For how long are you comfortable with silence in a conversation? Bet it’s a lot shorter than you think. In my latest blog post I discuss the reasons silence is valuable in our lives and why public engagement professionals should cultivate it.

There’s an appealing logic to the belief that if we could just stick to the facts, discussions would be straightforward. The truth is that we humans aren’t wired that way. We project our values and feelings onto the facts that confront us to make meaning and understand the world around us.

You're sick of it. I'm sick of it. Can we talk about something other than the pandemic over the holidays?

We all deserve a break, but it can be tough to steer the conversation away from the one topic that's dominated our lives for what seems like forever. This post offers a how-to for setting boundaries and five types of conversation starters to put you on the path of more meaningful connections with family, friends, and acquaintances.

There are so many ways to communicate today! Really, the possibilities for kicking off a conversation with someone are endless. We can reach out to others via email, phone, voice message, video chat, online work platforms such as Slack or Basecamp, and, perhaps the easiest of mediums, the text message. Given all the options, some mediums are better than others for effective communication and a lot depends on context. For example, is texting appropriate for a difficult conversation? Let’s think this through.

Ironically, the loosened health restrictions potentially make this holiday season more difficult to navigate because they’ve allowed people to live according to their own risk tolerance. Some individuals are okay with big crowds and others not. Some people have been vaccinated and others have yet to get the shot or reject the idea. Family gatherings can be fraught with difficult conversations at the best of times. This is not the best of times. If you’re at a loss about how to negotiate party guestlists during this increasingly divisive pandemic, I’ve got some ideas for you.

A hybrid solution makes sense, and it’s a model I’m going to try in the coming weeks. I feel quite confident facilitating virtual sessions after months of trial, error, and adaptation. But mixing groups in-person and virtually brings with it another set of challenges and opportunities to work with.