The Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC) of San Mateo, CA, engaged Lynn Johnson and her Compassionate Conversations framework for their Full Staff Retreat on Dec 7, 2012.

1. Designed & Led by:
Lynn Johnson
lynnjohnson.org
Peninsula Conflict
Foster City Library Resolution Center
Foster City, CA
December 7, 2012 (PCRC) Full-Staff
Retreat

2. Agenda for Today
 Introductions & Setting the Stage
 Icebreaker: Gratitude Garland
 Interactive Presentation: The 7 Elements of a
Compassionate Community
 Theater Games | Active Sharing/Active
Listening | The Power of an Ally | Make a Play
 Lunch
 Working Scenarios: Discussing the Tough Stuff
 Work Time
 Closing

3. Compassionate Conversation
Requests
Be Here
Say Yes!
Assume the
Best
Seek
Opportunity in
the Discomfort

4. Gratitude Garland
 Find a strip of paper and some
crayons/markers
 Write and/or Draw 1-3 things you have
been most grateful for in your work this
year
 Share your gratitudes with the group
 String our gratitudes together to create
garland
 What does our garland represent?

5. What is a
Compassionate
Community?
An interdependent
group of people
connected by passion,
proximity, or both and “There is great strength in the
closeness of the connections we
care deeply for the well- build through interdependence, and
this is ultimately the strength of a
being of each other community. A community of
completely independent people is a
not a community at all.”
- Mary Gordon, Founder, Roots of
Empathy

6. The 7 Elements of a
Compassionate Community
Gratitude
Peaceful &
Empathy Powerful Honor Altruism
Interactions
Art Play

7. Gratitude
 Celebrating our
own gifts
 Celebrating the
gifts in each other
 The key practice
of Hope
 Example Practices:
 Gratitude Journals
The Superpower  Gratitude Garland
that can transform  “Best Things”
any situation.

8. Empathy Get quiet & present
Listen to and Share
our Stories
Identify & Accept
all Feelings
Example Practices:
 Journalism/Interviews
 Playback Theater
The ability to recognize,  Emotion Coaching
understand, and relate
to the humanity in each
other

9. Empathetic Listening
I heard you say…
Does that capture it?

10. Peaceful & Powerful Interactions
 Boundaries not Barriers
 Courage to stand up
for self and others
 Telling the Truth
 Practice & Do-Overs
 Forgiveness
 Example Practices:
 Community Conversations
 Martial Arts/Chi Gung
Finding Opportunity in the  Theater of the Oppressed
uncomfortable moments to  Kidpower
grow together  Restorative Justice

11. Dangerous Conformity
 What did you notice/what struck
you about this video?
 What do we learn about being
an ally, an advocate?
 What makes it difficult to be this
brave?
 What can we do to make it
easier?

12. Theater of the Oppressed
 Augusto Boal,
Brazil
 Games and
activities for
full civic &
community
participation
 Forms that
can be
practiced

13. Honor  Honoring
elders/history
 Choosing right
action
 Integrity
 Example Practices:
 Creating & Upholding
Agreements/Requests
 Keeping promises
 Think before you speak
To respect what is and  Showing up and
show up for it fully following through

14. This Becomes an “Honor System”
 We are all
welcome to the
same entitlements
 From Top-Down
Punishment to
Community
Owned Standards
of Being
 Making community
values explicit

15. Altruism
Generosity
Loyalty
Sacrifice
Example
Practices:
 Pay it forward
 Volunteerism/
Service Learning
Giving your time,  Donating money/
money & stuff to those “tithing”
who can use it

16. Art  Problem Solving
 Engaging,
Generating Ideas &
Putting those ideas
together
 Taking Risks
 Example Practices:
 Trying to Fail
 Making Art, Music,
Creating something new Theater, Poetry, etc.
that has value in your life,  Brainstorming
your community, &
beyond

17. Play Creative Play
Physical Activity
Games
Example
Practices:
 Play,play and
play some more.
Our right as living beings
to enjoy ourselves and
each other. The ultimate
Let’s Make a
mechanism to explore Play!
human interaction.

18. Reflection
Aftermaking/watching the
performances, what new thoughts
do you have about Compassionate
Communities?
What are your reflections about
PCRC as a Compassionate working
Community?
 Where are you strong?
 Where do you need work?

19. Rapid Writes
 The reason I came to work at PCRC in the
first place is…
 The main impact I want to make with my
work is…
 What’s getting in the way of me fully
being able to do that is…
 Right now, what I really want to share with
you all is…

20. Scenarios
 The goals of these small group discussions
are:
 To practice empathy instead of judge or
criticize
 To honor folks’ stories and experience
instead of correct or give advice
 To walk away with learnings that will benefit
the whole community

21. Top 5 Tools to Facilitate a
Compassion Conversation
1. Know, Remember & Return to the Goal of
the Conversation
2. Know, Remember & Return to the
Agreements/Requests of the Community
3. Always Model Empathetic Listening
4. Make space for and balance all of the
voices in the room
5. Help the group see & find their
connections

22. Large Group Discussion
To gather information on:
 What have we learned today that we
can use in our work with our partners in
the community?
 What we are already doing that we can
build on?
 What will we have to do differently?
 What might our next steps be?

23. Follow Up
 Full Packet/Toolkit from Today
 Facilitator’s Agenda
 Powerpoint
 Hand-Outs
 Possible Workshops
 Facilitating for Compassion
 The Power of Empathy
 Contact
 http://lynnjohnson.org
 lynn@lynnjohnson.org
 415.595.9798