How can we find common ground?

Dear reader,

I’m back home from the NVC India Convention in Panchgani—two weeks of learning, fun and community—and the first in-person NVC event I attended after the pandemic.We spent two weeks together: first, in a smaller group, mentoring and offering support to certification candidates from the Indian subcontinent, and the second, with a larger group of people, sharing NVC with newcomers and experienced practitioners.

The NVC India Convention was where I took my first steps in learning NVC; and it is an annual event I’ve returned to over the years: as a participant, organizer, certification candidate, and a trainer.This year was especially sweet—to be on the training team with teachers, mentors, friends and colleagues. Recognizing that over the past decade, there has been so much learning, growth—and so many deep connections have been made.I’m grateful for this experience, and for the space the event was held in—the beautiful Asia Plateau campus of the Initiatives of Change movement, Panchgani.

With that, I’m back home with more inspiration and energy to bring you a variety of offerings for the rest of the year, starting with my first public workshop for 2023. Scroll down for more information on this two-day online workshop in May.I’ll be sharing more offerings in subsequent newsletters, so stay tuned!

I’d love it if you could take a moment to let me know how familiar you are with NVC—this will help me create my new offerings in a way that’s relevant to your needs.

If you have any specific questions or requests, please reply to share with me. I respond to every single reply to this newsletter!

With warm regards,

Ranjitha

How do you deal with difficult conversations?

A disagreement with a loved one, discussing politics, resolving conflict or sharing feedback at work…all of these conversations come with a certain amount of charge because of how much we care about the issue and the relationship.Do you find yourself shrinking from these conversations because you don’t yet have the confidence to stand your ground and hold the others’ point of view?

Or do you wish you could express yourself in a way that’s more likely to be heard?

My upcoming workshop, “Finding Common Ground” will introduce you to the principles of the NVC framework that will help you approach these conversations differently.

My experience with NVC shows me that it is possible:

• To make space in difficult conversations for both people’s perspectives

• To have healthy disagreements, and have respect and care for everyone who’s involved

• To influence the tone of the conversation—even when only one of us practices the principles of NVC!Click here for more info about this workshop.This workshop is open to all, and is beginner-friendly. So if you’ve been wanting to explore Nonviolent Communication, join us to get started on this learning journey.

How do we bring polarized communities together?

Next week, I’ll be in conversation with Duke Duchscherer (NVC trainer and international facilitator of dialogue) on how we can apply our NVC skills to create connection in polarized times.Register here for the Q&A.

Inspiration for this fortnight:

1. Marshall Rosenberg was once asked if our needs can ever be in conflict. His response: “Needs are never conflicting. When we say that, we are only saying that at the moment we aren’t seeing how both needs can be met. That leaves an opening. When you think in the way I’m suggesting, you’ll often find a way to get most needs met simultaneously.”

2. This video offers some pointers to dealing with workplace conflict (<3 min watch)

3. Some weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be a part of a Lego Serious Play exploration of conflict and our responses to it. I wrote about my experiences here.