The Rev. Drs. Beverly and George Thompson / HUMBLE INQUIRY: THE GENTLE ART OF ASKING INSTEAD OF TELLING
Fri 4:00pm - 5:15pm
Venue: Relating Arts
Co-Creators
Type of Experience: Conversation
Content Type: A sacred listening practice
American society has become highly polarized, and one of the contributing factors is its overvaluing of telling and doing. How can people committed to a more just and equitable world move past the common stalemates that arise when opinions differ? How can we learn to hear more deeply what is underneath surface statements, no matter how confident they sound? What does it take to help someone or an organization to solve their struggles, without giving “answers” that often get ignored anyway? This event introduces a countercultural approach to communication and relationship building, known as “humble inquiry.” More an art than a set of techniques, humble inquiry fosters deeper understanding, as the listener becomes more vulnerable by taking on the attitudes of commitment, caring, and curiosity. Humble inquiry opens up imaginative opportunities for insight and action, by changing the focus and tone of discourse. This event is adapted from Edgar Schein’s small book of this title and will set participants on a creative path for their personal lives as well as their professional skill set.