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At The Winters Group, we strongly believe that although we may not always agree, we should be able to find common ground if we approach one another with open hearts and minds and without assumptions that we have nothing in common, acknowledging our biases. This belief pervades our work, from our cultural competence learning experiences to our Virtual Learning Labs to this blog, The Inclusion Solution.

As a team, we don’t always agree on everything. We have a diverse range of experiences that influence our worldviews, and especially when we get into current events, there’s always more than one opinion represented at the table. But we all believe in inclusion and in our collective ability to dialogue and come to common ground while respecting differences – always assuming positive intent. This is the hope we have for all our learning experiences, and we hope that we model this on the Inclusion Solution as well with the variety of points of view and takes on current events, D&I trends, and issues of justice an equity.

We all believe in #inclusion and in our collective ability to dialogue and come to common ground while respecting differences – always assuming positive intent. Click To Tweet

We also believe that being able to dialogue through points of disagreement, especially about topics that are close to our hearts or our experiences, is a skill. You can build competency in engaging in Bold, Inclusive Conversations®, and we want this blog to be a space where we model and practice that skill-building. Whether that’s providing tips to start the conversation or engaging in the comments section, we want to create space for people to learn, grow, and be challenged. As readers you may not always agree with us, and that’s okay. But, let’s talk about it.

Let’s talk about what inclusion means to you and where your worldviews come from. Let’s talk about what you believe in and why. Let’s talk about what we may agree on before we delve deep into the ways we disagree. Let’s talk about it, but let’s do so in a way that moves us all toward greater inclusion. Below is the model we use from Mary-Frances Winters’ book, We Can’t Talk About That at Work!: How to Talk About Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics.

As you read each week, think about how you can engage with others on these topics, either with us in the comments section or with people in your various spheres of influence. We want to provide you with inspiration, challenge, and affirmation, and we hope that you take these perspectives and use them to continue your own journey. Having these conversations, whether it’s about immigration or self-care or racial equity, can be tough, but using the model to think through how you will have them can help you hone your skills, become more inclusive and closer to building common ground each time.

Sometimes we may see other’s beliefs as a direct threat to certain things we believe in.... That’s what makes these conversations BOLD—they require us to be brave and be willing to lean into discomfort. But that’s also what makes… Click To Tweet

We won’t always agree. And while sometimes we may see other’s beliefs as a direct threat to certain things we believe in, we have to remember that the same could probably be said for them. That’s what makes these conversations bold—they require us to be brave and be willing to lean into discomfort. But that’s also what makes them inclusive—they require us to see the person on the other side of the conversation as a person with just as valid of a worldview as ours. They require us to see the other person as just that – a person. So, let’s talk about it, and let’s become bolder and more inclusive together.

We may not always agree, so let's talk about it, and let’s become bolder and more inclusive together Click To Tweet