Emotions often run high. People in difficult conversations fear escalation, loss, and other damaging consequences of discussing real and meaningful differences.
Research suggests that most leaders avoid difficult conversations. So, when teens like Aja deliver clear directions for how to have a tough conversation, we are heartened that young leaders are starting to make a real difference in their communities
We had the privilege of working with Aja, a talented young teen leader at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester. Located in one of the most diverse neighborhoods of Boston, BGCD serves its community with 3 clubhouses and youth programming such as Hope’s leadership development programming.
Watch the video. Alongside a knowing smile, she shares her experience working with Hope--and the lessons she learned about communication and its role in conflict resolution.
“If you’re in a bad situation,” she explains, “you use your words and your thoughts to explain yourself.” The hardest part of implementing healthy communication with a potential adversary, she continues, is that, “You have to learn how to place yourself in their shoes to understand what they’re saying… Sometimes it’s hard because you understand them, but they’re not understanding what you’re trying to say.”