This is the second blog in a three-part series about the transformative power of human connection to build community and unleash collective wisdom in a volatile world. If you’re just catching up, here’s the first blog.  

The events of 2020 illuminated important, long-time issues related to systemic social and racial injustice. A movement for change and activism are rightfully pushing organizations, businesses, institutions, and individuals to think more holistically about the roles they play in strengthening commitments to needed solutions—for which they will be held to account by employees, customers, and other critical stakeholders. 

For leaders, creating meaningful, long-term inclusion, equity and diversity strategies that drive substantive change require difficult, often uncomfortable, conversations. At a moment when every word we say is scrutinized, criticized, and even publicized, fear of saying the wrong thing can become paralyzing and...

This is the first blog in a three-part series about the transformative power of human connection to build community and unleash collective wisdom in a volatile world. 

It has been more than six months since the world turned upside down under the weight of a worldwide pandemic, economic downturn, and societal unrest.

For many organizations, near-term survival is the only agenda, while others, like Amazon, are thriving as they fill unmet needs. And, in recent years, discord and disinformation became norms, leaving many to wonder, “Who can I believe, and how can I communicate when people disagree, and are polarized?”

This moment is a passage to something new — an opportunity to slow down and intentionally reconnect — with our own humanity, and that of those around us. A time to return to the richness and promise of human connection to make work easier, relying on trust for resilience and sustainment, in the face of disruption.

Bridging the Disconnection...

In these charged times, every conversation can feel like a high-stakes game of roulette. How will my message land?

Differences of opinion can easily escalate into an emotionally-charged conversation that spirals downward, and out of control.

Am I getting my point across? Is the other person listening to me? Why don’t they just understand my point of view?

Tensions rise, battle lines feel drawn and emotions heighten. The innate, automatic responses are a perceived threat. And we experience fight, flight or freeze - the human body’s protective reactions to avoid further confrontation.

If not interrupted, these responses erode trust, communication and the possibility of human connection. And the spiral continues downward. We retreat into our echo chambers, and avoid confrontation with our work colleagues.

If you want to disrupt the pattern, and make challenging conversations easeful, here’s how SpiralMethod works.

How can we stop the downward spiral?

Recognize...

When it comes to today's emotionally charged conversations we are in danger of becoming more and more divided, misunderstood and disconnected.

We live in a world where everyone wants their voices and opinions heard, and with all of the online mediums available, it's easier than ever to share your thoughts with the world.

But who is really listening? What power do these words have if they aren't actually heard?

In truth, the most powerful communication tool is not speaking, but listening, really listening. In today's world of nonstop noise, it's a skill that's becoming a rarity.

What happens when we don't listen to each other? We become disconnected. We misunderstand each other, become suspicious, and mistrustful.

When we fail to listen, we stop engaging with ideas outside of our personal beliefs. We lack empathy, and simply dismiss ideas that are not our own.

How can we listen better?

If we are to have effective and important emotionally charged conversations, we must engage in...

In the discussion and exploration of societal concerns, it may feel at times that it’s impossible to communicate with others, especially when it comes to hot button issues where the recipient has a different view from your own.

Words, expressions or underlying emotions that come out during these highly charged conversations can cause a subconscious trigger, that more often than not, causes a knee-jerk reaction to defend, to prove that your side is right, and to “educate” the other on why that is. 

That trigger reaction can show up as bantering, bullying, and dismissiveness. All of these can shut down the conversation and leave people feeling silenced and/or unsafe about further engagement. 

We all possess these unconscious obstacles to engagement and trust in a group environment. There is a natural fear of speaking up because of the reaction that may follow. 

How do we move past this? 

In today’s post, we will explore some basic components...

It has been a heavy past couple of weeks here in the United States with all of the emotions that came with witnessing the death of George Floyd, an African American whose life was taken by a white man in a position of power. 

As the video of his death went viral across the Internet, it triggered a strong response that brought to light the racial tension and systemic power issues that are still very much built into the fabric of America. 

People responded with peaceful and not so peaceful protests and a stirring of racial conversations that came with some heated exchanges on social media. 

We can no longer agree to disagree. 

If there’s one thing to come from these conversations, it’s that we can’t keep saying we agree to disagree on the subject of racism in America. 

The truth is, the United States was built because of Black people and the ownership of slaves. It’s part of our history. It’s literally built into who we are as a...

I have been an ally and advocate for marginalized groups since my teens, but I’ve hit walls as I’ve attempted to increase awareness in others. I let myself get stopped, learning to tread lightly on the topic. 

I’ve allowed my voice to be stifled and all together shut down by the resistance from other white folks to take an honest look at our society on this topic in particular.

I have so much to say on the topic, but don’t want to add more noise.

My simple message to white people, all of us, is to GET EDUCATED. Lift your eyes and increase your awareness. And don’t ask People of Color to do the heavy lifting for you. There are tons of resources for you.

We are responsible for changing our thinking, shifting the norms, transforming our institutions and valuing all human life (not the marginalized groups).

One of the best resources I’ve come across is Dr. Robin DiAngelo's work. Here is a short and potent video clip to get started.

Last Spring I...

What do a Sex Coach and a Preschool Administrator have in common?

You might be surprised to find out that in times like these...quite a bit!

We chatted with Victor Warring, a Somatic Sex & Relationship Coach and Liz Napp, a Program Administrator at Sunflower Farm, last week and we wanted to share our powerful discussion with you.

We hope you find this roundtable around social norms, consent, and boundaries as enlightening and inspiring as we did.

And if you've watched our conversation and feel inspired to take ACTION, here are a few next steps SpiralMethod can offer:

Join our Webinar "How to Build Trust and Vulnerability in Groups" next Wednesday, June 3rd, from 9:45-10:45 am MDT! 

SIGN-UP HERE:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YOtXJDR9T-C5thCJsfPSSA

And you can also...

1. Connect with us on our Connection Revolution FB Group

2. Sign-Up for a SpiralMethod Experience

3. Become a SpiralMethod Facilitator

In the midst of social distancing, are you feeling disconnected?

 

Are you leading a group (from your family, to your business) that you know could flow more smoothly...but aren't sure how?

As the SpiralMethod team grows, and during such extreme circumstances in the world, we are leaning in to these questions and our desire for genuine connection more than ever. 

We decided to record a mini SpiralMethod event of our team together on Zoom, because we thought it would be helpful for you to see what a session looks like and how simple it is to connect more deeply, even in a short period of time.

Check it out and let us know what you think!