Civil Discourse Part 2: 3 Cognitive Skills to Help You Understand Different Perspectives [VIDEO]

There is no doubt that our country is divided. As individuals have been affected, so have organizational cultures. Difference of opinion should not ruin relationships, but it does. Many of us are not equipped to have difficult conversations or to disagree with one another.

According to a 2020 national survey, 62% of Americans say they have political views they’re afraid to share. Self-censorship is on the rise in the US. In fact, the graphic below from the CATO Institute shows more Americans have opinions they're afraid to share in 2020 than in 2017 because they fear that others may find their beliefs offensive.

In civil discourse, there are six skills: three emotional and three cognitive. Today we are going to look at the three cognitive skills.

1. Cultivating Curiosity

Cultivating curiosity allows us to learn about others without judgment. It’s about asking questions, giving people the freedom to share, and just seeking to learn.

2. Taking Perspective

Distinct from empathy, taking perspective is about being able to articulate an idea different from your own. Understanding and being able to comprehend an idea doesn’t mean that you have to agree with it.

3. Engaging Effectively

Engaging effectively is about listening in a way that is fair, allowing a conversation to continue, and not shutting it down. It includes metacommunication which is all of our non-verbal cues: tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and body language. All of these play a part in whether or not an intended message was understood and received the way it was supposed to.

These three cognitive skills are less about feeling and more about understanding and comprehension. Be sure to check out our other video on the emotional skills of civil discourse.

I’ve personally seen these six civil discourse skills transform organizations, allowing them to communicate across differences and engage more effectively in diverse relationships.

Contact us to learn more about how our experienced consultants can facilitate in-depth training for your team on the topic of civil discourse.

Eryka Jenkins, M.Ed., brings experience in the areas of education, diversity and inclusion training, building culture, conflict management, and team building. Her previous experiences include working in education where she built community among students and partnered with faculty and division leadership to build cultural competency. A former Division 1 athlete, Eryka is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist, has crafted and led strength programs for various sports teams, and has served as a sports coach for over 10 years. She has an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Resort Management and Business from the University of Memphis, and a diversity and inclusion certificate from Cornell University.