Workshop on Civil Conversations at Thanksgiving

Saturday! November 23 at 11:00 ET | Zoom | 60 minutes

Replay Available

Zoom Link Below

Workshop Overview

In this workshop, I share practical techniques to help you navigate potentially tense discussions with grace and empathy.

Drawing on insights from Roger Fisher and Scott Brown’s Getting Together: Building Relationships as We Negotiate and Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, and Heen, the workshop will equip you with tools and techniques to:

• Prepare for difficult conversations with a mindset focused on relationship-building rather than winning an argument.

• Ask respectful, open-ended questions that help you genuinely understand the perspective of the other person.

• Respond to provocative statements calmly and constructively, turning conflict into an opportunity for connection rather than division.

• Engage in active listening, showing family members that you value their thoughts and feelings, even if you disagree.

Learn to practice the Art of Unconditionally Constructive Inquiry, a powerful technique that involves asking questions designed to elicit the reasoning and values behind someone’s opinion, rather than dismissing it outright. This approach allows you to see where the other person is coming from and to share your own views without attacking or belittling anyone. It’s about building bridges rather than widening divides.

What We’ll Cover

• Master the Unconditionally Constructive Approach: Understand how to engage in civil conversations that strengthen relationships rather than harm them.

  • Prepare for difficult conversations with a mindset focused on relationship-building rather than winning an argument.

  • Ask respectful, open-ended questions that help you genuinely understand the perspective of the other person.

  • Respond to provocative statements calmly and constructively, turning conflict into an opportunity for connection rather than division.

  • Engage in active listening, showing family members that you value their thoughts and feelings, even if you disagree.

• Gain Insight with the Ladder of Inference: Learn a powerful tool to uncover the hidden assumptions that often fuel conflict and misunderstanding.

• Interactive Q&A: Get answers to your questions on how to navigate sensitive topics at your family gatherings.

Register for the workshop and ensure that your Thanksgiving is filled with meaningful conversations, not avoidable conflict.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving a time of gratitude and genuine connection—together.

Peace is not a piece of paper, but a way of dealing with conflict when it arises. Roger Fisher