Workshop Schedule: 

Day 1 - Foundational Tools: Making Connections: 

We will focus today on awareness, connection, listening, flexibility, and designing a clear message about complicated information for a lay audience. We will review important research that validates the importance of compassionate communication in medicine for healthcare providers as well as patients and families.  Immersive exercises will build strong team engagement, foster expression, make room for vulnerability and lay the foundation for speaking with clarity, compassion, and authenticity. At the end of the day, you will have time to share what you brought you to this conference and your goals moving forward.  

Coffee and snacks are provided in the morning and afternoon. Lunch is provided.  

Learning Objectives:  

• Recognize the value behind compassionate communication in medicine  

• Identify aspects of my identity that influence personal perspectives  

• Discover ways to lead communication encounters based on the needs of the listener  

• Analyze and practice the value of perspective-taking in an emotional conversation    

• Recognize the ladder of inference and concepts of psychological safety  

• Practice dealing with emotion through roleplay    

Day 1 - Schedule: 

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.                Breakfast 
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.               Making the Case for Compassionate Communication 
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.             Connecting Through Improvisation 
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.          Break 
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.          Clarifying a Complicated Message 
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.             Lunch  
1:50 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.                Finding Common Ground 
1:50 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.                Psychological Safety and the "Ladder of Inference" 
2:35 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.                Break 
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.                Hearing Beneath Emotion 
3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.                Written Reflection and Group Discussion
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.                Round Robin Discussion  
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.                Networking hour 

Day 2 - Challenging Conversations in Medicine: 

The focus today will be on challenging conversations in medicine and include roleplays, group sharing, and vulnerable conversations. The curriculum is scaffolded to provide applications to our foundational tools in observation, listening and connecting - and an opportunity to share and practice the art of medicine in a brave, supportive space. This will be a highly emotional day, with important breaks and reflective writing to process your learning and your hot buttons. There is nothing to prepare for this day’s session.  

Coffee and snacks are provided in the morning and afternoon. Lunch is provided.  

 Learning Objectives - Morning: Recognizing Core Values:  

• Practice using inquiry to build connections in a feedback scenario  

• Listen to uncover another person’s story    

• Practice finding a third story to move out of conflict   

 Learning Objectives - Afternoon: Sharing Serious News:    

• Recognize the difficulty of describing emotion    

• Practice ordering information with the headline   

• Practice emotional encounter through role-play    

• Reflect on challenges that hinder communication in emotional situations   

• Describe successful techniques used in the past  

Day 2 - Schedule: 

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.                 Breakfast 
9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.                 Warm Up 
9:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.              Inquiry-based Feedback 
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.           Break 
10:45 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.           Engaging with Difference 
11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.           Discussion 
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.              Lunch 
1:00 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.                 Warm Up 
1:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.                 Sharing Serious News 
2:20 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.                 Break 
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.                 Finding the Headline 
3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.                 Holding Space Roleplays 
3:50 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.                 Break 
4:00 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.                 Reflective Writing 
4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.                 Closing Discussion and Wrap Up 

Day 3 - Narrative Humility: 

This culminating session will expand the applications of our learning into important conversations and skill development around unconscious bias and microaggressions. Our work will include discussions, roleplays, and an opportunity to think as a team around vulnerabilities, misunderstandings, and intent vs. impact. There is a 20 minute reading to prepare for this session that will be emailed prior to your arrival. We will conclude the morning with closing conversations and provide a working lunch to share follow-up training and discuss your experience.   

Coffee and snacks are provided in the morning. A working lunch is provided.  

 Learning Objectives:  

• Expand the capacity of awareness for the self and others  

• Practice attunement through roleplay  

• Evaluate the role of the bystander  

• Describe concrete actions in the face of injustice  

• Develop skills in narrative humility  

Day 3 - Schedule: 

8:30 a.m.– 9:00 a.m.                Breakfast 
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.               Our Identity                         
9:30 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.             Narrative Humility and Dominic Roleplays 
10:35 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.          Break 
10:45 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.          Roleplays Continued and Finding Our Voice as a Bystander 
11:40 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.          Reflective Writing 
11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.          Break 
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.             A Working Lunch - Next Steps