Bridging Differences & Overcoming Polarization Series

Has an interpersonal tension left you stuck or frustrated?

Together, with reflection and application of practical tools, we’ll look at tensions with new eyes. We’ll explore how personal, cultural, and social identity could be affecting our interactions and gain skills for bridging differences.

These workshops are for everyone who wants to connect with people different from themselves – this could be your coworker, boss, neighbor, future friend, or even a sibling!

This small-group, dialogue-based workshop series takes place over three sessions.

3 part series, 90 minutes each, Wednesdays, 12:00-1:30 PST / 15:00-16:30 EST / 20:00-21:30 UTC:

Session 1: January 31, 2024. Diagnosing differences contributing to tensions in our teams and relationships. Tool takeaway: Continuums of cultural differences 

Session 2: February 7, 2024. Navigating identity labels: frustration or freedom? Tool takeaway: Who/where we are (positionality) and what we see (framing)

Session 3: February 14, 2024: Getting to know the stories we tell ourselves. Tool takeaway: Applying Transforming Tensions Process to our frustrations, past or present.

Hosted by: Anjali Leon of PPL Coach, Guest Facilitator: Sara A Clark of Curious Ways

As a result of this program, you will be able to:

• Lean into awkward conversations with curiosity and tools
• Identify potential differences in communication preferences and norms across various dimensions
• Apply a powerful model for addressing differences to a personal frustration (past or present)
• Contribute to more inclusive team environments, including increased awareness of power dynamics

Overcoming polarization starts with us!

Note: You can sign up for this series by itself or in combination with others. "Engaging Conflict Across Cultures & Power Differences" builds upon this series with a more in depth dive into two specific continuums of difference that comprise the Intercultural Conflict Styles, as well as considering power dynamics and bias.

What people are saying:

“I am more aware about myself, how I judge others, and how those judgements influence what I do, say or how I feel.”

"I liked the variety of topics covered and the real life examples that participants used in regards to these topics. The examples helped make things easier to understand and gave a broader perspective on how these new/”foreign” concepts could be applied in real life."

"The topics for each week were expandable in size: small enough to cover in one session, but big enough to create discourse and to have an impact on our daily lives/thought processes."

Sliding Scale:

As facilitators within a global context and committed to equity, we strive to provide flexible pricing to make the workshop accessible in the context in which you are. Please pay at the highest rate reasonable to your financial situation and/or ability to access funds through your networks.

Sliding Scale Rates* - 3 sessions x 90 minutes:

• Solidarity $45
• Sustain $155
• Full $270
• Redistribution/Organizational $495

In short, we encourage you to use your judgment to pay the rate that makes sense for you. Here is some of our thinking, but if you don’t fit in one of these boxes, that is ok!

• Solidarity: We set these rates as an attempt to be in solidarity with individuals for whom this makes the opportunity accessible. We recognize that in some cases this rate may still not be accessible, and we encourage anyone to get in touch if that is the case.

• Sustain: These rates support more of the costs of the series while still intended for individuals for whom this makes the opportunity accessible. Additionally, this rate may be appropriate for people who, in workshops related to identity, find they often contribute more to the learning of others than they learn themselves, for example a Black person in an anti-racism training. While this curriculum is designed to disrupt that pattern, we want to honor the risk you take by signing up.

• Full Cost: Full rates represent the ‘true cost’ for paying labor and expenses of preparation and facilitation.

• Redistribution/Organizational: Redistribution means ‘paying your fair share’ for individuals who have had structural advantage and access to wealth, personally or through their organization. We use redistribution rates to support our solidarity and sustain clients. This provides an opportunity for people to practice fiscal generosity if they are able. If work is paying the bill, consider paying this rate.

Notes: Offers to barter/trade are also welcome! Appreciation to Both/And and the Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance for publicizing their rates and structure. Both organizations have questionnaires for determining your rate. Both/And's questionnaire was inspired by Resource Generation’s “Class Privilege Quiz.” 

Learn more about or connect with our facilitation: Sara Clark on LinkedIn and CuriousWays.co