1.
CULTIVATING
COMPASSIONATE
TECH
COMMUNITIES
COMPASSIONATE CODING @APRILWENSEL

2.
@APRILWENSEL

3.
TECH CULTURE
IS
@APRILWENSEL

4.
“[TECH WORKERS] ARE NOT THE
HAPPIEST BUNCH. THEY’RE ALL
OVERWORKED AND UNDER PRESSURE.”
–Christina Grant, Ph.D., Vegan Gourmet Dinner
Meetup, Palo Alto, August 29, 2016 @APRILWENSEL

5.
STRESS &
ANXIETY
@APRILWENSEL

6.
@APRILWENSEL
https://medium.com/compassionate-coding/only-you-can-prevent-tech-
burnout-be3f0504c627

7.
h"ps://www.wired.com/video/2017/06/techies-are-using-ketamine-
to-fight-their-depression/ @APRILWENSEL

8.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/technology/uber-workplace-
culture.html @APRILWENSEL

9.
“WORKPLACE CULTURE DRIVES
TURNOVER, SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTING
THE RETENTION OF UNDERREPRESENTED
GROUPS, AND COSTING THE INDUSTRY
MORE THAN $16 BILLION EACH YEAR.”
@APRILWENSELhttps://www.kaporcenter.org/tech-leavers/

10.
TECH CULTURE
IS
@APRILWENSEL

11.
@APRILWENSEL
LET’S FIX IT!

12.
WHERE DOES
CULTURE COME
FROM?
@APRILWENSEL

13.
CULTURE
@APRILWENSEL
COMMUNITY

14.
CULTURE
@APRILWENSEL
COMMUNITY

15.
CULTURE
@APRILWENSEL
COMMUNITY

16.
@APRILWENSEL
“TECH” COMMUNITY

17.
• COMPANIES
• TEAMS
• OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS
• MEETUPS
• CONFERENCES
• REDDIT (/SUBREDDITS)
• COLLEGE CLASSES
•
@APRILWENSEL
• STACK OVERFLOW
• HACKER NEWS
• FACEBOOK GROUPS
• TWITTER
• SLACK GROUPS
• MAILING LISTS
• CODING SCHOOLS
…
“TECH” COMMUNITY

18.
‣ EGO
‣ ELITISM
‣ COMPETITION (HACKERRANK)
‣ BEING “SMART”
‣ BEING A “ROCKSTAR”
@APRILWENSEL

19.
EXAMPLE:
STACK OVERFLOW
@APRILWENSEL

20.
“I’VE REALLY BEEN STRUGGLING…THIS WEEK. I’VE BEEN IN
TEARS FOR MOST OF IT, AND NOW I JUST GOT A SNARKY
RESPONSE ON STACKOVERFLOW TELLING ME HOW EASY THE
SOLUTION IS AND THAT I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DEBUG MY
OWN CODE. I’M READY TO THROW THE TOWEL IN.”
Post in a Facebook group for women in tech
@APRILWENSEL

21.
@APRILWENSEL

22.
“…DEMANDING ENRON EMPLOYEES PROVE THAT THEY WERE
SMARTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE INADVERTENTLY CONTRIBUTED TO A
NARCISSISTIC CULTURE…EMPLOYEES …WERE BOTH INCREDIBLY
SMUG AND DRIVEN BY DEEP INSECURITY TO KEEP SHOWING OFF. IT
WAS A CULTURE THAT ENCOURAGED SHORT-TERM PERFORMANCE
BUT DISCOURAGED LONG-TERM LEARNING AND GROWTH.”
Angela Duckworth
Grit
@APRILWENSEL

23.
“CONTEMPT CULTURE”
https://blog.aurynn.com/2015/12/16-contempt-culture
@APRILWENSEL
—AURYNN SHAW

24.
@APRILWENSELhttps://medium.com/compassionate-coding/confessions-of-a-recovering-jerk-programmer-b9d531a05ea9

25.
“…IN A THREATENING ENVIRONMENT,
THE HUMAN BRAIN BECOMES
PERMANENTLY ORGANIZED FOR
AGGRESSION.”
Karen Armstrong
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
@APRILWENSEL

