From blogs to media to the local news we all seem to be wondering how to talk to each other without one party shutting down and walking away; or even worse, responding with violence. The ability to communicate with individuals who have vastly different viewpoints is a critical skill for municipal leaders and that is why communication and information sharing is one of ICMA’s 14 Leadership Practices. A local government leader that cannot share information with their staff, council, and residents will quickly find themselves in difficult situations. Unfortunately, civil discourse is not easy. If it were, we would not need entire college courses on the subject. Join us for a discussion about why civil discourse is so important and learn some tips on how to do it well.

Topics:

1. How to have authentic conversation
2. How to disagree without being disagreeable
3. Negotiation Skills
4. Finding Common Ground in a Contentious Meeting