Serious Play

Lessons on Moving from Polarization to Dialogue with The Empathy Toy

Sara Krynitzki, Director of Public Affairs and Research, at Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) discusses Polarization in this touching story about the Empathy Toy.

Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) supports leaders within not-for-profit foundations and the wider charitable sector. Many of these leaders are from a range of communities, and they've been greatly affected by the Polarization happening within their organizations and leadership due to the ongoing war in the Middle East. PFC was looking for help to move from Polarization towards Dialogue at their annual CEO retreat - building a bridge to de-risk discussion.

“We were looking to find a space where we can de-risk these type of conversations”

Being understanding and empathetic to a range of diverse lived experiences is at the centre of facilitating change. In highly polarized times, it's much easier said than done. 

PFC's members reached out, looking for guidance on how to navigate these sensitive topics. 

Twenty One Toys was suggested, and they decided to incorporate an Empathy Toy Workshop into their retreat - an opportune setting to tackle tough dialogue.

“Given that there were a lot of CEOs present who had questions and wanted to already engage in a lot of these issues, we wanted to bring a part of that conversation to our CEO retreat” 

“When the activity began“ Krynitzki said, “really quickly, the tenor shifted. It allowed people who maybe didn’t know each other very well, or had possibly preconceived notions, help build a sense of understanding about where each other is coming from. It really allowed people to think things through in terms of how they’re going to address bigger issues later in the retreat.”

Together, the group engaged and actively communicated with each other. Building on the cornerstones of shared understanding and trust, the workshop balanced seriousness with play. 

“Philanthropy is human,” Krynitzki said. “Charitable work is human. It’s all about relationships between people. Understanding who we are, what our needs are, trying to think creatively, respectfully and broadly. It’s all about the human experience.”