It was a packed house for my talk at the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Connection Luncheon last week. If you didn’t make it, you missed a lively and fruitful conversation.
I shared my talk, “The Elephants Among Us: Talking about the Hard Things At Work (and Beyond)”. We discussed conflict, why it’s so prevalent in our workplaces and communities today, it’s negative effects on our society, and what we can do to resolve it.
The attendees came from a diverse set of local companies, non profits, and public service organizations, which led to interesting discussions. In small groups, we worked together to practice discussing real-world problems. Then we identified and planned lightweight efforts to reduce the underlying causes of conflict in our own neighborhoods.
We came up with all sorts of cool (and easy to implement) ideas to try out in our region and we worked through some difficult discussions in a safe environment. We left feeling more connected and ready to put some positive energy out into the world.
We used the following three tools as we worked through these topics:
Speak Up Cards
A small deck of cards used to ease difficult conversations. I designed these for the workgroups and teams I work with, but they also work well for one-on-one conversations and even tense discussions between family members.
New! Get your own deck here.
Conflict Resolution Framework
A worksheet that helps us work through the four steps to conflict resolution: Speaking, Listening, Resolving, and Checking In. You can use it to prepare for a difficult conversation or use it as a tool to aid conversation with the other party in the moment.
Bonus: Get my Conflict Resolution Framework for FREE when you sign up for my newsletter here.
“Social Glue” Action Plan
A canvas designed to help you work through a plan to increase “social glue”, the stuff that holds us together as a community, in your workplace, neighborhood, or social circle. It helps you consider topics like what success looks like, what might get in your way, and who can help you.
If your team at work, your church, your community, or your professional organization could use some help talking about “the elephants among us”, I’d love to share this content with you. Contact me to set up a discovery call here.
nicolederr.com 