After completion of this module, participants will be able to:

• Build empathy with themselves and others

• Engage in an empathic interview

Activity: The Expert “Coffee Chat”

Finding the Story Behind the Success

Objective: To uncover the emotional and practical realities of navigating change by listening to someone who has already “crossed the bridge” you are currently standing on.

Step 1: Identify Your “Expert”

An expert isn’t necessarily a celebrity or a CEO. It is simply someone who has successfully navigated a change similar to your How Might I statement.

• Who is it? __________________________________________

• Why them? (e.g., They also pivoted careers at 40; They also moved cities alone)

Step 2: The Invitation (Keep it Low-Stakes)

Adults are busy. Frame your request as a 20-minute “learning chat,” not a formal interview. Keep open the option for different formats, online or over the phone if need be.

The Script:
“Hi [name], I’m currently doing a Design Thinking course on navigating personal change. I know you went through [specific change] a while ago, and I’d love to hear about your experience over a 20-minute coffee. No advice needed—I just want to hear your story!”

Step 3: The Story-Miner’s Guide

To get deep insights, you need questions that trigger stories rather than one-word answers. You can use 3 or 4 of these as a starting point for your chat. Follow the flow of the conversation with curiosity; this is not a survey!

1. The Beginning: “Take me back to the moment you realized things had to change. What was that like?”

2. The Messy Middle: “What was the one thing you tried that didn’t work at all?”

3. The Emotions: “During the peak of the change, what was your biggest ‘hidden fear’?”

4. The Surprise: “What is one thing about your new reality that you never could have predicted?”

5. The Support: “Who or what was your ‘anchor’ when things felt most uncertain?”

Pro-Tip: If they give a short answer, ask: “Can you tell me more about that?” or “How did that make you feel?”

Step 4: The Empathy Map (Unpacking the Chat)

As soon as you are done with the conversation, take a couple of minutes to capture the highlights.

• SAY (Quotes or key phrases they used. Things they were telling others)

• DO (What actions were they taking?)

• THINK (What do you suspect they were thinking during their experience?)

• FEEL (What emotions were they feeling and why? Fear, relief, pride, exhaustion?)

Step 5: The “Mirror” Reflection

This is where the learning happens. Look at your Empathy Map and answer these:

• The Connection: What part of their story felt like it was your story?

• The New Lens: Did they mention a challenge you hadn’t even thought of yet? What surprised you to hear?

The Universal Truth: What did this conversation teach you about why this change is hard for everyone, not just you?