Crying is a normal response to deep emotion. When we are hurt, frustrated, or angry, it’s common to get teary-eyed and experience that familiar lump in the throat, making it difficult to talk. Crying can convey to others how deeply we feel or that we need extra care, which can be helpful. However, there are times when shedding tears can get in the way of meaningful, productive dialogue with people. In those situations, you can use a few strategies that will allow you to have those difficult conversations without crying.

From rebuilding proposals after a city is hit with disaster to post-pandemic reopening plans, public engagement efforts by governments and other organizations are on the rise. There’s no question that getting input from stakeholders can result in better decisions, but with email inboxes full of survey requests and invitations to brainstorming sessions, it can feel like a lot for those you’re asking to participate. So, when is public engagement necessary, and are there some decisions you’re better off making without it?

Like every other sector, public engagement planning and facilitation had to find a way to carry on during the pandemic. That meant changing how we engaged with stakeholders. In a profession heavily dependent on in-person interaction and dialogue, practitioners had to find other ways to support meaningful engagement. So, now that we are starting to see a post-pandemic world opening up, will public engagement practices go back to “normal”? I hope not.

At first glance, the checklist below might seem pretty basic, but I can tell you from experience that when the pressure is on, it’s easy to forget these essentials. Virtual presentations and training sessions are not going away any time soon, so keep this checklist next to your notes to save your mental energy for the task at hand--your online session.