Real Talk: Navigating Rest and Reentry in Times of Transition
MAY 26, 2021 – 11AM-12:30PM ET | REGISTER HERE
Over the course of the pandemic, individuals, households, and communities have experienced massive upheaval across all dimensions of life: from work and extra curriculars, to parenting and caregiving, and the social fibers and daily routines running in between. Meeting simple daily needs has required long term adjustments and sacrifices. Now, some communities are experiencing a gradual reentry to a way of life newly exempt from pandemic restrictions. While this is a welcome change for many, it still is that: change. Times of transition can feel stressful, tiring, and even tumultuous. CSIS would like to offer a chance to talk about this openly, and think mindfully about what habits and mindsets are most important to keep and to shed as we begin to move forward.
Participants will reflect on what went well in the last year and what was difficult, and select habits and actions to support a process of reentry — now and in the future. This workshop is for anyone with questions about what life will look like as pandemic restrictions are lifted, as well as for anyone going through a life transition more broadly (including career changes, moves, changes in family size or structure, and personal transitions).
While we celebrate return points to normalcy for some, we also recognize and hold space for our friends and community members who are fighting hard against the pandemic in this moment. You are welcome in this conversation now, and in the future. We are with you.
Finding Your Facilitation Flow: Techniques to Ease Connection
JUNE 1, 12:30 – 2PM ET | REGISTER HERE
Faced with increasingly complex problems, teams today rely on connection and collaboration to find acceptable solutions. Effective facilitation has become a necessary skill and practice toward this end. Drawing on a decade of experience, CSIS facilitators Anna Dausman and Kaveh Sadeghian present some of their own beliefs and practices around facilitation and convening. Participants will leave this workshop with a clearer sense of their own facilitation flow and style, a handful of accessible tools, and increased confidence around convening groups and holding space. This workshop is for anyone who plans to host any group with a shared purpose — from classrooms, to clubs, to workspaces.
Kindly Critical: A New Approach to Motivating Yourself and Others
JUNE 15, 12:30 – 2PM ET | REGISTER HERE
As research around trauma-informed and self-compassion approaches continues to expand, we are beginning to see their impact and applications to both behavioral and organizational change. Many of these approaches leverage restorative principles and offer a kinder, possibly more effective approach to sustainable, long-term change. This workshop will present the latest research on self-compassion, as well as reference a series of related behavioral change approaches that build off self-monitoring, self-assessment, and self-kindness principles. Attendees will leave this workshop with a preliminary understanding of the potential impact and limitations of self-compassion focused interventions, a series of tangible exercises that can be applied to either one’s self or teams, and a greater sense of confidence in implementing these practices in our day-to-day lives.
Persuasive Communication: Telling Stories of Personal Purpose and Impact
JUNE 29, 12:30 – 2PM ET | REGISTER HERE
“Were it not for the storyteller, civilization would destroy itself.” -Albert Camus
Stories shape our world. They are powerful and pervasive– and yet, oftentimes start from a single person. In this workshop, we’ll explore how we might leverage our truth to move ourselves and others towards action. We’ll explore some tested frameworks, ranging from Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals to recent studies around the most influential presidential speeches of our time. Participants will leave this workshop with a series of storytelling tools and best practices, but also with an emerging personal story that feels equal parts authentic, empowering, and grounding.