As facilitators, we’ve all had the experience of trying – and sometimes failing – to facilitate difficult conversations about race, class, power, and identity. These topics are very personal, emotionally charged, and while important to discuss and explore, often end up diverting us from our shared purpose.

In this day-long exploratory workshop, we will explore how Integral Theory might help us to work more skillfully with these and other challenges that arise when working with issues like race, gender, power, and identity. As facilitators who are working in this space, we are interested in exploring how we can engage both the upsides and downsides of some of the polarizing topics that show up in DEI conversations, like white supremacy culture, power and privilege, implicit bias, and equity vs. equality.

We are also curious about when and why these conversations go off the rails, as well as how we might learn how to correct these missteps.