This three-step exercise uses questions and intentional listening to begin to shift how the participants feel about joining political conversations after the election. It also engenders trust both between the participants and in the possibility of healthy conversation itself.
This is intended to help you engage meaningfully with people who have avoided or been on the outside of conversations in the past. It lets participants begin to feel heard and taken seriously—an important first step toward healthier conversations across differences in your community.
This exercise is designed to be used in one-on-one conversations. But it can also be used in small group settings. For instance, you can use it to engage a group of stakeholders with similar views and/or identities as you map a community. You could also use this to gain buy-in from people who are skeptical of talking politics in a team, organization, or community.
