Compassionate Leaderly Communication

We’ve all experienced breakdowns in communication, as well as the escalating stress, frustration and disappointment that follows.

Compassionate Leaderly Communication offers you new tools that will transform the way you relate to yourself and others—loved ones, friends, co-workers, customers, bosses, students—including those “challenging” people in your life. At home…at your office…within your civic or faith organization…you’ll find that by learning and applying Compassionate Leaderly Communication, you can restore trust and rebuild mutual respect.

Dr. Marshall Rosenberg developed this groundbreaking communication approach in 1961, naming it Nonviolent Communication or NVC (it is also known as Compassionate Communication and Ann calls it Compassionate Leaderly Communication). He based his approach on his studies in clinical psychology and personal experience with neighborhood violence and discrimination as a youth. His methods are now taught world-wide.

Communicate effectively with compassionate leaderly communication

Many of us have already received training on how to communicate effectively, yet when we’re under pressure, our old habits take over and win out. We know that responses such as blaming, planning revenge and taking things personally are barriers to effective communication. By using the skills and awareness of Compassionate Leaderly Communication to sort and reframe how we think, speak and listen to ourselves and others, we create a connection that fosters clarity, integrity and mutual respect.

What is Compassionate Leaderly Communication? It is a way of giving and receiving respect and understanding using a language skill. This skill helps us to be compassionate with ourselves and others, even in the midst of tension and conflict, regardless of what has happened. NVC guides us to reframe and sort how we express ourselves and hear others by focusing our awareness on four components of communication:

1. OBSERVATIONS (made without judgements, labels or criticism)
2. FEELINGS (distinct from thoughts or perceptions)
3. NEEDS (distinct from strategies, blame or “should thinking”)
4. REQUESTS (distinct from demands, spoken in positive action language)

Using these language tools builds trust and a quality of connection in relationships. This connection yields an amazing capability to create peaceful and mutually satisfying resolutions in conflict.