Closing Keynote: Wokeness 2.0: Strategies for Cultivating Empathy to Foster Workplace Equity
Wokeness normalizes rage, which has its place. It helps us find others who are critical of the same systems and problematic behaviors; but that is also where it has shortcomings. As soon as we band together around shared antipathy, we lose out on the opportunity for restorative justice and, ultimately, healing. In our increasingly polarized world, the need for radical empathy is more important than ever. The movement toward justice and equity within institutions calls for a more heart-centered approach. Rather than solely intellectualizing DEI concepts, we have an opportunity to open our hearts to be deeply impacted by the lived experiences of the “other,” in whatever context we find ourselves in. In this session, we will:
- Differentiate between the three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy and compassionate empathy
- Engage in empathetic listening exercises
- Gain strategies to foster a truer and more authentic culture of belonging at work
- Make a personal commitment to action