This professional development series, presented by GEAR UP and College Now, will provide the
language, tools and resources to support students in their future education, empowering them to
develop informed postsecondary and career pathways and plans.
Sessions are free and open to anyone interested.
Crucial Conversations
This session will focus on teaching participants how to effectively handle crucial conversations in both professional and educational settings. Based on the book “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High”, this session will help individuals navigate discussions in which emotions run high and differing opinions exist. The session includes self-assessment, a summary video of the book and practical exercises.
The key points covered are the distinction between challenging and crucial conversations, the importance of recognizing and addressing strong emotions and opposing opinions and the two destructive patterns in communication: silence/avoidance and violence/verbal attacks. The session emphasizes creating a safe and respectful environment for conversations with a mutual purpose and common respect.
Participants will gain the skills to employ the Crucial Conversations model, improve listening abilities and learn to resolve crucial conversations effectively.