Empathy Circle Teams Forming
Purpose
The world is full of problems ranging from deep social divisions and conflict to personal issues such as stress, fear, anxiety, alienation, depression, suffering, addictions, etc. Our vision is to build a more empathic world which we feel will help address these painful feelings and foster deeper connection, caring, creativity, innovation, community, etc. We want to raise up empathy as a primary social value.
The overall idea is to design an easy to use empathy circle process that is easily reproducible. A process that anyone anywhere in the world can use in a group of equals to learn, practice and deepen a relational empathic way of being. This is something similar in the way 12 step programs have started all around the world. We want to design, develop, test and promote easy to use experiential training material that is freely available to anyone over the internet.
How might we develop and promote the Empathy Circle model going forward?
We want to create core and committed teams of 4 to 6 people that will meet, use and develop empathic listening as a foundational practice. We want to use and develop the empathy circle model On this basic practice, we will develop a wide variety of ways to grow and deepen empathy. I am excited about the direction we came up with and am looking forward to our next meeting and working on practicing and developing the empathic listening and circle experience.
How often to meet?
How often should the empathy circle team meet?
I think to keep the momentum going it could be every week for at least 2 hours.
Agreements/Commitments
5 to 6 participant
Meet every week
6 week commitment
Meet for 2 hours
2+ hours for outside involvement
Commit to doing outside empathy projects. For example, empathic listening circle with family, friends, or co-workers, etc.
Who would like to
What we would do
Meet using and practicing empathic listening
Continuously design the Empathy Circle to better address people's needs
Participate in building training documentation, video, etc. from our experience.
We need better training material to guide people into and through the empathy circle experience.
Be Outward Looking, committed to going back to their communities and starting an empathic listening groups or projects. This can be doing empathic listening with our families, partners, friends, and community.
Goal: Create introductory training material
What are the sorts of training material we can develop?
A video introduction to forming Empathy Circles
Testimonials for the benefits of struggles with Empathy Circles
Problems and solutions related to the circle
Develop empathy lessons - The empathic listening process is the core for developing a empathy Training Curriculum
etc
Set Time Commitment Level
Outward Looking
The intention is that team members take the empathic listening practice into their community.
Be committed to spreading the model in an outward looking way.
Take the empathic listening practice out into your relationships and community. For example
Use empathy circle with your partner and immediate family
Try holding an empathy circle with friends.
Document and Report back to the Team your experiences. Discuss what were the successes, struggles, and how can the process be improved?
Have some projects you
People who are committed to going back to their communities and starting an empathic listening group with the larger goal of building cadres of empathy facilitators who can go out into the community and prevent and resolve conflict.
Empathic Listening is the core practice.
Who is commitment? 4 to 5 people
Notes
At the core we are developing a practice empathic listening
This will be a valuable empathy building practice and tool that anyone can take with them immediately and use.
The EL is the purpose and seen and we are playing the seen.
Once we have a solid foundation with empathic listening, than other methodologies can be added to the circle.
Rule/Agreement - always stay in the empathic listening structure. Even if questions come up. What is the reason for this?
Guidelines Starting Off - Preparation
Mute your microphone if not talking.
There can be background noise so be sure to mute your mic when not being the speaker or active listener.
Roles
Time Keeper
Next Steps
Who would like to join and empathy team?
Determine meeting times and date works.
Testimonials
“That empathy circle meeting was really good for me. You are CHAMPS. I shared about some things and felt heard - and that was awesome.” Nate
What to Call it
Empathy Team
Empathy Circle
Empathy Practice Group
FAQ
How to pose questions in the Empathy Circle?
You may have questions that you want to ask and want an immediate answer to. However, if you ask a question, the listener will stay in the empathic listening process and reflect what your question is and not answer it until you are done and say that you have been fully heard. The listener can then, if they want, select the questioner and respond. The main point is to stay in the empathic listening process.
How might we deepen the relational empathic feeling in the Empathy Circle?