In preparation for our Awakening Democracy series presentation to the Longmont community, we created guidelines for conversation. We did this beforehand knowing the participants who attended the presentations would bring many differing perspectives.
We were right – the complete political spectrum was well represented embodied in the people who showed up and participated. In light of the varying viewpoints, our conversation guidelines worked. The discussions were civil, productive, and as the guidelines suggest, built off of each other. Contrasting perspectives and even the strongest expressions were easier to harmonize as the guidelines created intellectual as well as emotional common ground.
Mike Butler took time to review and further explain what was meant by each guidelines to the attendees prior to the Awakening Democracy presentation. Contact us if you are interested in learning more.
CONVERSATIONS GUIDELINES
We think in terms of future possibilities rather than current or past problems.
We each work to unify/ harmonize our comment with those spoken by others.
We talk in the context of applied spectrums, continuums, and nuances rather than black or white, right or wrong, conservative or liberal, democrat or libertarian or republican or other.
We speak with the motivation that we want to contribute to the good of the whole and not just a fragment. We take into account that we want our comments to contribute to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
We participate from a place of personal accountability and that we are personally responsible for creating a future that is different than the present or past rather than blaming leaders or institutions, and in the same breath declaring our own innocence.
We come from a place in which the collective is as important as the individual.
We start off our conversations by acknowledging the gifts of others.
That we state our ideas in ways that others can gracefully receive them.
We frame our comments in the form of questions and not just provide answers.
If there is something that is said that causes a reaction for you that you ask a clarifying question so you and the person who made the comment are in agreement that you understand what was meant by the comment.