Ep 94: Kwame Christian | To have difficult conversations about race we must practice the skills to do so

Rethinking Communication

We all — myself included — have this ineffective little habit of wanting to be better at something and desiring to show up differently in the world and talking about how we can be better, yet we struggle to practice the skills necessary for us to do so.

Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in conversations about race. And to be more pointed with it — conversations about race in the workplace.

The truth is, if we never learn and then practice the skills that it takes to show up in a more effective way when situations involving race and racism and inequality rear their ugly heads at work (or anyplace for that matter), we default to our hardwiring — we get defensive, we get angry, we get consumed by winning the battle rather than working through the conflict.

Thankfully, people like Kwame Christian exist.

Kwame is the founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, he hosts the Negotiate Anything podcast, and he’s the author of a new book called How To Have Difficult Conversations about Race — Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond.

Kwame believes self-advocacy is a skill, not a talent. Thus, it can be taught. We can get better at having these difficult conversations, whether they’re about race or any other topic, when we put ourselves in the best position for success by learning and practicing the skills Kwame outlines in this conversation and in his book.

Check out the American Negotiation Institute's resources at https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/guide, listen to the Negotiate Anything podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiate-anything/id1101679010, and connect with Kwame on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/.