Kwame Christian is the founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, where he conducts training that helps make difficult conversations easier. He’s the host of the world’s most popular negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything. The show has over 5 million downloads and listeners in +180 countries. His book, Finding Confidence in Conflict, has helped countless individuals navigate difficult conversations and was inspired by Kwame’s popular TEDx Talk with the same name.
Kwame was the recipient of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2020, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award in 2021, and the 2022 Columbus 40 Under 40 Award. He also serves as a business lawyer at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP; contributor at Forbes; professor of negotiation for The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, the top-ranked dispute resolution program in the country; and professor of communication and negotiation at the MBA program at Otterbein University.
In this episode we discuss:
-The biggest barriers to having conversations about race in the workplace and beyond.
-Why it is important (even though counterintuitive) to listen and show empathy for people we don't agree with, even those who we might fundamentally disagree with or even consider "racist."
-Why persuasion is ineffective without empathy, understanding, and trust.
-How Kwame mediates differences in perception about race (e.g., between individuals and police officers).
-What to do when there is a disagreement about whether race "played a role" in a certain situation.
-Moving beyond identity-based thinking to discover shared goals in a conversation (from the micro to macro).
-Why debating the "facts" of a situation is ineffective unless there is a validation of people's experiences.
-The compassionate curiosity framework:
1) acknowledge and validate emotions
2) get curious with compassion
3) joint problem solving
Watch Kwame's TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Zg65eK9XU
The American Negotiation Institute: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/
Download the "How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race" Negotiation Guide:
Follow Kwame on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/
Negotiate Anything Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiate-anything/id1101679010
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I3_mDF7gzhs
Follow Dr. Goodman:
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~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~
