Preparation for Workshop

Hello from Carolyn and Dan:

We look forward to learning together the Essential Tools for Communication across Differences. We think you will find this deep dive to be an engaging way to enhance your skills and practice in having necessary and often difficult conversations around social group identity, diversity, and inclusion. You will leave the workshop with renewed energy and confidence for showing, engaging in, and committing to inclusivity in your interpersonal, work, and community relationships.

In preparation for this workshop, we ask that you familiarize yourself with various approaches for engaging in difficult conversations and responding to negative messages and behaviors from others. We have identified a short list of on-line resources. We offer no prescriptive, one-size-fits-all approach and believe these resources, along with others we will share, provide important insights worthy of your attention.

Do not feel obligated to read all these resources, but please do spend meaningful time with these materials before attending the workshop. These resources are:

• Let’s Talk: Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics with Students (Teaching Tolerance)
• Engaging in Conversations about Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace (Catalyst)
• Facilitating Difficult Discussions and Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom (U Mass - Amherst)
• Fostering Civil Discourse: A Guide for Classroom Conversations (Facing History)
• Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry (Southern Poverty Law Center)

In addition, if you have time, and without any obligation, please consider reading the following two resources:

• The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation (Daniel Yankelovich)
• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High (Patterson, et. al.)

You should find both of these resources available for purchase on-line or at a used bookstore at reduced prices.

Happy reading and learning! See you soon.