Courageous Conversations; Communicating Strategies for ...

Courageous Conversations; Communicating Strategies for Program Leaders

Instructor Name: Kristen Wheeler Highland Phone: 612-385-3268 Email: Kristen.wheelerhighland@

Communication By Phone: You are welcome to call me at any time. By Email: This is the easiest way to reach me. I will respond to emails within 24 hours.

Student/Instructor Support Eager-to-Learn Customer Service ETLSupport@ 651-335-6658

Chat Room Dates: October 12, 19, 26 & November 2, 2021 @ 7PM

Accommodations: ? Students with disabilities who wish to request reasonable accommodations should contact ETLsupport@. ? Contact your instructor right away if you are confused or if you need assistance.

Course Components- Students are responsible for reading all of this!

Course Description Discover your communication style and how utilizing your style can aide you in having successful courageous conversations. Identify and learn to implement how to have courageous conversations with families, staff, licensors and other stakeholders that you engage with. By practicing and taking a communication inventory learn that conversations that were once considered difficult can be delivered with ease

Learning objectives: 1. Comprehend the difference between listening and communicating 2. Identify your own communication style 3. List conversations that are common with families, agencies, children, colleagues and other stakeholders in your work. 4. Explain the importance of your own values when embarking on a courageous conversation 5. Apply strategies to assist in preparing for your conversation. 6. Determine when it is appropriate to have a conversation and when it is appropriate to let go of a conversation. 7. Outline a conversation and write it from the perspective of a learning conversation.

? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Updated September 2021

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Readings: ? Readings are posted in the Documents section of your classroom. These are due BEFORE completing the weekly message board and chat.

Discussion Board: ? Post your response to the instructor by Friday @ 12PM ? Respond to at least THREE other students by Monday @ 9PM

Discussion Board Tips: Respond to the instructor's weekly post on the message board. Respond to at least three other students each week. Provide in depth responses on the board, "Good Job" "I agree" and other comments that don't extend learning are not counted as responses. Students should refer to the reading in their response. "Students must respond to instructor's response for more information- failure to do so will prevent you from getting credit for the weekly post.

Chats: ? You must attend all chat sessions!

Chat Tips When your instructor types the * you will reply with the * This means you are ready to move Chats move FAST, if you have trouble keeping up read the transcripts after

Reflection Assignment ? This is due within 48 hours of chat: Thursday @ 9PM

Reflection Assignment Tips Use examples from the weekly lesson and be a minimum 300 words or ? page. Check spelling and grammar.

All Eager to Learn Coursework is due within 48 hours of the last chat.

Proof of Course Completion Your Develop Learning Record will be updated within 3 business days following completion of your final assignment. Final assignments must be completed within 48 hours of the last chat session.

To Access Your Learning Record: 1. Go to Develop and click "Login" in the upper right corner 2. Enter in your email address and Develop password 3. Once you are logged in, scroll to the bottom of the page until you see Application Reports 4. Click on Knowledge and Competency Framework Learning Record 5. You can then print or save your Learning Record.

? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Updated September 2021

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Class Outline

Below is what you need to do each week to complete your Eager-to-Learn Class

Week 1

Reading: ? Communications Style Inventory ? The 7 C's C%20complete%20and%20courteous . ? Courageous Conversations ? A How to Guide:

Message Board: ? Discussion Question 1: Take the communications quiz located in the documents section under week 2, what is your dominant communication style. Share an example of how you use this in your daily work

Chat Discussion: ? Now that you know your style, can you see how you might have a conversation with someone of a differing communication style? Share an example of before and after. ? How might knowing your communication style help you with parents, co-workers, children and spouses? ? Think about these words. They are the three positives of communication. What do they mean to you? ? There are also three communication traps carelessness, conflict and confrontation what do these look like? ? What does it mean to be a courteous communicator? ? Thinking about your own style and the 6 C's of communication what can you do better. ? Communication is tricky share how knowing your own style will help you or how can it hinder? ? What will you change or what will you enhance

Reflection Assignment: Due ? Share your current policy on how you communicate to families- this should be taken from your handbook. In addition, locate the portions of Rule 2 (Family child care) or Rule 3(center) or tribal regulations that discuss communication to families. Put all of this in the body of an email and send it to me o Rule 2 ? Link: o Rule 3 ? Link: o Tribal Licensing Regulations:

? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Updated September 2021

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Week 2

Reading: ? Engaging in Courageous Conversations: ? We Have to Talk: A Step-By-Step Checklist for Difficult Conversations: ? Preparing for a Difficult Conversation: on_0.pdf

Message Board: ? Discussion Question 1: Communication plays a very important part in the way we interact with families each day. Please give some examples of informal and formal conversations that you have had in your setting. Be clear on the difference between the two and when you might choose each type. How do you determine when the conversation becomes courageous?

