Empathy in Motion: The Power of Employee Volunteering

There has been a lot of buzz recently about Empathy. Reports indicate that empathy might actually be decreasing, yet it is critical for effective leadership and global citizenship (though it also has its risks).

To help make sense of the importance of empathy, I had a conversation with Chris Jarvis and Angela Parker about a free online course they are offering in partnership with SAP called Empathy in Motion. The course – designed for corporate leaders looking to develop empathy in their employees, improving their volunteer programs, and/or employee engagement initiatives – shares how to build empathy through grassroots or institutional volunteering. (Admittedly, after learning more about this course, I also think its takeaways are also interesting for students, volunteer managers in nonprofits, and also university leaders using service learning).

Here’s what I learned from Chris and Angela.

First, tell us more about what this course is?

This course is called Empathy in Motion: The Power of Employee Volunteering. It’s a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), which means it’s free and available to anyone. The course was designed by the RW Institute and hosted on openSAP, which is an Enterprise MOOC platform based in Germany.

“Empathy in Motion” is an interesting title… Why did you decide to call it that?

So, it’s about volunteering, but really it’s about the effect volunteering has on people, and how it changes us. When we spend time with people who are not part of our “in-group” we learn to relate with them and their lives over time and gradually develop empathy. More empathy leads to better decisions, a more compassionate society, and less objectification of our fellow humans.

Interestingly, with over work supporting corporations in harnessing volunteering, we recognized a trend that companies are also investing more in building empathy. And companies are in a unique position these days – with access and influence over a global workforce, they have the power to equip humanity to actively embrace the values of compassion, inclusion, acceptance, and empathy for generations to come. All they need is a little guidance, a few resources, and a lot of inspiration. We think this course provides that in a very accessible way.

In the current global environment, with divisive political issues and audacious global development initiatives (namely the Sustainable Development Goals), why are you focusing on Empathy?

To make progress, we need to first build empathy with the groups we oppose as well as the groups we’re trying to support.

A huge number of studies have been conducted over the past decade that tackle the issue of empathy. Take Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence that says managers with excellent cognitive empathy get better than expected performance from their direct reports. Or Charles Duhigg’s observations at Google that concluded the most effective teams are those that show empathy. But what does volunteering have to do with empathy?

The phenomena of “in-groups” and “out-groups” determine whether or not we feel empathy for another person. We feel empathy for those who we relate with - and we simply don’t relate with people we haven’t had experiences with. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s a pre-conscious response. Volunteering can be a safe, non-threatening space to interact with out-groups and begin to develop empathy for them as our assumptions about that group are challenged. Over time, this changes the way people see themselves and the world around them, ultimately changing behaviors on a massive scale. You can read more about in-groups, out-groups and empathy in this study by Lasana T. Harris, Susan T. Fiske conducted at Princeton University called Dehumanizing the Lowest of the Low - Neuroimaging Responses to Extreme Out-Groups.

Why is SAP partnering with the RW Institute to present this course?

SAP’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility program, amongst many fantastic initiatives, is the launch of openSAP. In addition to providing SAP employees with a mechanism to contribute in a positive way to the communities where they live and work, the global CSR team also strives to improve the effectiveness of CSR and corporate volunteering for everyone who does this kind of work around the world. Empathy in Motion educates and equips global audiences to join SAP in this purpose.

I should also add that, in addition to our partner, SAP, Empathy in Motion is supported by Toyota and Deloitte, both of whom are highly committed to advancing the theory and practice of corporate volunteering.

Can you tell me more about the course content?

In Part 1, the course provides you with a theoretical framework, focusing why volunteering can be so transformative, and then on how to mobilize volunteers’ empathy so that volunteering moves from the transactional to the transformative. In Part 2, the course offers practical guidance on setting up programs and executing volunteer events. The course is hosted online and consists of video units, self-tests, discussion forum, weekly assignments and a final exam. Content is released on a weekly basis and you can access the content at any time, from anywhere and on any device.

You can see the full syllabus of the course here.

Who can enroll?

Empathy in Motion is open to everyone, and is especially recommended to those interested in social good and human motivation – so that’s people involved with company volunteering programs, volunteers, and corporate social responsibility practitioners.

Upon successful completion, students receive a certification from openSAP. When attendees successfully complete the course, they can download a record of achievement from openSAP to share on LinkedIn and to add to their resume.

Where can people learn more?

Registration is open now via openSAP (it’s free!). The course starts on March 14, 2017, 09:00 UTC.

To learn more about Empathy in Motion or the RW Institute, go to rw.institute and check out a press kit that helps you promote the course to your employees, members, or clients. Follow Chris, Angela, and the RW team on Twitter at @realizedworth.