The OBREAU Tipod: A Toole for Finding Gold among the Rubble
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Transcript of The OBREAU Tipod: A Toole for Finding Gold among the Rubble
The OBREAU Tripod: A Tool for Finding Gold
Among the Rubble
Presented byEric K. Kaufman, Virginia Tech
Don Dunoon, New Futures
What’s Your View of Politics?
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Objectives for this Session• Recognize default patterns of interaction that can derail
efforts toward shared leadership and productive conversations on tough issues;
• Be able to identify and describe the three practices associated with the OBREAU Tripod: Working from Observation, Attributing Reasonableness, and Speaking with Authenticity;
• Highlight opportunities for application of the OBREAU Tripod in leadership education; and
• Apply the OBREAU Tripod in connection with a personal leadership challenge.
Connecting with Don Dunoon
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The OBREAU Tripod: Enabling challenging conversations
• Observation• Reasonableness• Authenticity
Three practices to support challenging conversations for groups and individuals
– on virtually any topic where there are differences of view
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The Tripod is an Antidote, Counterpoint to 3 Default Behaviors
Working from negative and untested assumptions about others
Responding as if “we know” what the issue is
Side-stepping or sugar-coating what needs to be talked about
Working from Observation
Noticing – as far as possible without immediately reacting and judging
Asking what is directly discernible – as distinct from inference and conclusion
Intention is to open up possibilities; give ourselves a stronger platform to speak from; e.g. “Here’s what I notice. What do you see?”
Attributing Reasonableness
Imagining what the issue might look like to those involved, allowing that they can be reasonable in this instance
Here the focus is below the waterline of the iceberg
The purpose is to develop possible interpretations to enable testing and exploration
Speaking with Authenticity
Contemplating what is true for you on this issue
Speaking to this while also connecting with observation, and holding open that others are acting reasonably
You can say pretty much whatever you like (including asking questions) providing it is:•True for you•Consistent with presuming reasonableness•Connected with observation
Benefits of using the Tripod• Helps get beyond routine, default behavior
patterns• Opens up new ways of seeing and framing issues
(through Observation)• Fosters practical empathy (through
Reasonableness)• Supports modeling of desired behaviors (through
Authenticity emphasis)• Aids in making headway with issues that can
otherwise seem intractable
Case: Yale Protests & Fallout10/27/15 – Email from Intercultural Affairs Council about Halloween
costumes10/30/15 – Email response from Erika Christakis, associate master of
Silliman College11/05/15 – Student protestor confronts Nicholas Christakis,
demanding resignation11/17/15 – University president and dean of college email
reaffirmation of support for Christakises12/04/15 - Erika resigns from her teaching role & Nicholas
announces a sabbatical for Spring 201605/24/16 - Nicholas and Erika resign from their roles with Silliman
College to “pursue academic work full time”
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Time Remaining:
Jot notes about the Yale case, organizing them by each leg of the Tripod:•Observation,•Reasonableness•Authenticity
Imagine the issue or challenge as an iceberg.Observation focuses on what’s more explicit about the issue, what can be seen directly, what’s above the waterline.
Imagining what could be “going on” for stakeholders, presuming they are reasonable, in 4 dimensions: their possible hidden / unspoken assumptions, interests, feelings, and knowledge regarding this issue
What’s Your Challenge?
• Unreasonable professor?• Increased demands at work?• Child demanding increased freedom?• Changes to program budget/funding model?• Organization leaders refusing responsibility?• Poor attendance record of colleague/student?• Demographic discrimination?• Unsatisfactory political candidates?
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Share your issue or challenge, holding all three legs of the Tripod.
Coach your partner on opportunities to improve Observation and Reasonableness.
Time Remaining:
Benefits of the Tripod?
• Helps get beyond routine, default behavior patterns• Opens up new ways of seeing and framing issues
(through Observation)• Fosters practical empathy (through
Reasonableness)• Supports modeling of desired behaviors (through
Authenticity emphasis)• Aids in making headway with issues that can
otherwise seem intractable
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Desired College Outcomes (Hart Research Associates, 2015)
“Nearly all employers (96%) agree that, regardless of their chosen field of study, all students should have experiences in college that teach them how to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own.”
“Indeed, employers nearly universally agree that to achieve success at their companies, a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex programs is more important than his or her undergraduate major.”
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How Will You Use the OBREAU Tripod?
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Do you want discussion to be Vanilla or Neapolitan?
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OBREAU Tripod content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. See www.dondunoon.com
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