The Folio Summer Institute was an incredible week of meeting other educators around the country to share ideas and collaborate about ways to deepen connection and belonging in our schools. There were many highlights but one of the most powerful parts of the training was the 2 days of a deep dive into Fierce Conversations and the work of Susan Scott around engaging in meaningful and productive conversations. "Achieving Success at Work & in Live, One Conversation at a Time" involved 4 protocols for various conversations: Teams, Coaching, Feedback, and Confrontation. The training was powerful as we were a small group of 9 which allowed us to build relationships and trust one another in setting that allowed personal growth through the ability to practice and engage in difficult conversations around real issues. The 3 main ideas are powerful: 1) The conversation IS the relationship. 2) All conversations are with myself and sometimes they involve other people. 3) Our careers, personal relationships, and very lives succeed or fail gradually, then suddenly, one conversation at a time. If you keep 4 objectives in mind during your conversations, it will help move thinking or understanding forward. That is to Interrogate Reality, Provoke Learning, Tackle Tough Challenges, and Enrich Relationships. I walked away from the training feeling like I have some solid tools to utilize in conversations and am happy to share more information if you're interested. I'll leave you with the principles of fierce conversations that resonate with me the most : Take Responsibility for you Emotional Wake ~ Be Here, Be Prepared to be Nowhere Else ~ Let Silence do the Heavy Lifting ~ Obey Your Instincts!