Sample discussion guides

After difficult societal events, what kinds of public forums can be created for employees to share, compress, and process what is happening?  Our suggestion is that companies should help teams create skilled facilitators for these discussions, since they are needed and important.

Tips:

• Open the conversation by sharing that
  • conversations like this are hard and are needed
  • the goal for today is to be there for each other
  • the goal for this conversation isn’t action. It is understanding.
  • today doesn’t have to be the only conversation - we can take it as a starting point.
• Wrap the conversation:
  • By reconnecting with the purpose and common goal of belonging and understanding.
  • Share that although these conversations are hard, our commitment is to caring for one another.

Sample guidelines to provide for all:

• Use “I” statements: Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing ("I" instead of "they," "we," and "you"). Instead of invalidating somebody else's story with your own spin on their experience, share your own story and experience.
• The goal is not to agree - it is to gain a deeper understanding. Please remember that everyone is coping with these events in a different way, and everyone's feelings are valid even if they're different from yours.
• Listen deeply. Respect others when they are talking. It is vital to approach the topic of [race] with respect for its weightiness and nuance, centuries of pain and oppression, multiple perspectives and narratives, and the person(s) you are engaging with.
• Embrace discomfort. Discomfort happens because we care. ****Don’t let it hold you back. Use it as a signal to push you to learn more. Be willing to change your mind.

Sample skills for facilitators to use often:

Adopted from Life Labs Learning DEI Playbook