Pattie Porter is The
Texas Conflict Coach® and President of Conflict
Connections®, Inc. located in San Antonio, Texas. For close to 20
years, Pattie began a passionate journey to help people manage and resolve
conflict in their lives and work. By doing so, she has helped hundreds of
employees and work teams release their angst and move forward with more
productive relationships and constructive action steps. She provides
services and training throughout the United States.
"We help businesses, organizations and individuals reduce
the anxiety, distress and litigation caused by destructive conflict,
aggressive behavior and abrasive leadership. Our coaching and consulting
services reduce conflict and systemic team problems, enhance team
performance, boost morale, improve communication, and build leader
competency in managing conflict and constructive behavior."
Pattie did a four week series of Interviews with Edwin Rutsch about
nurturing empathy in our lives.
For many of us engaged in conflict or
embroiled in a dispute, it can be very difficult to muster up empathy and
compassion for the other side. The longer the conflict goes
unresolved it seems the less empathy we have for them as a human being. In
this first of our four episode series–Conflict and Empathy: Where Has
Empathy and Compassion Gone?– we will introduce the “wheel of empathy” and
the “feel of empathy” as defined by Edwin Rutsch, Founder of a global
empathy movement called The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy.
We will also discuss how compassion intertwines with empathy and set the
foundation for how you build empathy.
Questions
Let’s start by sharing with listeners about
how you got started in this work of building a culture of empathy and
creating the Center.
Given that this is the first episode in our series
Conflict and Empathy, let’s set the stage and define some of these
concepts.
What exactly is empathy and the intention behind it?
How is empathy different from sympathy?
How does compassion intertwine with empathy?
We said that we would introduce two concepts…the “wheel
of empathy” and the “feel of empathy.” What is important to know about
these concepts?
How do these wheels
tie into the Empathy Circles you host through Google Hangouts?
In our second episode of the series Conflict and Empathy:
Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?, Edwin Rutsch and I will discuss
how do we build empathy and compassion? Edwin will discuss a number of
strategies he has implemented at the Center for Building a Culture of
Empathy. One strategy has been the use of Empathy Circles using empathic
reflective listening with individuals and groups. He will share real life
examples and will model the skill.
In our third episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has
Empathy and Compassion Gone? Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture
of Empathy and I will discuss how do we foster empathy in a family?
Edwin will share some personal stories of how he has personally fostered
empathy in his extended family and how he used Restorative Empathy
Circles to heal family conflicts.
Sub Conference: Home & Family
Questions
We left off
in our last episode of how we go about building a culture of
empathy. The assignment you gave listeners is to look at the
blueprint on
cultureofempathy.com website. Of the many strategies listed which
ones would you like to highlight now?
Now, we will
be talking about nurturing a culture of empathy in the family.
Why is it
important to practice in the family?
You took the
opportunity to use a Restorative Empathy Circle to heal family
conflicts in your extended family.
What is a
“restorative empathy circle?”
How did this help your
family?
How does someone foster empathy in
their own family?
In our final episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where
Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?
Keiko Krahnke from the University of
Colorado will join me and Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture
of Empathy to discuss how do we foster empathy in a business, work and
beyond? We will also look at the larger social systems and see how we
can build a truly global culture of empathy. Sub
Conferences:Workplace
Last episode
we talked a great deal about building empathy by starting with the
family first. But what about the business world? I happened to
mention our series to someone in the business world and their
response was ‘does it even have a place in business?’ Let’s start
there.
Given what
feels like a lack of empathy and compassion in the workplace, how
does a leader even begin to address this in their organization?
How can
employees begin to take ownership of building empathy and
compassion in their workplace?
How do we go
“beyond” and building a global culture of empathy?
What can
global citizens do to support and do their part?
How can
each of us cultivate empathy in our daily lives?
