Listening and responding with empathy are core to creating the quality of connection that inspires trust, mutual support, and collaboration. Whether we are building team cohesion, working with individual staff, or interacting with the public, the ways we listen and respond are the foundation of how the relationships will function and the effectiveness of our leadership.

We often think we are being empathic, and yet, we are missing the heart of the matter and shutting down the potential for deeper understanding and greater resourcefulness. In this interactive session we will:

• Explore the obstacles to empathy
• Discover how to connect with the heart of the matter with laser clarity that deepens understanding
• Learn and practice key components and skills of empathy based in Nonviolent Communication/Compassionate Communication

This model of empathy supports leaders in:

• Understanding and meeting needs of staff and community more accurately and easily
• Preventing and managing conflict
• Supporting people who are stressed
• Decreasing misunderstandings
• Increasing efficiency
• Improving the quality of relationships at work, home and in community