Building Compassionate Communities is a sequel to my book, The Compassionate Listener, where I describe three techniques (active listening, discovery learning, and the IDEA method of mentor-coaching) to help individuals “compassionately care for others by listening to the story within their story” to help them become “better versions of themselves and more effective leaders in their spheres of influence.”

In Building Compassionate Communities, I describe as “The Five Cs of Compassionate Communities” (Compassion, Culture, Communication, Collaboration, and Community) in order “to help others care for others in the ways that they need to be cared for.” The result of building compassionate communities is “to help others experience the well-being of being part of a compassionate community so that they can partner with others to build compassionate communities in their families, friendships, organizations, and neighborhoods.”

In this book I will define and describe what compassionate communities look like and how they can be developed:

PART 1: COMMUNITY AND BELONGING will explore three social

components of a compassionate community from an individual and

communal perspective.

PART 2: THE 5 Cs OF COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITIES will explore

five fundamental qualities that are necessary for functional compassionate

communities.

PART 3: BUILDING COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITIES will explore

the importance of compassionate leadership in building compassionate

communities and some practical steps that you can take to both belong to

and build compassionate communities in your relational contexts.

It is my hope that this book will help you become more compassionate as you learn to belong and build compassionate communities to counter the alienation and dysfunction of our general culture that has become toxic and dehumanizing.