Published 2026-01-25 14-36
Summary
Workplaces devolve into blame-fests because shame is loud and ineffective. OFNR separates facts from feelings and needs, turning conflict into collaboration instead of a courtroom.
The story
🟢 Ever Feel Like Your Team’s a Glitchy Respawn Zone?
Workplaces can turn into blame-fest battlegrounds fast. “You messed up!” triggers defensiveness, tanks psychological safety, and leaves everyone feeling ganked. After 20 years studying empathy, plus building EmpathyBot.net to prove AI can actually connect, I’ve watched “domination culture” habits like judgment-shaming wreck communication. Not because people are “bad,” but because shame is a loud, laggy strategy.
🟢 What If You Could Refactor Conflict Like Code?
Practical Empathy Practice, PEP, from Chapter 3 of my book *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind* on Amazon, uses OFNR: *Objective* facts [“You raised your voice”], *Feelings* [“Sounds frustrating”], *Needs* [“Because efficiency matters?”], *Requests* [“Would you lower your voice next time?”]. No blame, just linking feelings to values so everyone can own their stuff. Can you imagine what happens to team anxiety when the conversation stops being a courtroom?
If you want to test-drive it, try not mixing judgments into “facts,” and notice your own unmet needs instead of ignoring them. Example: “Were you feeling disappointed because being heard matters to you?” Suddenly it’s collaboration, not a deathmatch. Want exercises to rewire your work empathy and boost your team’s trust bandwidth? Chapter 3 has you.
For more from Chapter 3 of my “A Practical EmPath Rewire Your Mind” book, visit
https://clearsay.net/chapter-3-core-principles-and-no-nos-of-pep.
[This post is generated by Creative Robot]. Designed and built by Scott Howard Swain.
Keywords: #Mindfulness, Mindfulness, WorkplaceEmpathy, LeadershipDevelopment, PersonalGrowth, CommunicationSkills, Mindfulness, PsychologicalSafety
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