By: Ann Blakeslee

When was the last time you participated in a professional development program that was truly transformative? My own answer to that question is a few years ago when I had the great fortune of attending Advanced Adaptive Schools training and meeting Carolyn McKanders, who ultimately changed my entire approach to, well, just about everything I do, both personally and professionally. Professionally, Carolyn’s workshops have changed how I facilitate meetings and workshops, approach my teaching, interact and work with others, and approach challenges and conflict. In short, Carolyn influenced my work and my professional interactions in very significant ways.

So what was so impactful about Carolyn and her workshops? For one, Carolyn is a gifted facilitator. She is that rare individual whose calm demeanor and deliberate approach captivate. She models, effortlessly, what she teaches, and what she teaches ultimately focuses our attention on how we can work most effectively with others. She models strategies for engaging others (third point reference and first turn-last turn are two examples) and focuses on ways to improve the effectiveness of all kinds and sizes of groups––whether a class, department, program, or committee. 

The topics Carolyn addresses are ones that are meaningful for us in our day-to-day work and in our lives. They include preparing for and facilitating meetings; she talks about “designing the surround” and creating standards to keep our meetings focused and on track. She also specializes in helping professionals learn new ways to manage conflict––and to make the important distinction between cognitive conflict (substantive differences of opinion) and affective conflict (more personalized disagreements). 

Other important topics Carolyn addresses include listening attentively and paraphrasing; understanding the difference between dialogue, which is oriented toward exploring ideas, and discussion, which is oriented toward making decisions; and knowing and applying the norms of collaborative work, including paying attention to self and others, using data to inform conversations and decision making, and posing effective questions. She also talks about sources of energy that all of us can and should draw on, including flexibility, consciousness, and interdependence.

One of my favorite Carolyn McKanders quotes is “Paraphrase your butts off.” How affirming it is for others when we listen to them attentively and paraphrase what they say, not from our own perspective (e.g., “I heard you say”), but from theirs (e.g., “You feel/believe/experience”). Doing so also builds our own understanding and empathy. Another valuable lesson Carolyn teaches is to always assume positive intentions. How often, and easily, do we assume the opposite––and wouldn’t it make a significant difference if we believed someone’s words and actions were coming from a place that was well- and not ill-meaning or intended? Not only would it shift how we think about what they said or did, it also would change our response, internally and externally.

In short, for those of us who may be feeling a little weary, which many of us are at this point in the academic year, Carolyn has something to offer that can refresh and inspire us. We are very excited to invite EMU faculty, lecturers, administrators, and staff to join Carolyn on Wednesday, April 12, from 1pm to 3:30pm (location to be announced). Even though her time with us will be short, she will engage us in thinking, actions, and conversations that will energize and refocus us. This is a wonderful opportunity for our EMU community made possible through the generosity of Provost Longworth, and by the Office of Campus & Community Writing and the Faculty Development Center, which are working collaboratively to host this experience.

Carolyn McKanders is a dynamic, internationally recognized educational consultant who specializes in individual, group, and organization development, particularly promoting quality human relationships through communication, collaboration, and leadership skills development. She also happens to be an EMU School of Social Work alumnus. Her background includes 28 years of experience in Detroit Public Schools as a teacher, counselor, and staff development specialist, and she has worked with universities and other groups nationally and internationally. Her recent book, Teachers as Facilitators (2022), co-written by Robert Garmston, is based on over 400 interviews with teachers, teacher leaders, and their supervisors from a diverse set of U.S. and international schools. Carolyn is Director Emeritus for the ThinkingCollaborativeTM and co-founder, along with Michael Dolcemascolo, of The Center for Adaptive Schools.

We are excited for and hope you will join us for this valuable professional learning opportunity. You can register to attend at this link – https://forms.gle/7HDx194ubEsr281e9. We are confident you will find it highly meaningful, engaging, and transformative. Carolyn’s workshop will equip all of us with tools for facilitating more productive and engaging meetings, for effectively managing individual and group conflict, and for being more empathic and responsive listeners.