Nov 6, 2019
MM054 How to Have Productive Conversations With People Different From You
Frederick Jefferson III is the Senior V.P. of Jefferson and Associates, a consulting and executive coaching firm focused on organizational diversity and inclusion in the 21st century. As an executive leadership coach, he has over 20 years of international experience coaching clients in the areas of organization change management, action learning, strategic communications, and change management. He is also part of the Leadership Coaching Certificate Program as Program Faculty. He holds a master’s degree in Organizational Development from American University/NTL, a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Cambridge College, and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Human and Organization Learning.
Fred joins me today to discuss how we can engage other people with opposing opinions and have a decent, productive conversation. He shares his passion for helping people communicate with each other better and describes the event that changed his perspective on life. He explains what trigger words are, what unconscious bias is, and the kind of topics people always avoid. Fred also shares tips for making sure you have a dialogue with another person - instead of a debate.
“Leaders, no matter where you are, you have to understand who you are as a human being and your impact on others.” - Fred Jefferson III
Today on Mastering Midlife:
- Trigger words that create tension between two people.
- How he defines inquiry and why it matters in how you handle a conversation.
- Why deep breathing can help you listen to another person.
- What Unconscious Bias is and why it affects how we make decisions.
- His experience in helping others engage in tough conversations.
- His tips when it comes to controversial topics.
- The difference between a debate and a dialogue.
- The event in his childhood that changed his view on life.
- His dissertation topic on leadership and racial identity.
Fred Jefferson’s Words of Wisdom:
- Finding spaces to pause is the best tool to use wherever you are.
- How we do things can have a great impact.
Connect with Fred Jefferson:
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