Our world is at a pivotal inflection point where it is essential to cultivate the practice of empathy for ourselves, our organizations, and society at large.
For over two decades, Michael Ventura has worked as a leader, facilitator, and educator. Concepts and tools from his first book, Applied Empathy (Simon & Schuster) have been embraced by influential, respected organizations from the ACLU, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Nike to The United Nations and the Obama Administration. His work is focused on helping leaders and their teams to incite growth and catalyze change.
A dynamic speaker and facilitator, Michael has shared his work as an advisor with a variety of public and private boards, as well as prestigious institutions such as Princeton University, The University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. His work has been featured in media outlets such as Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, PBS News Hour, and countless others. As a speaker and facilitator, Michael has shared his thinking with audiences at conferences including Adobe’s 99U, SxSW, The TED Conference, and corporate events the world over.
Michael reminds us, “Empathic leadership is hard work. The ability to listen, understand, and act with intention is what drives meaningful change.”
Leading With Empathy: Four-Part Training Program
This program is designed for leaders of all levels to learn the foundations of this important work and embody it meaning fully for their personal and professional development. The program can be revised in number of sessions and topic depth based on your organization’s current understanding of empathy.
Session 1: Empathy 101
A primer on what empathy is/isn’t, a series of frameworks and behaviors to help make it a more embodiable, practiced skill. This session is designed for leaders of all levels to learn the basics of empathy and how it is a fundamental tool in creating high performing teams, developing effective strategies. and building resilient businesses.
Session 2: The Whole Self
A deep dive on personal, interior empathy. A series of 7 exercises designed to understand and reflect upon cultivating greater inner empathy. This is primarily done via journaling with group discussion to take place at key moments.
Session 3: Archetypes in Action
A discussion of various empathic archetypes and styles of working, followed by a series of exercises to practice working with your archetypes in small groups. Exercises are followed by full group discussion.
Session 4: Unblocking with Empathy
An interactive final workshop designed to utilize the Whole Self and Archetypes to guide groups of 3 in an exercise to collaboratively solve problems using newfound perspective. This is followed by a commitments exercise that helps people prioritize near term actions to bring into their lives after taking these 4 sessions.
Timing
60 minute sessions delivered on a schedule based on your needs/requirements.
Client Examples:
Beverage/Brewing Category:
Format: An immersive three-hour keynote at executive retreat
Client feedback: "one of the most impactful programs she's ever experienced as a leader.” The program tested off the charts in terms of feedback from attendees and the impact is still being felt in the way the employee population interacts and more importantly, aligns on goals for the year ahead.
Internet Travel Business:
Formats: Delivered a 60-minute keynote to executive leadership at Quarterly Business Review global meeting. Delivered a company-wide 60-minute keynote about empathic leadership and developing a 'learner' mindset. Hosted a series of "drop in" Zoom sessions on topics ranging from "How to manage talent in a hybrid work environment" to "Fostering a culture of cross-departmental collaboration.”
Goals: To deliver content about empathy, leadership, purpose, and a variety of topics that his people leaders around the organization are looking to skill up.
High-tech Industrial Company:
Formats: Year-long collaboration with two keynotes to the entire people org globally (1000s in attendance) as well as two in-person programs (one for their top 6 executives globally and one for their top 60 leaders).
Outcomes: The work is a mix of helping build a mindset of "finishing strong” interspersed with content about self-reflection and career planning to help each person have a greater sense of purpose and what they might do next on the road ahead.
Construction and Engineering Company:
Formats: Delivered keynotes, multi-day retreats, and more, including speaking at annual leadership conference (delivering a 3-hour keynote and interactive workshop) to their 150 global leaders, plus twice-a-year trainings for leaders.
Outcomes: The teams have developed stronger interpersonal and cross-organizational understanding that has led to greater effectiveness and impact in the work they do as a firm.
Client feedback: Ranked the highest for all L&D programs they have offered and the participants cite offering as something that is exceptionally tangible and applicable to their work.