Dignity Across Divides - Connecting and Supporting Our Teams

In-person Lunch & Learn

Many leaders report that communication among their team members is strained by unspoken disagreements. This session will explore a dignity and empathy-based approach to help our teams leverage their different perspectives as a way to support and enrich our workplaces and communities. Participants will learn ways to disagree with dignity and break the “cycle of contempt” that prevents teams from coming together productively.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain greater familiarity with the “Dignity Index” as a tool for collaboration.
2. Be able to identify ways to bring greater dignity to the discourse of their organization and community.
3. Practice the application of the dignity and empathy model with real world scenarios.
4. Reflect on the “cycles of contempt” that negatively impact their workplace and community collaborations.

About Our Facilitator

Melinda Messineo, PhD is a professor of Sociology and the Distinguished Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence and Community Engagement at Ball State University. She is a nationally recognized award-winning teacher and workshop facilitator. Her research explores representations of individuals in the media and the impact that all media forms have on our understanding of people different from ourselves.