Contents
Preface: How this book came to be
Introduction: How to use this book
1 How We Get Stuck: Breakdowns in conversation
Focus on real, live conversations
Power plays can’t help you strengthen relationships
Framing breaks down in unfamiliar and polarized situations
2 (In)Authenticity: The key to getting unstuck
Consistency with the past can lead to getting stuck
Dynamic authenticity is aligned with the future
Dynamic authenticity is a team sport
3 Know What You Bring: The hidden baggage of conversations
Our way of being is tied with our background conversation
Uncover your background conversations
Ways of being can be tricky to see
Is being in the eye of the beholder?
4 Locate the Bait: What we gain when conversations lose
Pitfalls: Background conversations that get us stuck
Identifying the bait helps you get unstuck
Bait usually involves right, righteous, certain, and safe
5 Dare to Share: Moving past the talking points
Connect with internal motivations
6 Start Talking: Bringing conversations back to life
You will encounter a variety of responses
Results require action, and action requires commitment
7 Embrace the Tension: How our differences can make a difference
8 Widen the Circle: Building inclusive movements
Shared inquiry is required to change the collective conversation
Each social movement has core tensions and pitfalls
Realist-visionary tensions are present in all social movements
Movements can have collective bait and pitfalls
Find the possibility at the heart of our movements