Shifting gears — join me!
I am shifting gears: I will be writing these posts less frequently and offering Zoom workshops more frequently, with a discounted rate for newsletter subscribers. I am really excited about this shift in emphasis, as it will give me more opportunity to engage with you in real time. 😊
What are my workshops about?
I teach advanced communication skills: how to engage with different viewpoints more effectively to create a productive space for discussion, understanding, and collaboration. I show how to apply these skills not only to political conversations, but to any discussion with different viewpoints. These skills go well beyond speaking politely and listening attentively.
I build off of core concepts from three fields: intercultural communication, leadership, and the latest neuroscience research on emotions. Intercultural communication shows us what to do with polarization and the importance of exploring context. Leadership practices highlight the value of self-reflection and "inner agility" as we chart a path forward even in the face of ambiguity. And the latest research on emotions reveals that emotions don’t happen to us; we create them based on past experiences (Lisa Feldman Barrett). As such, emotions aren't something to control but rather to explore, for they provide insights about our own perspective.
When we understand these core concepts, and apply the practices of Personal Leadership, we are better able to engage with different viewpoints with a more useful approach. We develop a deeper awareness of our own highly subjective lens. Most communication guidelines miss this crucial piece: effective interactions must include an awareness of how we interpret — and misinterpret — the other.
Transformative skills — skills that can transform an interaction into constructive possibility — are less about what we do outwardly (speak this way, listen that way) and more about what we do inwardly.
In these uncertain and perilous times, these skills are essential. Learning them makes us part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
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Copyright © 2020 Sharon V. Kristjanson. All rights reserved.