Navigating Messy Conversations

Description

Have you noticed how the more emotionally intense a conversation gets, the harder it is for most of us to stay connected? It’s as if all those emotionally intelligent moves we know are thrown out the window. Whether the topic is race, politics or performance evaluations, as intensity increases, competence suffers. Making it worse is many of us are spending more time with fewer people and expecting different results.

In this session, we will use a model for navigating messy conversations when working virtually. The model helps you gain clarity about your purpose, identity, and energy so you focus on what matters—what is the purpose of this conversation, where are you socially situated in relation to each other, and what is the energy we each bring to the conversation?

To begin, you will choose a messy conversation you were in, or you will design one you want to have. You will leave the session with a template to turn any messy conversation into a “conscious constructive inquiry.”

Learning Outcomes

• Discover how attention and energy shape every effective social interaction
• Discern four fundamental energies and how they show up in messy conversations
• Practice a model based on purpose, diverse identities, and energies each brings to the conversation