Gray Family

Gray Family Empathy Circle Report

for Sunday, September 13th, 2015

team-6

Lewis, Chase, and Lee-Anne co-led the Empathy Circle over our Rosh Hashanah dinner with the family.

Going into it we had set the intention to reflect on our last Empathy Circle, prototype a new iteration, and tell if they would do it again.

Chase reflected that he likes Empathy Circles better when they have a topic, Lewis expressed that he liked that it was more focused and Rich noticed that better teaching of the Empathy Circle lead to improved interactions as well as better active listening and Lee-Anne saw that it worked well to reiterate the Empathy Circle with themes for how people actively listen.

We prototyped and compared our EC to the Vision board we did

This was our vision board.

It was noted that the Vision Board was more “designy” and the Empathy Circle was more “Empathic,” it’s more concrete less fun, less creative and family individual goals remain

The Vision board was limited by what magazines were available, it was more abstract, it needs more participants, however people can interpret it differently even when looking at the same part* (this is why the VB is more abstract and EC is more concrete [when comparing how information is interpreted. The direct interpretation the active listener does with the information provided by the speaker whereas the viewer interprets the information they receive when looking at a VB more freely]) it also mashes up family wishes and is more engaging fun creative.

Would we do an Empathy Circle again?

  • Lewis: yes

  • Chase: yes if updated to be more fun

  • Rich: Sure

  • Zoe: No feels put on the spot

  • Lee-Anne: yes

Then we opened the Empathy Circle and shared our goals, aspirations, and intentions for the new year.

Ema: between Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur Jews ask for forgiveness for any harm they caused their fellow Jews intentionally or unintentionally

Rich: hoping school will be easy for everyone that we will continue our financial responsibility and that we can put Zoe's accident behind us

Zoe: hopes school goes well without much complaining wants to become better friends with dog

Ema: remaining intentions / goals for the new year

Health happiness wisdom and wealth, lightheartedness playfulness and fun

Hopes we continue to cultivate empathy compassion love and connection

In the new year she hopes to fund the connect group and bring parnassa into the family for the good of all

Chase: corals and aspirations and intentions to meet people's needs and his own

To create a more consistent flow of cash to get his drivers license and car insurance to be more independent and to help the family as smoothly as possible hopes for better connections w/ friends and family

Asks forgiveness from parents and hopes botc will be cool

Zoe: wants to become a better artist than last year

Chase: wants to become a better artist like Zoe with calligraphy

Wants to be better at everything he does

To pass on more responsibility to other less experienced members in bbyo

To take on more college classes and to grow