Rosa Zubizarreta
Opening Minds and Hearts: OMAH, Empathy Circles and Dynamic Facilitation.
9:30 am Speaker: Rosa Zubizarreta-Ada, Ph.D. (15 min)
Bio: Rosa Zubizarreta has a background as a practitioner in organization development and expertise in empathy-based collaborative sense-making practices, Rosa's research focuses on the facilitation of democratic innovations.
Topic: Opening Minds and Hearts: OMAH, Empathy Circles and Dynamic Facilitation.
Abstract: As a practitioner, active listening / reflection are at the heart of my group facilitation and coaching work; as a researcher, I incorporate these practices into my interviews. As a concept-weaver linking the worlds of theory and practice, I value the ”micro-moments of connection” that Dr. Barbara Fredrickson writes about, and the "social engagement system” described by Dr. Stephen Porges: the state of relaxed alertness where we can more easily engage with complex thinking, and respond to difference with curiosity rather than as a threat. Last but by no means least, as an imperfect human being, I cherish how Empathy Circles develop our muscle memory for reflecting back what another person is saying; otherwise, it can be hard to remember to do so, when we start to feel triggered — which is when we need it the most!
Otter.ai 2025-04-05 - Rosa Zubizarreta
Transcript
https://otter.ai/u/bfFpR-nGkbPgoE3N4ntLtln-P8M?view=summary
Rosa Zubizarreta discussed the importance of empathy circles as a foundational practice for various collaborative and facilitation skills, such as active listening and nonviolent communication. She highlighted the role of empathy circles in fostering empathy, which she views as crucial for co-regulation and resilience in challenging times. Zubizarreta also mentioned her work in Austria, where dynamic facilitation is used in civic councils to address complex issues in a constructive manner. She emphasized the simplicity and power of empathy circles, which she introduces through "OMA evenings" to provide a taste of both empathy circles and dynamic facilitation.
Action Items
[ ] Find and post the URL for the manual on dynamic facilitation that is freely available online.
[ ] Post the website address www.diapraxis.net and a link to Rosa's dissertation on the facilitation of Civic Councils in Austria.
[ ] Provide a link to the page on Rosa's website called "Empathy Circles in Action" which includes more information about the OMA format.
[ ] Encourage people to email Rosa if they would like to explore more about any of the topics she discussed.
Outline
Introduction and Acknowledgments
Janna Weiss introduces Rosa Zubizarreta, highlighting her background in organization development and expertise in empathy-based collaborative sense-making practices.
Rosa Zubizarreta expresses gratitude to Janna, Edwin, and the team for creating the empathy circle and related initiatives.
Rosa appreciates Edwin's talk and sees it as an opportunity to clarify the value of empathy.
She mentions Elon Musk's statement about empathy as a fundamental weakness of Western society and views it as an opportunity to promote empathy.
Value of Empathy Circles
Rosa shares her initial encounter with Edwin and the concept of empathy circles, emphasizing their role as a gateway practice for other complex practices like Human Centered Design and nonviolent communication.
She discusses the importance of creating a movement of movements and the need for transformative communities.
Rosa highlights the connection between empathy circles and other advanced group facilitation practices, such as active listening.
She explains how empathy circles help practitioners develop foundational skills in active listening, which is crucial for therapists, mediators, and facilitators.
Active Listening and Empathy Circles
Rosa differentiates between knowing about active listening and having it as a deep-seated habit, emphasizing the need for continuous practice.
She describes empathy circles as a simple yet powerful learning opportunity for developing active listening skills.
Rosa shares her experience of teaching active listening in facilitation trainings and the challenges of persuading people to set aside their desire to coach.
She recounts her training as a focusing teacher, where the emphasis was on attentive and compassionate listening without immediate reflection.
Experience and Benefits of Empathy Circles
Rosa explains the structure of empathy circles, where participants take turns speaking and being reflected back by others.
She describes the simplicity and power of empathy circles, which help people feel heard and seen.
Rosa shares her method of introducing empathy circles through OMA (Opening Minds and Hearts) evenings, which combine empathy circles and dynamic facilitation.
She highlights the benefits of empathy circles in developing foundational skills for facilitators and the smooth transition to dynamic facilitation.
Dynamic Facilitation and Civic Councils
Rosa mentions the use of dynamic facilitation in Austria to facilitate civic councils, which are sortition-based democratic innovations.
She compares dynamic facilitation to the format of Braver Angels debates, noting the difference in the use of active listening.
Rosa provides resources for learning more about dynamic facilitation, including a manual, articles on her website, and a dissertation on the facilitation of civic councils.
She emphasizes the value of empathy in challenging times, highlighting its role in maintaining connections and co-regulation.
Closing Remarks
Rosa concludes by expressing gratitude to the participants for their interest in empathy and their efforts to spread it in the world.
She reiterates the importance of empathy as a lifeline during times of uncertainty and fear.
Rosa encourages the audience to stay connected and support each other through empathy.
She provides additional resources and invites further exploration of empathy circles and dynamic facilitation.