4) Communication Skill-Building
-What concrete skills can we adopt to communicate better?
-What are your “triggers”? How do you cope when they occur?
-What type of communication do we aspire to? What are the goals/dynamics of dialogue vs. debate vs. deliberation? When is our aim to persuade vs. understand?
-How do we decide when/where to engage in disagreement?
-What topics are important for us to discuss?
Read This:
- Abrahams, R. and Groysberg, B. (2021), ‘How to Become a Better Listener’, HBR.
- Ripley, A. (2019), ‘Complicating the Narrative’, Medium.
- ‘15 Logical Fallacies You Should Know Before Getting Into a Debate’, Research Guide for Students.
- Gass, R. and Ansara, J. (2015), ‘Managing Your Triggers’, Managing Your Triggers #1.
Do This:
Classwork:
Active listening, AAA, LOOP
Homework:
Have a discussion with someone who holds views you disagree with, using active listening and AAA and/or LOOP methodology and questions. Pay attention to potential cognitive biases (your own and the other persons), and see if you can identify the moral foundation for their viewpoint. Reflect on the experience in the journal. Did either of you shift your opinion? Even if you still fully disagree, did you feel heard? More understood? How do you think the other person felt after the interaction?
Watch This:
C. Headless, 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation:
V. Van Edwards, Body Language: