Tuesday, May 27, 12 – 1 pm EST/11 – 12 pm CT/10 – 11 am MT/9 – 10 am PT
Section on Institutional Advancement
In these polarized times, with higher education in the crosshairs, strengthening connections with alumni and donors can feel more difficult than ever. Conversations escalate quickly, becoming highly charged and leaving little room for nuance. How do we navigate an increasingly fraught landscape, particularly one in which federal funding for institutions is under threat?
This session will explore whether and how we might transform potentially divisive conversations into opportunities for deeper understanding. Where might we center curiosity and listening even as we articulate institutional positions with context and clarity? (And how do we manage our own reactivity while we’re at it?)
Bring your examples—the challenges and the successes. Together we will consider ways to manage divergent perspectives, preserve relationships, and foster connection that transcends current social and political tensions.
Panelists
Sheila Heen is the Thaddeus R. Beal Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School and serves as a Deputy Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, where she has been developing negotiation theory and practice since 1995.
Heen specializes in particularly difficult negotiations – where emotions run high and relationships are strained. She is also a co-author of two New York Times bestsellers, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (with Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton, 2nd ed Penguin 2010) and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It’s Off-Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered, and Frankly, You’re Not in the Mood) (with Douglas Stone, Viking/Penguin 2014). She has written for the Harvard Business Review, and the New York Times as a guest expert, and as a Modern Love columnist.
Heen and her co-authors are currently working on a 3rd edition of Difficult Conversations.
Rachel A. Viscomi is a Clinical Professor at Harvard Law School and the Director of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP). She runs the Harvard Dispute Systems Design Clinic, training students to become problem-solving lawyers, while supporting clients to rethink the ways they manage conflict within their organizations. Viscomi has supervised projects across the world, from the United States and Canada to Israel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In her clinical work, she supervises projects related to dispute systems design, conflict assessment, facilitated dialogue, strategic negotiation advice, and curriculum design. Viscomi has worked closely with students to re-envision public safety, reinvigorate public dialogue, increase access to justice, and enhance connection and accountability within organizations.
Moderator
Heather Rappaport, Ph.D., is the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations at the William S. Boyd School of Law. She is dedicated to creating pathways for the community to support legal education. In her role, she oversees special events, communications and marketing, alumni engagement, and fundraising efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, ice skating, and spending time with her two children.