26.
@APRILWENSEL

27.
HOW DO WE IMPROVE
OUR TECH
COMMUNITIES?
@APRILWENSEL

28.
COMPASSION
@APRILWENSEL

29.
IS NOT BEING FAKE
NICE
@APRILWENSEL
COMPASSION

30.
IS NOT BEING “POLITE”
@APRILWENSEL
COMPASSION

31.
IS NOT PITY
@APRILWENSEL
COMPASSION

32.
COMPASSION:
“THE FEELING THAT ARISES WHEN YOU
ARE CONFRONTED WITH ANOTHER’S
SUFFERING AND FEEL MOTIVATED TO
RELIEVE THAT SUFFERING”
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/compassion/definition
@APRILWENSEL

33.
@APRILWENSEL
VEGANISM IS
ABOUT HAVING
COMPASSION
FOR ALL LIVING
BEINGS
1630 POWELL STREET

34.
COMPASSIONATE
CODING
@APRILWENSEL

35.
COMPASSIONATE CODING:
A NEW APPROACH TO SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT THAT SEEKS TO
MINIMIZE SUFFERING FOR
EVERYONE INVOLVED
@APRILWENSEL

36.
@APRILWENSEL
PHOTO: #WOCINTECHCHAT

37.
"PEOPLE IN POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTS
OUTPERFORM THOSE WHO WORK IN NEGATIVE
CLIMATES BY 10-30%. IN A POSITIVE WORK
ENVIRONMENT, PEOPLE ARE MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT
THEIR WORK. THEY ENJOY WORKING WITH ONE
ANOTHER."
Shawn Murphy
The Optimistic Workplace
@APRILWENSEL

38.
WHAT IS A
COMPASSIONATE
TECH COMMUNITY?
@APRILWENSEL

39.
“IN A COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY, THE NEEDS
OF ALL THE [MEMBERS] OF THAT COMMUNITY
ARE RECOGNIZED AND MET, THE WELL-BEING
OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS A PRIORITY, AND
ALL PEOPLE AND LIVING THINGS ARE TREATED
WITH RESPECT.”
https://charterforcompassion.org/communities @APRILWENSEL

40.
A COMPASSIONATE TECH COMMUNITY
‣ HELPS US LEARN AND GROW
‣ OFFERS SUPPORT AND
ENCOURAGEMENT
‣ PROVIDES A SENSE OF
BELONGING
@APRILWENSEL

41.
‣ EGO
‣ ELITISM
‣ COMPETITION
‣ BEING “SMART”
‣ BEING A “ROCKSTAR”
@APRILWENSEL

42.
‣ EGO HUMILITY
‣ ELITISM INCLUSION
‣ COMPETITION COOPERATION
‣ BEING “SMART” BEING KIND
‣ BEING A “ROCKSTAR” BEING A MENTOR
@APRILWENSEL

43.
YOU ARE PART OF
MANY
COMMUNITIES
@APRILWENSEL

44.
YOU CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
@APRILWENSEL

45.
3 STEPS TO
CULTIVATING A
COMPASSIONATE
COMMUNITY
@APRILWENSEL

46.
http://www.businessinsider.com/programmers-debate-
requirements-to-behave-respectfully-ccoc-2018-5 @APRILWENSEL

47.
"I BELIEVE IT IS IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST THAT
PEOPLE CHANGE, NOT IN ORDER TO AVOID
PUNISHMENT, BUT BECAUSE THEY SEE THE
CHANGE AS BENEFITING THEMSELVES."
Marshall Rosenberg
Nonviolent Communication
@APRILWENSEL

48.
‣ JOY
‣ RESILIENCE
‣ PEACE OF MIND
‣ JOB SATISFACTION
‣ LOWER CHANCE OF BURNOUT
@APRILWENSELhttps://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/compassion/definition#why-practice
BENEFITS OF COMPASSION

