Featured: Braver Angels Action Team

Listening, staying respectful, working together — these are skills that are sorely lacking in today’s political landscape and public life. They’re also skills that CCL’s Braver Angels Action Team works to help you strengthen!

Last week, the Action Team held a training called “Skills for Disagreeing Better,” aimed at helping people communicate more effectively. This fun and interactive workshop helped CCLers practice listening to others and sharing their own perspectives in ways that are thoughtful and respectful.

We caught up with a few participants to hear their feedback after taking the workshop.

“I love that you're helping us all think about how to connect and relate to one another,” one attendee said. “I'll remember and share the LAPP acronym: Listen, Acknowledge, Pivot, share Perspective.”

Another participant said, “My biggest takeaway from the workshop was the power of the pivot. In pivoting, we ask permission of our conversational partner to share our perspective before launching into what we think.” This framework, and the chance to practice this skill, makes a real difference in our conversations when we disagree.

“I think we are often in places where people do not listen to one another,” one participant reflected. “Listening was key for this workshop, so thank you.”