In general, difficulties in conversations can arise from a few different sources: the relationship, value differences, structural problems, data problems. See how your previous answers fit into the categories below.
Let’s explore each on in turn.
The good news is that we can build skills around each of these aspects even before the conversation starts. There is no guarantee that the conversation will be successful, but there will be a greater chance of a constructive outcome.
We’ll start with
Let’s get started.
Let’s bring the idea of conversations into ourselves as individuals, to start identifying aspects that we can improve on, even before we start the conversation itself.
What are some of the things you can think of from past conversations that you did to help a conversation go well?
What are some of the things that may have made the conversation harder or that you wish you could have done differently? There are some examples below to help generate ideas.
Go to your Workbook and write your answers, and then click on the checkbox.
In any conversation, each person’s dignity should be protected, and the people involved in the conversation should strive to maintain mutual respect. Implicit biases are one of the aspects that can threaten that dignity and respect in the conversation.
We all have biases; they‘re part of our learning and upbringing. They can both tell parts of our stories (who we are, what matters to us) and can cause harm when they knowingly or unknowingly impact situations (e.g., not shortlisting an interview candidate based on their gender).
In this section, we invite you to examine some of your biases. By becoming more self-aware, we bring more knowledge and tools to difficult conversations.
Instruction: For this activity, we want you to look inward to best understand how your lifestyle and experiences shape your opinions and beliefs.
To begin, let’s learn a little about you:
Now for each of these points, think of one way that this feature impacts your perspectives. This is key to recognizing your biases. These features of your personality, even if they seem small, can affect how you form opinions, and guide you through conversations.