49.
OBSERVE
1
@APRILWENSEL

50.
@APRILWENSEL

51.
REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE
DEALING WITH HUMAN
BEINGS, NOT MACHINES
@APRILWENSEL

52.
‣ WHAT IS VALUED IN THIS COMMUNITY?
‣ WHAT BEHAVIORS ARE REWARDED?
‣ WHO IS IN THIS COMMUNITY?
‣ ARE THERE GROUPS OF PEOPLE MISSING
FROM THIS COMMUNITY?
‣ HOW ARE NEWCOMERS TREATED?
‣ HOW IS POWER DISTRIBUTED IN THIS
COMMUNITY?
@APRILWENSEL

53.
WHO IS
SUFFERING?
@APRILWENSEL

54.
HOW DO WE
REDUCE
SUFFERING?
@APRILWENSEL

55.
ACT
2
@APRILWENSEL

56.
GROWTH MINDSET
@APRILWENSEL

57.
MODEL COMPASSION
@APRILWENSEL

58.
EXAMPLE:
ANSWERING
QUESTIONS KINDLY
ON STACK OVERFLOW
@APRILWENSEL

59.
AVOID
“YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG.”
“WHY DON’T YOU JUST…”
“THAT’S A TERRIBLE IDEA…”
RTFM
@APRILWENSEL

60.
ASSUME POSITIVE
INTENT
@APRILWENSEL

61.
PRACTICE NONVIOLENT
COMMUNICATION
@APRILWENSEL

62.
NO BLAME
NO SHAME
@APRILWENSEL

63.
AMPLIFY VOICES
@APRILWENSEL

64.
REACH OUT TO
SOMEONE WHO’S
STRUGGLING
@APRILWENSEL

65.
ENCOURAGE COMPASSION
@APRILWENSEL

66.
EXAMPLE:
SHARE YOUR
CONCERNS WHEN YOU
SEE HOSTILE BEHAVIOR
@APRILWENSEL

67.
ASK COMMUNITY
TO CLARIFY
VALUES
@APRILWENSEL

68.
IMPROVE
ONBOARDING OF
NEWCOMERS
@APRILWENSEL

69.
REFLECT
3
@APRILWENSEL

70.
RETROSPECTIVE
@APRILWENSEL

71.
PRACTICE
SELF-COMPASSION
@APRILWENSEL

72.
"...SOMETIMES YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT...YOU
HAVE BEHAVED UNKINDLY AND INCONSIDERATELY.
AT THIS POINT...HAVE COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF,
SMILE WRYLY AT YOUR OMISSION, AND RESOLVE TO
DO BETTER TOMORROW."
Karen Armstrong
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
@APRILWENSEL

73.
AVOID COMPASSION
FATIGUE
@APRILWENSEL

74.
ARE YOU SURE YOU
STILL WANT TO BE
PART OF THIS
COMMUNITY?
@APRILWENSEL

75.
1. OBSERVE
2. ACT
3. REFLECT
@APRILWENSEL

76.
@APRILWENSEL

77.
@APRILWENSEL
“TECH” COMMUNITY

78.
@APRILWENSEL
“TECH” COMMUNITY
GLOBAL COMMUNITY

79.
@APRILWENSEL
http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg

80.
@APRILWENSEL
http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg
“WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK OF ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘SOCIAL,’ OR
‘INTERNATIONAL’ PROBLEMS, THEY OFTEN DO NOT REALIZE
THAT THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THE
ACCUMULATED THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS OF MILLIONS OF
INDIVIDUALS. AND THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE WORLD
CONDITIONS IS TO CHANGE OURSELVES.”
—MEDITATION GARDENS BOOKLET

81.
@APRILWENSEL
http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg
A COMMUNITY IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE ACCUMULATED
THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS. AND THE ONLY WAY
TO CHANGE OUR COMMUNITIES IS TO CHANGE OURSELVES.
—INSPIRED BY MEDITATION GARDENS BOOKLET

82.
@APRILWENSEL

83.
BURNOUT PREVENTION COURSE COMING SOON! NEWSLETTER
COMPASSIONATECODING.COM
@COMPASSIONCODE
@APRILWENSEL
APRIL@COMPASSIONATECODING.COM
THANK YOU!