During the Friday Empathy Circle you will have the opportunity to speak to a specific topic or whatever is on your mind for a particular amount of time while an active listener is present with you and listens to hear and understand what you have said. As you are speaking, do so in short "chunks" - one idea at a time, giving your listener opportunity to grasp what you are saying, and reflect it back to you as clearly as possible. The speaker and active listener are but two of the four roles of the Empathy Circle. The other two roles in the circle are the silent listeners and the Facilitator.
The role of the active listener is very specific. Be as present as you can so you can be as accurate as possible as you reflect what you heard. If you do not understand something your speaker said, as them to repeat it or say it in a way you understand it. Do not ask questions about the story, such as when, where, why or how. If your speaker asks questions directly to you, reflect the questions back to the speaker. If you feel so inclined, you are free to answer those questions during your turn as speaker. However, you are always free to talk about the announced topic for the day or whatever is on your heart and mind.
The silent listener has a specific role. In your silence, remain present to the speaker and active listener. This is beneficial to the speaker especially, who is in the process of being heard and understood. I realize that at times silent listeners might not be present, but is busy doing other things while waiting for their turns to listen and then speak. Any activities or movement you make while on camera could be distracting to the speaker or listener. If your mike is open, any sounds you make would also distract the speaker and listener. A few other things have thrown speakers and active listeners off their game. For instance, some silent listeners, hearing their own names called have been tempted to say something out loud. Some write in the chat to support the speaker, or shoot off emojies. While we do not usually stop the circle to ask for cooperation, the facilitator may mute your mike of ask you to turn off your camera. Now, when it is your turn to speak, you are free to talk about anything you heard previously in the circle.
The facilitator role is to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible and to establish a safe environment for everyone participating on the call. This includes making sure each person has equal speaking turns. The facilitator is the timekeeper, but does at times ask someone who is skilled at timekeeping to serve that function.
The ideal circle size is six (6) individuals. Because most people arrive in the main zoom room within the first five minutes, we wait to assign rooms for each facilitator, according to the number of persons attending and available facilitators. You may find yourself in a circle size of three, four, five or six and maintain the time chosen for speakers. For example, speaking time in a group of three or four could be five minutes. In groups of four or five, the speaking time may be four minutes. The six-member group speaking time is generally three minutes.