In today’s episode, I get to welcome back attorney, DE&I strategist and executive leadership coach M.E. Hart for an important conversation about how to have honest conversations in our personal and professional lives. We are living in a time of difficult, long overdue conversations around racism, social justice, gender equality, and so much more that have a real impact in the workplace and in our daily life. Today we crack open what makes this hard and how to broach these conversations in an empathetic, healthy way that respects the lived experiences of all involved.
Key Takeaways:
- Hard conversations make us all uncomfortable. We need to learn to be comfortable in that discomfort.
- Having honest, open conversations at work can be difficult and may need to be approached differently depending on your work culture and commitment as a leader.
- From an empathy standpoint, it is really important for us to recognize that people are taking their own journeys in their own way.
“When you open the door to honest conversation, you will find that people are often hungry to talk about things, as long as they know they can do it confidentially and that you have a level of respect and can accept their answer without judgment.” — M.E. Hart
About M.E. Hart:
M.E. Hart, JD – Attorney, DE&I Strategist, Master Facilitator, and Executive Leadership Coach.
M.E. Hart (who goes by Hart), JD brings a unique blend of training experiences – and expertise as an attorney, professional actor, and certified executive coach – to the design and delivery of highly effective learning solutions in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. Hart balances “life experience” with cutting edge research to teach critical communications, management and leadership skills that are unmatched in the adult-learning field.
His career has taken him into Fortune 500 companies across the US, and to interesting parts of the world. Hart has helped bridge cultural differences in Moscow and Ukraine; worked with global industry leaders in Belgium; conducted “emergency interventions” for organizations in crisis; produced interactive satellite and videoconference training for members of the federal judiciary; produced award-winning educational broadcast television programming; provided one-on-one executive coaching in the technology, finance, energy, and telecommunications sectors; and led interactive learning events on diversity, feedback & coaching, conflict management and many other topics.
Hart received his BA in Russian Language and Literature and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He also completed the Senior Executive Leadership Certificate Program at Georgetown University. Hart is certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Emotional Competency Inventory and has consulted using many other organizational assessment tools. He is committed to working with organizations to create inclusive, creative and innovative cultures that empower people to accomplish their desired business goals while living their values.
Connect with Hart:
Hart Learning Group website: HartLG.com
Twitter: twitter.com/corporatepoet
Poetry: hartofapoet.com
Thriver’s Quest Book: amazon.com/Thrivers-Quest-M-Hart/dp/1618460552
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