Lou Agosta in conversation with Rob Volpe, CEO and Chief Catalyst, Ignite 360, about Rob's book on empathy: Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time - in this conversation Rob shares what he had to survive and what he learned in the college of hard knocks when the intolerant kids in 5th grade decided to make Rob's sexual orientation a matter of bullying; how he survived these challenges; and brought what he learned to become an empathic story teller, calling forth insights about business, consumer products and services and, most importantly, human nature, the empathic ties that bind us together as fellow travelers in business and life. This is more - much more - than a business book, though its relevant to empathy in the context of business is powerful  - as I like to say "empathy: capitalist tool"! Not to be missed!

It a useful and powerful oversimplification that in transference people relate inauthentically whereas in empathy people relate authentically. (Here “authentically” means “without distortion (in so far as that is humanly possible),” “in integrity,” not in a moralizing sense, but in the sense of “with workability in the matter of not fooling oneself.”)

The point is to radicalize the relationship between transference and empathy even to the point of emphasizing divergences and tensions in order subsequently to identify methods of reconciliation and harmonization. That is going to be tough to do because there is a transference dimension (and so also a potential countertransference aspect) to most empathy breakdowns, misfirings or failures.

See Blog Post Version [not a transcript!]  https://louagosta.com/2022/06/12/where-transference-was-empathy-shall-be/

A new year and a new virus variant? Being cynical and resigned is easy, and the empathy training is to drive out cynicism and resignation – then empathy naturally comes forth. If given half a chance, people want to be empathic. The prediction is that with a rigorous and critical empathy (and getting a very high percent of the population vaccinated), we are equal to the challenge.

This podcast contains my choices and predictions for the top ten trends in empathy for the year 2022.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://louagosta.com/2022/01/06/empathy-top-ten-trends-for-2022/

I have been known to say: "We don't need more data; we need expanded empathy!" But, in truth, we need both. The numbers support the conclusion that there is an empathy deficit in the corporate world; but there is also hope that the factors and forces are trending that make possible overcoming this deficit and expanding empathy. 

Business leaders lose contact with what clients and consumers are experiencing as the leaders get entangled in solving legal issues, reacting to the competition, or implementing the technologies required to sustain operations. Yet empathy is never needed more than when it seems there is no time or place for it. This is a challenge to be engaged and overcome.

What to do about it? Practice expanded empathy. Empathy is on the critical path to serving customers, segmenting markets, positioning products (and substitutes), psyching out the competition—not exactly empathy but close enough?—building teams and being a leader who actually has followers. Empathy makes the difference for contributors to the enterprise at all levels between banging on a rock with a hammer in the hot sun and building a cathedral. The motions are the same. tExactly the same. But the one person has hard labor and the other person is participating in greatness - building a cathedral. When the application of empathy exposes and strengthens the foundation of community, then expanding empathy becomes synonymous with expanding the business. Find out more in this engaging podcast about how empathy works - and sometimes doesn't - in the dynamic and challenging world of business relations.

(c) Lou Agosta, PhD and the Chicago Empathy Project

“CEO” no longer means “Chief Executive Officer,” but “Chief Empathy Officer.” One can hear the groans—this time, from the executive suite, not the cubicles.

Empathy is one of those things that are hard to delegate. This role shows up like another job responsibility with which the CEO of the organization is tasked—along with everything else that she already has to do. As if she did not already have enough alligators snapping at various parts of her anatomy, one has to be nice about it, too? But of course empathy is not niceness, though it is not about being un-nice. It is about knowing what others are experiencing, because one has a vicarious experience and then processing that further to expand boundaries and exercise leadership. Find out how to expand your empathy individually and in terms of organizational teamwork in this engaging podcast.

(c) Lou Agosta, PhD and the Chicago Empathy Project

When I ask business leaders what is their budget for empathy training, the response is often a blank stare. Zero. However, when I ask the person what is the budget for expanded teamwork, reduced conflict, enhanced productivity, commitment to organizational goals, taking ownership of outcomes, product and service innovations, then it turns out that budget exists after all. Empathy makes a difference in connecting the dots between business skills and performance. In this engaging and dynamic podcast, find out how empathy contributes to getting breakthrough results in business in a powerful way by engaging the energies and commitments of executives, management, individual contributors, customers, and stake-holders at a fundamental level. Not to be missed!

(c) Lou Agosta, PhD, and the Chicago Empathy Project

Most people think that empathy is compassion. And while the world needs more compassion, empathy is distinct from compassion. Empathy tells me what the other individual is experiencing; compassion tells me what to do about it. Engages with examples from world literature, including Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks and Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie. The scenes include empathic receptivity in Hanno's trip to the dentist and empathic understanding in Thomas' encounter with Hanno during the long silence as Gerda makes music with The Lieutenant. Empathic responsiveness is powerfully illustrated in William's work with Blue Roses. Not to be missed!

Watch the corresponding video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/sYJvplP5cKo

(c) Lou Agosta, PhD, and the Chicago Empathy Project

In the first two episodes, bullying was defined and the uses of a rigorous and critical empathy to set limits and boundaries and contain, reduce, and stop bullying were explored.

This podcast provides extensive actionable recommendations and guidance for students, parents, and educators on how to handle bullies and bullying. Not to be missed!

[Note: even though these recommendations directly address the "student," they are intended provide guidance to the parent or responsible adult on how he or she is to address the student regarding bullying. They are intended to inform the grown ups speaking and listening in the matter of bullying as the grown up engages with their student.]

See related blog post: https://wordpress.com/post/louagosta.com/1131

The paradox is the anti-social nature of social networking. The computer screen isolates the person even as the person is trying to connect. The contrary is also the case. The screen connects the person when the person wants to be alone, rudely announcing an incoming message by beeping, demanding one’s attention. Sometimes the screen brings out the anti-social tendencies instead of the pro-social ones, enabling one to be inauthentic, hiding behind a false self. 

The cyber bully: The rule of thumb is that whatever a person does in life offline, the person does online, too. Whatever the person does in the non-electronic world of personal encounters, the person also does online in social networking. Therefore, people who are mean in person, will be mean online. People who are cruel in person will be cruel online. However, the impersonality of the online milieu can amplify the tendency. The lack of context of the online environment can intensify the upset and impact all around.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://louagosta.com/2021/09/18/empathy-versus-bullying-part-2-online-bullying-and-what-to-do-about-it/

This is the first podcast in a series on empathy and bullying. The author, Lou Agosta, talks about "the biggest bully in my life" and how empathy is the antithesis of bullying. Bullying is precisely defined and how empathy can be used to deal with bullying is engaged. Inducing empathy in the bully by asking: "How would YOU feel if this [the violence or bad language] were done to you?" does NOT work because the bully is usually not in touch with his feelings. Rather the recommendation and response of empathy is to set limits - reestablish the boundary of dignity and respect between self and other which has been violated by the bullying. The devil - and the empathy - are in the details. Find out how to get your power back in the face of bullying in this podcast.