Brave Conversations

BRAVE CONVERSATIONS

(Call to Action – Conflict in Community)

A CALL TO ACTION to help people initiate brave conversations when concerns or conflicts arise.

Can you remember the last time you were faced with a situation where a problem needed to be dealt with? Maybe it was a conversation you needed to have with one of your children who consistently broke curfew, or a parent/teacher conference about a student who was failing academically, or possibly even a discussion with your boss at work regarding a colleague. When these difficult situations arise, it is important to be brave in facing the issue. Bravery is not simply stating what comes to your mind in the moment of frustration, but interpreting the situation from multiple lenses. We call this having a BRAVE Conversation. This means that we have multiple lenses that we want to ensure take place when the actual conversation occurs. Here are a few words to remember when you are faced with a difficult conversation, to ensure that it is truly BRAVE.

B- Bold

R- Relevant

A- Authentic

V- Valuable

E- Evaluative 

BOLD

It is important to be bold and willing to face conflict. We need to be courageous to have brave conversations. How many times do we simply say, “it just doesn’t matter,” when we know that it does matter to us? Be BOLD in your conversations!

RELEVANT

When you keep it relevant, you will ensure that you stay on topic, and stay connected to the issue. We must ensure that we do not link other concerns to our discussion. Brave discussions stay focused on the topic at hand. Be RELEVANT in your conversations!

AUTHENTIC

All discussions should be authentic. They should be filled with a sincere discussion that embraces both truth and grace. Brave discussions are genuine, and our words come from the heart. Be AUTHENTIC in your conversations.

VALUABLE - All conversations should hold value. Will this discussion bring growth and gain, or panic and pain? Ask yourself, why do I need to address this? Will it be helpful or harmful? Do I have the right to speak into this situation? Next, make sure you value the other person involved, by being respectful and extending kindness. Be focused on creating VALUABLE conversations.

EVALUATIVE- Take time to evaluate your purpose for the discussion before you enter it and look at the results when you exit it. Take time to evaluate what you intend to say, before you say it. As you exit a conversation, evaluate the outcome. What could have I have done differently? What went right in the conversation and what went wrong? How can I grow from this situation? Evaluating a conversation can take us to new levels of growth. Be EVALUATIVE in your conversations. 

We will all face moments where we need to deal with a problem in our community. When we have strategies to face difficult issues, they can be resolved successfully. Remember, you can have a brave conversation!

FORMULA

BOLD + RELEVANT + AUTHENTIC + VALUABLE + EVALUATIVE = BRAVE CONVERSATIONS

QUESTION: What part of the formula do you need to focus on before the conversation?