Compassionate Work with Prof Monica Worline

It has been a treat to recently complete a six week course with Professor Monica Worline through the US Center for Compassionate Leadership.

Monica and Prof Jane Dutton wrote Awakening Compassion at Work, and our learning together focused on building compassionate organisations through understanding and analysing their social architecture.

This framework really came alive in new ways when we learned what it can help us see about an existing system (school)’s way of responding to distress in its own staff, and then employ it differently as we turn the kaleidoscope toward envisioning what might be possible.

Four organisational design structures Monica explored to enhance compassion competence included job roles, routines (processes), active networks within the workplace, and workplace culture. She also discussed the importance of shared stories and active leadership in shaping workplaces to respond with compassion, not just to clients (students and families) but to each other as workers and leaders.

I can’t wait to keep sharing what I’ve learned, starting with our masterclass “The Compassion Paradox” at the PESA Wellbeing conference in early September.

Reference:

Worline, M.C & Dutton, J.E. (2017). Awakening Compassion at Work. Berrett-Koehler.

Melinda Phillips, Director/Principal Psychologist at Compassionate Schools.
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