The document outlines the agenda for a staff retreat focused on fostering compassion within the community, led by Lynn Johnson. It includes interactive presentations, theater games, discussions on challenges, and practices to cultivate gratitude, empathy, and altruism among participants. The retreat aims to enhance communication skills and develop a compassionate work environment, with follow-up resources and next steps for implementation.

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