Brave Conversations

Develop conflict competencies to transform disagreements and differences into opportunities for learning and growth, especially regarding race and identity issues, while developing polarity management skills to work through differences in an era of political anxiety.

Leaders working in increasingly diverse teams and organizations need to develop conflict competence skills, especially in the face of polarizing issues involving differences of identity, rank and background. This course will explore your own identity as a leader and how it can both help and hinder your relationships, how to listen deeply for what happens under the surface of words and behaviour, and how to interrupt and transform difficult situations into learning opportunities.

You will learn:

• To explore what is a “brave” conversation and underlying principles to transform conflict, especially around issues involving rank and power;
• The crucial difference between psychological safety and a safe space, and how to discern conflict from harm;
• To identify your conflict triggers and identify healthy recovery skills, including about race and identity;
• To uncover the hidden feelings and needs that often underlie conflict situations through workplace scenarios and receive realtime feedback;
• To develop awareness of signals that conflict is escalating or de-escalating in inter-personal and team situations;    
• To uncover awareness of your own and other social identities when disagreements and conflict emerge;
• How to prepare emotionally and strategically for a brave conversation (as well as decide if it is the right step to take in the first place!)  
• Why Brave Conversations are an Essential Part of the Inclusion Journey. 
• How to talk about Race at work