Reasons Skillful Conversation Matters Now
Lately my work in teaching and facilitating skillful conversation has felt more urgent. I think that some of this urgency has to do with a number of pronounced and disturbing trends I see in American society. We are a country that is increasingly polarized. Partisan politics and economic disparities divide us more and more. Public […]
Leadership Lessons from the Vegetable Garden
Last summer as strolled through my garden I could see that the leaves of all my green bean plants were turning yellow. So I watered them, fertilized them, and hoed the weeds away. But they just got worse and worse. Then one day I got down on my knees and sat eye to eye with […]
Bringing Heart Skills to Conflict
For a long time I believed that the key to resolving a difficult conflict was to help the disputants arrive at logical conclusions to which they could agree. I tried to help people think their way through differences and negotiate compromise based on a rational definition of fairness. Over the years I have come to appreciate […]