Three Step Empathy - Listen, Reflect, Respond.

Three Step Empathy - Listen, Reflect, Respond is process for developing empathy by artist/facilitator Carl Scrase. Empathy comes with practice. It is a creative skill many techniques have been developed over the years to help people build their ability to empathise with others. I am actively trying to learn these skills through my participation in the: arts, facilitation and co-operative movement. This is my attempt to develop a very simple process to practice active empathy I call it Three Step Empathy. I would like to invite you to walk through these three steps and create a deep reciprocal relationship with another human being. Find someone to talk with be fearless. Get an agreement to practice this empathy process while trying to stay calm, wise and centred. Find somewhere comfortable where you can face each other with open body language. Find a subject you may have a differing perspective on you dont need to have vastly different perspectives, it is unlikely that you will ever find someone that is in total 100% agreement with your perspective on anything. They can be big cultural subjects like Is capitalism de-humanising? or they can be very specific lived knowledge such as I experienced empathy one time by.. and learned. Agree to take it in turns to go through the following three steps. One person will listen, reflect then respond. Then the other person will take their turn to listen reflect and respond. Step 1) Listen Deeply - Be fully present, notice what is happening as the other speaks: body language, quiver in the voice, glint in the eye. Dont judge what the other person is saying just take it in. Dont say anything extensive but you can give supportive utterances such as go on, yes, I am hearing you and aha. Step 2) Reflect Back In your own words reflect what the other person said. Be yourself and communicate how you heard what they said. Start with sentences like I heard you say., I saw how much it meant to you by the way your eyes lit up when you said. , I remember that you said.. Step 3) Respond Wisely Communicate your perspective in a hearable way. Speak from the heart. Talk about your point of view and the reasons behind them. Talk about what the effects on you might be. Talk about the needs you have. Start with sentences like I really appreciate you communicating your perspective, my perspective is.., The reasons behind my point of view are... Thanks for taking the time to go through the Three Step Empathy process. I would appreciate your feedback. What did you like about the process? What gifts of improvement do you have for me? Please contact me though Twitter or Facebook by tagging #StartEmpathy. Yours empathically, Carl Scrase. #StartEmpathy

Three Step Empathy - Listen, Reflect, Respond. Bio: Carl Scrase is an award winning Artist, Director of the Commonground Social Change Music Festival and Facilitator at Real Democracy Australia. He studied Fine Art at Monash University, graduating in 2008. Carl received early recognition for his meticulously patterned found-object sculptures. He had his first commercial solo art show in 2009 at John Buckley Gallery. He took part in the inaugural Splendid Arts Lab in late 2009 and was commissioned to make an iconic 14-meter high inflatable Sculpture for the 2010 Splendour in the Grass Music Festival, the sculpture has since toured to Lismore, Perth and Melbourne. Carls creative practice became notably more cross-disciplinary in 2010, with large scale works for Next Wave Festival and Art Month Sydney. In 2011/2012 Carl was awarded a Freedman Foundation Schoolarship to undertake a residency at the world-renowned SymbioticA art/science laboratory where he was researching the feasibility of creating a biological empathy virus. Carls Personal Principles: Be Healthy in mind and body. Personal self care will allow you to work toward your life purpose and be able to keep clearly to your other principles. Be Constantly Curious. Ask lots of questions and listen closely to the responses both to others and yourself. Play with things, concepts and people. Listen deeply and open up. Listen to your elders, friends, colleagues, neighbours and the environment around you. Stay away from the mainstream media. Take long walks and sit under trees. Be Generous. Give without wanting anything in return. A life lived in service is very rewarding. Be frugal. Greed is a disease that eats away at humanity like cancer. Take what you need and no more. Be holistic. Leave the environments you depend on in a better state then when you found them. Be it a kitchen or a biosphere. Be fearless. Challenge people and systems that are harming you and others. Don't be silent in the face of oppression and inequality. Foster trust. Treat others as you think they would like to be treated. Never engage in harmful gossip. Live Equality. Keep a check on privilege. You are a white male from a middle class background. Make sure you are letting people have a fair go. --Download the poster and instructions here: http://www.scribd.com/collections/4335125/StartEmpathy-by-Carl-Scrase --Interesting Links on Empathy: http://startempathy.org/ http://realizingempathy.com/ http://standinmyshoes.com/ #StartEmpathy