How to talk about race with Kwame Christian: "I'm going to focus on the communication, the connection, the conflict resolution."
Today, we’re talking to Kwame Christian. He founded and runs the American Negotiation Institute, and I’ve talked about negotiating with him before.? Kwame’s greatest gift is that he understands how to have difficult conversations. And with his new book, he’s putting that gift to good use.? It’s called How to have difficult conversations about race.?
Race is a tender discussion topic for a lot of people. For me. Maybe for you. For Kwame, too. He describes himself as a "reluctant leader" in this area. He practiced civil rights law early in his career. It burnt him out, and he said he avoided this kind of work entirely after that. Even after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, he did not want to lean into it. And then his wife, Whitney, called him out on it. She pointed out that Kwame asked people to lean into the hard conversations regularly. She noted that he wasn’t doing it himself. That resonated. Deeply. Kwame started to rethink his approach. Says Kwame:" I said, listen, I'm going stay in my lane, my zone of genius here. I'm not going to tell people how they should think about race. I'm going to tell them how they can talk about race. I'm going to focus on the communication, the connection, the conflict resolution."
And here we are. No matter where you are starting in today’s conversation, we are going to break down some tools that will help you to talk more honestly–and more effectively–about race. You can find the episode above, or listen to it right here.
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???Office Hours: How do you put compassionate curiosity into action?
This week, let’s talk about the compassionate curiosity framework. Join us this Wednesday at 3pm EST for Office Hours. You can find us on the LinkedIn News Page, or email us for a link at [email protected].
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As regular listeners know, I spent the past couple years working on a book, and it comes out in just three weeks. You can?pre-order a signed copy now!
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2 年Also, here’s the link if you’re interested in buying the book. The ebook version is $.99 cents today! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637741308/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_JYMSRYZS31WBD13KZQ1X_0_nodl?dplnkId=31d8634e-e710-4e16-bf14-1173354004d6
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2 年As Long As Don't Put Me To Sleep.
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2 年Kwame's compassionate curiosity framework is a masterclass in mindfulness and self-compassion. I can see why it works so well when having difficult conversations about race. I find myself using this when working with clients who have a natural resistance to posting content. Step 1 - Acknowledge their emotions. When working with clients, it's important that they feel heard and understood—and that means acknowledging their emotions. When I acknowledge their feelings, I'm showing them respect and letting them know I understand because I've been there. Step 2: Get curious with compassion. Once I've acknowledged their feelings, the next step is getting curious about their perspective on things. I ask questions and allow them to share their thoughts. Step 3: Engage in joint problem-solving. I ask my clients what they think should happen next—and then listen carefully. Great conversation as always Jessi!
Co-Director of the Career and Community Engagement Center at Whitman College and College Liaison for Community Affairs
2 年powerful interview. actionable and accessible
Award-Winning Canadian Career Strategist | Teaching Immigrants AI-Driven Career Clarity & Personal Branding to Land 6-Fig Roles & Promotions | Trusted Speaker Ft. CBC, CNBC, FOX 26 | Podcast Host | Free Clarity Class ??
2 年How do you put compassionate curiosity into action? This is something leaders don't talk much about as most organizations don't train them. As a manager from the corporate world, I don't recall getting leadership coaching on this particular topic. We are thrown into the leadership role to figure out difficult conversations. There is no going back to fix the blunders but self-reflection is the key. My theory is to seek to understand to be understood. There is a thin line between ignorance and curiosity. Receiving end will judge you for ignorance and assumptions. Finally, we are talking about race, this is the beginning of tough conversations. Thank you! Jessi!