In this first session, we will collectively build our container for connection, psychological safety and co-learning, and will set personal learning intentions for the cohort journey. We will also begin laying the foundations for bridge-building dialogue by introducing foundational principles, reflecting on our personal experiences of workplace conflict, and engaging in some light practice.

This session offers a deep dive into how our nervous systems react to conflict. We will compassionately reflect on our bodies’ stress reactions in conflict, such as ‘attacking other’, ‘attacking self’, withdrawing, avoiding, and appeasing. We will focus on how we know when we’re in these reactions, what dynamics & patterns tend to bring them on, what’s good about them, where they come from, how they inhibit us from showing up well in bridge-building, and what strategies for nervous system co-regulation support us to attune and ground when triggers occur. 

“The first duty of love is to listen” – Paul Tillich. Listening is something that we’re engaged in all the time, but the skill of listening compassionately, and with empathy, when conflict and disconnection is arising between us can be immensely difficult. Our instincts may be to defend, deny, respond, fix, and judge, but these responses will only deepen the divide. A foundational skill for bridge-building dialogue, therefore, is learning how to listen differently, especially when  our nervous systems are activated. In this session, through practice, we will build our reflective listening skills, while continuing to deepen our nervous system self-awareness. 

In this session, we shift over to the other half of bridge-building dialogue: empathetic speaking. This way of speaking again invites us to pay attention to our nervous systems – and to slow down and connect with our hearts before sharing our perspective with the other person. When we slow down, turn inwards and acknowledge the sensations & feelings that are present, we gain more insight into how and why we’re feeling impacted – specifically, what core needs, values, goals, and aspects of our identities are feeling undermined – as well as what interpretations of the other person’s intentions – and previous life experiences – may be driving our reactions. We can then speak to this in ways that are less likely to elicit defensiveness, and are more likely to invite connection.

Empathetic listening & empathetic speaking are the central components of bridge-building dialogue, as together they create the possibility for mutual understanding to arise regarding each person’s perspective. But how do we move forward once we better understand each other? And how do we get into these heart-centered conversations in the first place? In this session, we’ll look at the role that containers & consent play when it comes to initiating dialogue, and practice brainstorming mutually-beneficial strategies & agreements as we move out of dialogue.

Difference & power are present in every interpersonal relationship. Positional power and social identity differences (such as those based on race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, ethnicity, etc.) frequently arise as themes in organizational conflicts, but they actually intersect with so many other forms of power that are often overlooked: psychological power, personality power, language and speaking ability, and many others. Also, people may hold power based on role and identities, but still feel powerless – and vice versa. In this session, we’ll integrate all these aspects of power & difference into the dialogue skills we’ve been building in the previous sessions.

In this session we zoom out and reflect on how our efforts of bridge-building dialogue can either be supported – or undermined – by the broader organizational cultures & structures in which they are situated. We’ll examine the typical ‘punitive’ approach that governs most organizational conflict policies & practices and compare it to a restorative workplace model: one where we’re proactively centring relational health & leadership and integrating bridge-building dialogue mindsets & skillsets before conflict arises. 

Note: the term ‘restorative workplace’ comes originally from the term ‘restorative justice’, which is a non-adversarial approach for responding to harm & violence that grounds accountability in healing, repair, & transformation, rather than punishment. While the origins and use of these practices are contested to some degree, they have been inspired in this part of the world by Indigenous nations on Turtle Island and Aotearoa (New Zealand), as well as by religious faith communities.

In the final session, participants will identify where they hold agency and influence within their organizational systems and, through small group coaching, they will explore areas of possibility and stuckness, and reflect on how to apply the tools and insights from the program. The session will support participants in integrating their learning and stepping into their roles as contributors to restorative and resilient workplace cultures.

For an additional fee, participants have access to individual conflict coaching with the facilitators, a personalized space to deepen learning, explore challenges, and integrate conflict transformation tools into their specific organizational contexts.