Page 77 - The Design Thinking Playbook

What types of empathy are there?

Empathy is important. Like everything else in life, we can break down this basic human trait into various
stages. The terms “emotional intelligence” and “emotional empathy” are often used in this context. This
intelligence of emotions is becoming more and more important, whether in product design, employee man-
agement, or in human relationships. It is the ability to perceive other people’s emotional sensitivities and
respond to them adequately. While cognitive empathy merely allows us to recognize, in a first step, what
another person feels, emotional empathy allows us to feel what the other person is feeling. The strongest
form is when we suffer with the other person mentally and physically.

How can we train empathy and mindfulness in everyday life with the help of a talking stick?

The talking stick, adopted from Northwest American indigenous cultures, is a tool for empathy and
attention. In a meeting, the talking stick is given to one person. This person explains his standpoint and
keeps the talking stick until he feels the other participants in the meeting have understood him. The other
participants listen or ask comprehension questions; otherwise they remain silent.

What is the benefit of the talking stick?

The talking stick promotes empathy because the other people in the room listen until they put themselves
in the position of the speaker and are able to give the individual speakers the feeling that they have been
understood. In everyday working life, this can yield vital benefits:

• Members improve their ability to listen.
• Being understood boosts the willingness to compromise.
• Members’ ability to change perspective is nurtured and promoted.
• Everybody gets a chance to speak and is allowed to finish what he has to say.
• Only one person speaks at a time, which has a positive impact on acoustic comprehension.

Initially, this technique will demand more time in a meeting. As soon as the talking stick has been estab-
lished, you will feel an increase in empathy.
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