Why are courageous conversations so important? Having these difficult conversations means being open to having your viewpoints challenged, as well as directly confronting topics that many of us have been taught to sidestep in polite conversation. These conversations are courageous because they require being bold, openness to sharing your own experiences, and to hearing the experience of others. How to have courageous conversations about race – and other triggers – at work What are courageous conversations?Ĭourageous conversations involve intentionally giving space to complex issues of social justice, race, and privilege with people at work. What are the agreements of courageous conversations? If we start young, we can build a generation of people who willingly engage, who respect each other, who aren’t afraid to speak their mind and do so in positive ways.Why are courageous conversations so important? And I hope we can model this type of communication with our children, on all topics. The more we talk about things the easier it becomes to engage in the tough stuff and make real change. Obviously, the goal of Courageous Conversation is that people do just that. What would happen if we taught our kids to communicate this way from the get-go? Could we create a generation of people who don’t harbor hate or hidden agendas, who are kinder and more interested in others, who are more confident in who they are? What would happen if we got into the practice of leaving our baggage behind-if we became more curious and leaned into learning from one another rather than convincing each other? Would our perceptions shift? Could we create positive change? Would we feel more validated, more supported ourselves? Would we get our needs met more fully? Would we serve others better? We all go into conversations with our proverbial bags packed full of our perceptions and needs. The nastiness comes when we lack respect for others, when we refuse to listen, learn and allow for others to have their opinions and when we let our emotions override our ability to reason. If conflict avoidance is dysfunctional, why do most of us do it? Are we afraid we won’t be considered nice, a good friend, or a team player? Conflict doesn’t have to be nasty. In fact, a fear of conflict has been labeled as one of the "five dysfunctions of a team". But conflict is not always a bad thing-it often leads to deeper understanding and new ideas. The training left me wondering why we don't always communicate this way? Why haven’t we been specifically taught and encouraged to follow these guidelines in our personal lives? It must have something to do with a general aversion to conflict.
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