Communication Skills

Removing Prejudices: 5 Steps to Creating Empathy Circles

By cjliu | September 7, 2020

CJ Liu interviews Dr. Arthur P Ciarmamicoli about his newest book “The Triumph of Diversity.” Over the last 30 years, Dr. Ciarmamicoli has facilitated a leadership and communication group. Throughout his years, he has seen the power of empathy.

At the start of the show, Dr. Ciarmamicoli shares his communication with a white supremacist who reached out to the black janitor at his high school; a gay man who approached him about his Neo Nazi music, and a Muslim. It’s through these honest forgiving and compassionate exchanges that he realized that it was really his lack of exposure that caused him to believe the cult-like mentality and their beliefs.

Dr. Ciarmamicoli shares another story from an Iranian man who didn’t understand prejudice until he lived in the US. CJ shares her own experience with prejudice when she was younger, and Dr. Ciarmamicoli demonstrates the power of listening with empathy. Plus, hear the nitty-gritty of how a real-life empathy circle works from Dr. Ciarmamicoli.

5 Steps For an Empathy Circle

1) Find participants: Dr. Ciarmamicoli recommends 3-5 participants.

2) Create a strong group intention: The Empathy Circle is a structured dialogue process that effectively supports meaningful and constructive dialogue. The goal is to increase mutual understanding and connection.

3) Who goes first: The first person selects who they wish to speak to. They can speak about whatever suits them for 3-5 minutes. Everyone must be fully heard to their satisfaction. The listener reflects back what they are hearing until the speaker feels understood.

4) Who goes next: The listener can then select who they wish to speak to and pick a new listener, or switch roles with the first speaker.

5) Group’s role: Anyone not speaking or listening must hold the circle process by monitoring and sticking to the steps.

You can get more detailed descriptions on speaker tips and listener tips in Chapter 13 of Dr. Arthur P Ciarmamicoli’s book “The Triumph of Diversity.”