Kristin
What are the needs for empathy at the HUB?
Interview: Kristin Hull
Empathy helps me relate to people,
I learn a lot.
I relate to them better.
Oakland HUB is known as “most loving”
so something is going right
Approach to building empathy at HUB:
give presentation to staff and
other founders of HUB.
About Yourself
Proud of Oakland HUB as being known as the most loving HUB
“I feel heard”
Empathy and Oakland HUB
Empathy in terms of stepping in other’s shoes is something the HUB can work on
Empathy in terms of being interested in each other’s work is something they already have
HUB members do not have formal training in empathy - how to be open-hearted with each other
However, Oakland HUB is known as “most loving” so something is going right
Invited Bay NVC to move their office to the HUB, but might not have the space necessary to support them fully (?)
Primary goal of the HUB is to get each other to start talking to each other. Conversations between people working in completely different spaces can lead to something amazing. Empathy seems important for that.
HUB makes deliberate efforts to cultivate conversations - HUB staff tries to connect people together.
“People don’t get chances to talk about their background as much”
Currently connections happen mostly informally
Oakland HUB is blessed by having a very unified vision.
Baby steps toward empathy at the HUB: listen first and talk later seems like a baby step but it is a significant step toward empathy. It’s a big little baby step.
Approach to building empathy at HUB: give presentation to staff and other founders of HUB. Also doing something on the stage, maybe during lunch time. Needs to be specifically targeted toward the work that is happening in the space. (e.g. “empathy and growing your business”, “empathy and how it helps with team work”).
Most HUB members are very busy so it needs to directly relate back to their work.
People feel cared for in the space, so people want to contribute. There is a sense of ownership at the HUB.
Blocks to empathy: entrepreneurs works heavily in teams, and the team work is intense and tight and that can be tough. Health issues can come up where some people have to sleep, rest.
Kristin and Empathy
Empathy is important because “it really makes for a human experience” and it “makes life richer when we’re able to step into each other’s shoes and share everyone’s experience”
Empathy gives a sense of compassion, being with others, and knowledge - knowledge about what other people are experiencing helps navigate through the day
Ability to connect with people where they’re at - helps understand where they’re are, and as a result contribute at a higher level.
“Contributing at a higher level makes me feel good”
“I become alive” “It feels full”
“I feel a sense of agency and effectiveness” - Empathy leads to a cycle of effectiveness
Trust helps move things faster, and empathy is a tool to build trust
Trust is important because “you can lean into relationships. Knowing that people has your back”
“Empathy helps me relate to people, I learn a lot. I relate to them better.”
Peak empathic experience: conversation with her teenage son about what happens after high school. Ability to step into his shoes really helped her understand her son’s perspective when he said he is going to move at his own pace, and that pace didn’t match her expectations.
Empathy and practicality: “I like to break things down. What is teachable about empathy?”
“I’m a doer. I was born that way.” e.g. created new clothes for Barbie out of scraps she could find when she was 4.
Action is important.
How empathy is connected to action: empathy has a large role. Action isn’t what is always needed. Action is important to her, but empathy allows her to recognize when it isn’t what others want to do.
Other
MOSAIC project has a empathy song, to teach youth about what empathy is. To define something that isn’t a tangible thing, like a table or a chair is hard. There should be one for adults.
Audio Recording
Kristin: we all have a sense of ownership here, so you wouldn't’ be doing something disruptive.
Edwin: I’m seeing interviewing as a way to raise the level of empathy. Do you feel empathized with in this interview?
Kristin: I feel interested in what you all are doing. And it definitely has me thinking about “wow what are our practices and where am I noticing. I come in with an empathy interview in the afternoon and I come in and I’m noticing those things come up for me. and thrilled that you are in this space and what can we do with that?
Edwin: When I interview people I want to be sure I’m hearing them.
Kristin: I’m feeling very heard. sure.
Edwin: Is there anything I could do to make you feel heard even more?
Kristin: no
Edwin: What questions would you ask?
Kristin: I’ll be around whenever you want. can follow up with anything.
Edwin: We want to do a project around how to raise the level of empathy at the HUB. So that we can contribute that.
Kristin: I like it. That would be so great. I think the more each of us can do that on an individual basis or an organizational basis, we are healing the planet. And able to move forward, in a more connected way.
Edwin: about empathy and HCD.
Kristin: that’s exciting.
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Post Kristin Hull interview discussion with Edwin, Jane, Jeff, Ilene
Jane. I really appreciate these presentations of the HUB founders and staff. empathy and growing your business, empathy and growing your team.
Ilene: To make it applicable.
Jane. That felt elusive to me. It’s such a gift.
Edwin: I tend to be ethereal. bring the practical in.
Jeff: she made the connection of empathy and effectiveness, which I haven’t heard before. I felt like after she said that it’s so true. It’s a great point because it creates a deep relationships and that’s why everything is build on empathy.
Jane.That was a big aha
Ilene: you're getting down to the needs. and then you are choosing a strategy that really addresses those needs off the bat instead of some concept.
Edwin to Kristin: We were just celebrating your insights. I learned a lot about the practically and the specifics that you were talking about. It was resonating with everyone.
Kristin: and having that be a named value. Is prety good. We’re doing a founders retreat in July, where we do a lot of strategy, so I’m thinking it would be great to have that come up what are our living values and how do we live into them.
Ilene: Have you noticed any blocks to empathy here at the HUB? In people who can use the space or in the founders group or anything that that you could name?
Kristin: One thing that comes up is that entrepreneurs work really hard and the dynamics of the teams is so hard and sometimes a health issue will come up for some member of the team and they will need more sleep and there’s deadlines and that tight intense work of teamwork as you're building a business or a nonprofit, can be tough. So I think those kinds of things, I haven’t seen anything specifically.
We’ve had this art exhibit that is promoting a lot. Talking with women with cancer. That has produced the conversations and all the events that have come from that. The gallery talks have promoted a high level of empathy.
It came up thinking of blocks simply because “I dont’ want to go to an event”. That might be to much for me. That might be a block. [ie a cancer exhibit] Too much to take in. We have to go talk with women who have cancer.
So maybe a personal block? I don’t know.
Now I going to pay attention more. And see what I notice.
[doing interviews raises people's awareness of empathy as this statement shows]
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