Chat Discussion: ? I use the term courageous conversation when we have to have discussions that make us uncomfortable, what emotional and physical reactions do you have when planning? ? What steps do you take when planning for the courageous conversation? ? What are common courageous conversations you have ? How have you responded to courageous conversations in the past? ? Do you feel successful in your attempts to have the courageous conversations why or why not? ? Discuss how perceptions influence our conversations. ? Discuss how values influence our conversations. ? What can be sensitive spots for families, agencies, children, colleagues and other stakeholders. ? Can a courageous conversation be a dialogue? How might this look different?

Reflection Assignment: ? Think of a courageous conversation. The sky's the limit here. It can be with anyone about any topic. It can be revisiting a previous conversation or addressing a new one that has been building. Try to make this work related versus personal. Make it applicable to your work. WHY this conversation is important. Use one of the tip sheets in the handouts to guide you.

Reading: ? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Week 3

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? The whole book is good!!

? Handout 2 ? How Well do you Listen? Message Board:

? Discussion Question 1: Complete the how well do you listen inventory... What did you learn from this? What are your strengths and where do you need improvements? What will you need to change to begin having courageous conversations?

Chat Discussion: ? Listening and hearing are different, share your interpretation of each ? How does voice tone, mannerisms etc. play into effective communication ? Do you use different communication style or listening skills in different situations? ? Do your styles vary from personal and professional conversations? ? Refer to the listening barriers ? choose one and share how you will engage during a courageous conversation(below) lets go through a few of these

Pseudolistening? pretending to listen and appears attentive but is not listening to understand or interpret the information (listeners may respond with a smile, head-nod, or even a minimal verbal acknowledgment but are ignoring or not attending). Selective Listening? selecting only the information that the listeners identify as relevant to their own needs or interests (listeners may have their own agenda and disregard topics if they do not align with their current attitudes or beliefs). Insulated Listening? ignoring or avoiding information or certain topics of conversation (the opposite of selective listening). Defensive Listening? taking innocent comments as personal attacks (listeners misinterpret or project feelings of insecurity, jealousy, and guilt, or lack of confidence in the other person). Insensitive Listening? listening to information for its literal meaning and disregarding the other person's feeling and emotions (listeners rarely pick-up on hidden meanings or subtle nonverbal cues and have difficulty expressing sympathy and empathy). Stage Hogging? listening to express one's own ideas or interests and be the center of attention (listeners often plan what they are going to say or interrupt while the other person is talking). Ambushing? careful and attentive listening to collect information that can be used against the other person as an attack (listeners question, contradict, or oppose the other person to trap them or use their own words against them). Multitasking? listening without full attention while attempting to complete more than one task at a time (listeners are actually "switch tasking" and your brain is switching from one task to another rapidly and the information is lost). Review the article from the NPR broadcast, "Think You're Multitasking? Think Again" (Hamilton, 2008).

Reflection Assignment: ? Think about the environment that you will have courageous conversations, what is the look and feel consider, physical and emotional space.

? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

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Week 4

Reading ? Socratic Questions: ? How to Manage Your Emotions in Difficult Conversations:

Message Board: ? Discussion Question 1: How do you decide if a conversation is one NOT to have and how do you let go of it once you make that decision?

Chat Discussion: ? When are there better ways to address an issue than talking about it? ? What's the difference between taking the lead in a conversation and taking over. ? Why should you come solution focused and with a clear idea of what outcome is preferred? ? Think about the words compromise and collaboration which is preferred? ? Refer to the quote on your syllabus? Why is this true? Or don't you think it is? ? How does using open ended questions support your conversation ? What are your follow up steps after the conversation? ? How do you know if you need to stop and come back later? ? What does success look like?

Reflection Assignment: ? Based on the material in the course and what you have learned about yourself what are your plans to become a great communicator, great listener and deliverer of courageous conversations.

RESOURCES Judy Ringer: Conflict, Creativity, and Compassion: CreativeMornings/PKX. (2020). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from Sanbonmatsu, D. M., Strayer, D. L., Medeiros-Ward, N., & Watson, J. M. (2013). Who MultiTasks and Why? Multi-Tasking Ability, Perceived Multi-Tasking Ability, Impulsivity, and Sensation Seeking. PLoS ONE, 8(1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054402 Courageous Conversations - A How To Guide - We-Q. (2020, June 20). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from Home. (2017, June 28). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from to the seven Cs,, coherent, complete and courteous

? 2020, Child Care Aware of Minnesota

Updated September 2021

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