FIERY CONVERSATIONS: Facilitating The Heat Without Getting Burned

Format

Individual Presentation

Eric RowlesFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Leading To Change

Second Presenter's Institution

Fred Baker

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Scarbrough 3

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This presentation focuses directly on facilitative tools and methods that

can be used in the traditional and non-traditional classroom. Designed

by educators, the hands-on application-focus of this session is best

geared for those working with youth in school based settings.

This presentation focuses directly on techniques that can be used by

professionals and educational providers to effectively build the

communication and social/emotional rationalization and reasoning skills

of young people in both academic and OST settings.

Brief Program Description

They're the topics that you just KNOW could cause conflict - but does

it really have to lead to physical and verbal drama? These are called

Fiery Conversations - and for a reason! Come to this heated - but also

HEALTHY - dialogue focused workshop to learn how to FACILITATE

multiple points of view with young people. You'll learn not one but

FIVE different way to facilitate the Fiery Conversations and ensure

that everyone can speak their mind… and agree to disagree.

Summary

This presentation will provide participants with hands-on skills and techniques to effectively engage young people in potentially conflict-laden conversations. Based around the work of Susan Scott's "The Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations", this highly interactive training uses Scott's foundation and applies a 2017 EP filter. Our collective experience includes over 30 years of working with young people in multiple risk settings - from juvenile hall to Title I Schools. It's with this perspective that we develop a 5 part model to use when facilitating multiple viewpoints and finding a level of comfort with tension and conflict - but without the need for physical or vocal attack. Furthermore, this session will integrate both the DART (Discover, Action, Remove, Translate) as well as MIST (Metaphor, Instruction, Struggle, Ties) formulas to frame potentially conflicting viewpoints. We plan to conduct this session in a very interactive and "learning in the moment" laboratory setting - by modeling these techniques with conference participants as they take part in a 4-Corners Value as well as Crossing The Line activity. NOTE - due to the high level of interaction, this workshop is best conducted in a larger room allowing for LOTS of dialogue, laughter, and movement.

Evidence

Multiple studies have been conducted to assess effective methods to engage young people in civil dialogue rather than violent behavior - even when the topics may be quite controversial. These techniques, when used by a collective staff, can have a profound positive impact on the social norms of communication and "agree to disagree" based dialogue in an educational setting (Leithwood, K., Anderson, S., Mascall, B. and Strauss, T. 2009. School leaders’ influences on student learning: The principles of educational leadership and management. (T. Bush, L, Bell and D. Middlewood (Eds.). London: Sage Publishers.) Additionally, when professionals have access to these tools of facilitate communication, they are able to mitigate the common "knee-jerk" reactions that are derived from a perspective of defensive attack (Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R. and Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.) This presentation will provide a very brief of this research, but more importantly focus on the HOW TO facilitative techniques for professionals to immediately use.

Biographical Sketch

Eric Rowles is a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant whom has worked with over 150,000 youth, adults, administrators, professionals, and policy makers within the past 15 years. His presentations are legendary - by combining the energy and innovation of a master trainer, while at the same time reaching each of us through his stories, research, and on-the-ground strategies. One part motivational speaker, one part DJ, and two parts community organizer and parent, Eric runs a customized consulting and facilitation practice that, through a network of over 20 dynamic and diversely talented trainers, works with for profit and non-profit organizations to achieve progressive and dynamic change. Eric’s previous experience includes his work as Senior Director of Training with the Youth Leadership Institute where he designed a national training institute that provided over 1,000 days of training in five years to community organizations and coalitions throughout the country. Prior to his work with YLI, Eric was the Director of Leadership Development at Rutgers University (NJ), managed his own touring educational theater organization, Leadership Through Motivation Productions, was the Director of International Youth Summer Abroad programs, and spent five years as a substance abuse prevention coordinator in Los Angeles. Additionally, Eric through his double bachelors and Master of Science degrees in Ethnic Studies and Educational Leadership, he has served as a faculty member at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte as well as Rutgers University (NJ) and has over a decade of innovative and cutting edge classroom instruction and facilitation experience. Eric has also been a volunteer trainer and partner for a wide range of social change agencies and organizations including the National Conference on Community and Justice, College Leadership Diversity Conference, and Teaching Tolerance Curriculum Instruction.

Fred Baker is a native of the Bronx, NY and calls Fayetteville, NC home since being state at Pope Air Force Base in 1995. A Disabled Veteran of the United States Air Force, Fred served his country for 10+ years. As one of the most senior members of the Leading To Change team, Fred has presented to over 5,000 people – including the New York Mayors Alliance, National Youth At Risk Conference, NC Workforce Development Training Center, Alabama Department of Human Resources, and even the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. When not traveling around the country with Leading To Change Inc., you can find Fred volunteering his time, talent, and treasure in his local community. Mr. Baker is an active member of the Cumberland County Workforce Development Youth Council, Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the City Rescue Mission Inc., Chairman of the Deacon’s Ministry, Advisor for the Brothers Bridging the Gap, Men’s Ministry, Young Adult Sunday school teacher, and a host of other duties.

Keyword Descriptors

Conflict, diversity, tools, leadership, facilitation

Presentation Year

2018

Start Date

3-5-2018 3:00 PM

End Date

3-5-2018 4:15 PM

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Mar 5th, 3:00 PM Mar 5th, 4:15 PM

FIERY CONVERSATIONS: Facilitating The Heat Without Getting Burned

Scarbrough 3

They're the topics that you just KNOW could cause conflict - but does

it really have to lead to physical and verbal drama? These are called

Fiery Conversations - and for a reason! Come to this heated - but also

HEALTHY - dialogue focused workshop to learn how to FACILITATE

multiple points of view with young people. You'll learn not one but

FIVE different way to facilitate the Fiery Conversations and ensure

that everyone can speak their mind… and agree to disagree.