathy circle. The transition from the empathy circle to the design process was an emotional shift in energy and mindsets. I sensed some participants had difficulty making that shift. .from a deep empathic connection to more of a work, design mindset.

Andrea interviews Edwin

What was your experience of the Empathy Circle?

It seemed somewhat magical….Kathy’s background in Focusing and me having done a workshop...more attuned to the feelings coming up...I have been doing these mini-workshops, stand alone, and there hasn’t been a continuation….so I am thinking where could this group go now….the ten week courses have a continuity, but this mini-workshop does not...so how could I make this group experience ongoing, going forward.

Why is that a challenge, keeping it going…? Well, people say this is great, but there isn’t a next step to keep this particular group going...people could take the mini again, but they don’t tend to….people go on to take the 10 week, but something needed, some looser structure to keep this particular group connected...no clear follow up, something participants get out of it that would keep it going...we could just keep doing the empathy circles, a one or two hour commitment, but Edwin likes to keep the design process as part of it...but that is a three hour commitment….How do I put all of this together and keep people involved...people could also get together one-on-one to exchange turns….Facilitators who get an income?

Magical, Kathy’s background in focusing, Edwin felt more attuned to feelings he was experiencing. He’s thinking about continuation - stand alone, single workshops - how do we go to the next step, what is the next step? How to make the mini-workshop transition to something more ongoing? How do we keep growing and building connection?

Why is that a challenge to continue to have people come together?

Great because people get together - Keep designing and redesigning the empathy circles… people have signed up to do a ten week course based on design school - a looser structure, a need for some type of structure. No clear lines of follow-up, no clear benefit. One or two hours of empathic listening without the design. 1:1 empathetic listening, group empathic listening, empathic listening with the design aspect ‘feels good to connect’ but the innovation and creativity … how to put all this together and get people involved. In person meet-ups?

People talking a lot about empathy but no commitment - needs to be something around facilitators that can have an income or profession that can have a series of skills that can have and foster. Edwin, have you looked at the NVC business model?

Andrea Interviewee Edwin

Insight: Edwin enjoys providing others with the ability to experience these empathic circles. He feels concerned about the lack of commitment from participants and is looking for ways to improve workshop attendance rate and potentially providing an easy way to the general public.

Feedback:

It is more of a curiosity for ways to improve the workshops and to understand what drives others to attend these events.

Feelings

    • curiosity

    • Concern

    • Enjoyment

Needs

    • Understanding

    • connectedness

    • Acceptance

Brainstorm

How Might We.. get more practice, deep experience, enjoyable engagement and spreading of the empathy circles?

Edwin

    • create small steps of involvement - levels of involvement

      • one to one empathic listening

      • one to one focusing

      • 3 to 4 empathy circle

      • 3 to 4 empathy circle focusing

      • empathy circle plus design

      • etc.

    • divide the process into smaller steps.

    • design a empathy guide profession, so that people can have a profession around fostering empathy. for motivation to stay with it.

    • create a motivation's page. really find out what people's motivations for taking part are.

    • also a peer to peer program

    • create a online manual and training videos

    • have circles for psychologists and designers, bring them together. may be two different mindsets.

    • online changes groups and courses. internationally

    • changes groups already exist.

    • hangouts is great

    • have an inexpensive training - want people who are trained.

    • avoid this professionalizing -

    • for spreading quickly

    • paid facilitator to build a group. breck into triads.

  • clearing underlying philosophy of empathy.

Edwin

start creating the steps for a manual online.