The Superhero’s Guide to

Compassion

What is compassion?

• Inquiry

1. Awareness

2. Empathy

3. Action

A Supporting Cast

Compassion Fatigue

Indifference to charitable appeals

on behalf of suffering people,

experienced as a result

of the frequency or number

of such appeals.

Oxford English Dictionary

Compassion Fatigue

“When your moral compass

changes from altruism and a

sense of hope, to one of

blame and lack of

compassion.” (Teater and Ludgate, 2014)

Compassion Fatigue

Caregiver stress

Compassion Stress

Caregiver Fatigue

Bystander Effect

Secondary Traumatization

Vicarious Traumatization

Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue

•Psychological

•Physical

•Behavioral (Teater and Ludgate, 2014)

Compassion Fatigue VS Burnout

Awareness

• An openness to the present moment, without judgement

• Mindfulness, State of Being

• Identify the circumstance

• Can be cultivated through meditation

• Observing your thoughts

Inquiry

• In a non-judgmental state of awareness, learn from others

• Ask gentle, humble questions about others’ experiences

• The point is to gain understanding, not to judge

• Assess our own interpretation. Is it true?

Interpretations that close down compassion

• Thinking of someone as blameworthy

• They’re responsible for their own problems, they’ll have to

figure it out and deal with the consequences

• Thinking of someone as lazy

• They don’t deserve my concern

• Thinking you don’t have the resources or capacity to help

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Dysfunctional Beliefs

• My coworkers should always respect and like me.

• People I am trying to help should not be difficult and resistant.

• Employees ought to be motivated to change.

• People should reward me for my efforts.

• People who receive my help should not criticize me.

• Other people should see things my way. (Teater and Ludgate, 2014)

Confirmation Bias

We search out things that confirm

what we already believe.

The only thing that changes a belief is the decision

to change that belief.

Interpretations That Invite Compassion

• Their circumstances make change difficult.

• I wonder what additional obstacles they may be facing.

• Other factors that I’m not aware of may have contributed to the

outcome.

• Everyone wants to feel safe and secure.

• I can positively impact someone’s day.

Generous Interpretations

• Positive Default Assumptions

• People who are suffering are good, capable, and worthy of

compassion.

• Withhold blame

• Imbue Worth

• Cultivate Presence

• Giving full attention, genuine curiosity, holding space

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Empathy

• Notice the feelings

• What do emotions feel like in our body?

• Invite the feelings and emotions

• Accept feelings without judgment

• Remember our common human experience

• With gentle body posture and tone of voice,

ask what you can do to alleviate the issue (Teater and Ludgate, 2014)

Empathy Fatigue

Trapped in a cycle of our thoughts about a circumstance

and the feelings those thoughts create within our body.

Compassion is the way out.

(Jinpa, 2015)

COMPASSION

• Take action!

• What will you do

to alleviate the suffering?

• Platinum Rule over Golden Rule

• At the very least,

don’t add to another’s suffering.

Your Blueprint for

Compassion at Work

• Find ways to be reminded that there’s always pain in the room (Awareness)

• Learn more about common forms of suffering that occur in this group and

industry (Inquiry)

• Create reminders that people are good, capable, and worthy of compassion

• Acknowledge people in ways that allow a simple state of presence to become an

act of compassion (Empathy)

• Have simple resources ready (Action) (Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Bring It Home

• What challenges are the people you serve experiencing?

• What kinds of negative interpretations have you heard about

people in those circumstances?

• What generous assumptions can be made about the people you

serve?

• Which set of assumptions leave us ready to learn more?

Compassion Competence in an Organization

The extent to which an organization successfully and

efficiently directs resources to address sources of suffering,

and alleviates suffering throughout.

Strategic Advantages of Compassion

Innovation

Service Quality

Collaboration

Retaining Talented People

Employee (Volunteer) & Client Engagement

Adaptability to Change (Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Four Dimensions of Compassion Competence

Speed & Time

Scope

Magnitude

Customization (Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Building Blocks of Compassion Competence

Social Networks

Organizational Culture

Roles

Routines

Leaders (Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Social Networks

• Create networks where people can be more fully and authentically known

• Offer multiple points of view to combat biases and limiting beliefs

• Draw people into compassionate action

• Match those who are suffering with a buddy who can monitor the their well-being and

adjust action mindfully

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Organizational Culture

• Associate changes made to increase efficiency with the value of shared humanity

• Show the cost of actions that undermine a culture of shared humanity

• Articulate the cultural assumption of shared humanity in a way that makes sense in your

organization

• Set community goals that highlight interdependence

• Ask people to share their experiences of compassion at work

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Roles

• Address compassion during recruitment and orientation with ongoing training

throughout employment or volunteer service.

• Identify blocks to compassion that might exist in current roles

• Design roles in ways that elevate people’s sense of responsibility for others’ well-being

• Create roles that address persistent sources of suffering

• Include compassion in job descriptions and personal goals

• Support and praise those who have a role in compassionate action

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Routines

• Create routines to address persistent sources of suffering at work

• Institute routines for discussing errors, failures, mistakes, and near misses in ways that

emphasize learning and reduce blame

• Develop measures and data tracking that show the costs of suffering and the value of

human dignity

• Adopt routines for gathering people across multiple roles to gather varying perspectives

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Leadership

• Coach leaders to model compassion and related values in action.

• Share stories of times when a lack of generous interpretations of errors caused

suffering

• Share stories of improvised compassionate action as a way to inspire future

participation

• Expand people’s view of what’s possible

• Allocate organizational resources appropriately

(Worline and Dutton, 2017)

Self-Check

• How would I rate my organization’s current capacity for

compassion?

• What role do I play in that assessment?

• To what extent do I model compassion at work?

• To what extend do I advocate for compassion competence at

work?

Your Organization’s Blueprint

for Compassion Competence

• Include the experts, or people with knowledge about needs and resources in

organizational assessments

• Identify what slows down the response to suffering

• Assess the range of resources that would be helpful when someone is suffering

• Increase the breadth and magnitude of resources generated in response to suffering

• Create and sustain a culture of shared humanity

• Have some fun with a compassion relay (Worline and Dutton, 2017)

What new practice will I incorporate to

expand the compassion competence of my

organization?

Bring It Home

Sources

• Jinpa, Thupten. Fearless Heart. Piatkus Books, 2017.

• “Recognizing Compassion Fatigue.” Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project,

www.compassionfatigue.org/pages/symptoms.html.

• Teater, Martha, and John W. Ludgate. Overcoming Compassion Fatigue: a Practical

Resilience Workbook. Pesi Publishing & Media, 2014.

• Worline, Monica C., and Jane E. Dutton. Awakening Compassion at Work: the

Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations. BK Berrett-Koehler

Publishers, Inc a BK Business Book, 2017.