Share this Twitter Myspace Mister Wong Digg Del.icio.us Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Wikio Hear this text Export PDF Print E-mail

Before playing, you will need to download a deck of needs cards. Print them out and cut them so that there's just one needs word on each card.

1. Everyone playing sits in a circle. Spread out the needs cards face-up on the floor or table in the middle.
2. One person is invited to talk for a few minutes about something that is happening in their life. This could be something either painful or joyful. It could be a small event or a big event.
3. While the person is talking, everyone else listens silently.
4. After the person has finished telling their story, everyone else silently looks at the needs cards to guess what needs are important to the person who told the story. Each person makes their best guess by quietly picking up one or two needs cards and placing them in front of the person who shared the story.
5. The person who told the story looks at the needs cards that were placed in front of him/ her and takes a minute to quietly receive these words. When they're done, they put the cards back into center of the circle.
6. Now, another person in the circle talks about something that is happening in their life and the game repeats, until everyone in the circle has had a chance to share.

Share this Twitter Myspace Mister Wong Digg Del.icio.us Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Wikio Hear this text Export PDF Print E-mail

One of my favorite stories of “Need Cards Empathy” was when I was scheduled to go into the men's prison in Monroe, WA to lead a Nonviolent Communication (NVC) basics workshop with a Freedom Project team. I was bringing a guest, and after 4 hours of traveling there, the guest was not allowed to enter the prison because the paperwork could not be found. I sent the rest of the training team inside and I drove the guest back to the ferry so he could get home, returning to prison two hours later. I walked into the most amazing scene. There were 25 inmates sitting in groups of five offering each other the gift of presence and deep listening.

Share this Twitter Myspace Mister Wong Digg Del.icio.us Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Wikio Hear this text Export PDF Print E-mail

Empathy Heals A School in Crisis

I flew into Denver prepared to facilitate 3 days of NVC workshops for a school community: parents, teachers, administrators, board members. I was greeted at the airport with news that the school was in crisis. One of the lead and well-loved teachers had quit suddenly & with charged feelings, and there was pain stimulated all around in response to her leaving in the way she did , at the start of the school year. The whole community was reeling with a mix of shock, confusion, sadness, fear, and some anger.

Share this Twitter Myspace Mister Wong Digg Del.icio.us Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Wikio Hear this text Export PDF Print E-mail

Need Cards Empathy - Instructions

• This exercise is designed to support empathic connection while building needs vocabulary.
• Prepare needs cards from template with one needs word on each card.
• Participants sit in a circle.
• Pass out the need cards with approximately equal numbers to each participant.