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Faculty Affairs

 

Courageous Communication

Courageous Communication at GW

Faculty navigating the higher-education environment often find that difficult interactions—whether with colleagues, students, or administrators—can interfere with their wellbeing, creativity, and sense of belonging. This challenge can be magnified for those stepping into roles as committee chairs, department leaders, and principle investigators, where high-friction interactions clash with leaders’ efforts at collaboration toward shared purposes. While the importance of emotional intelligence in the higher-ed setting is well-recognized, it is not easy to find repeatable, systematic ways to build that capacity—especially when our teaching and research goals compete for daily attention.

Courageous Communication at GW is a new cohort-based program sponsored by Faculty Affairs that offers skills designed to foster internal capacity and boost effectiveness while navigating the challenges of the higher-ed environment. Grounded in the evidence-based framework of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), this series offers faculty a concrete system for de-escalating conflict, delivering and receiving difficult feedback, and creating a culture where people can thrive in their departments and labs.

Topics Include:

  • Fostering self-connection
  • Navigating interpersonal dynamics
  • Transforming judgments
  • Powerful requests; hearing and saying “no”
  • Power, resources, and choice
  • Equitable meeting facilitation
  • Finding paths through conflict
  • Attending to impact; repair and reconciliation

Expected Outcomes:

  • Increased internal capacity for resilience
  • More satisfying interpersonal relationships
  • Greater confidence navigating conflict
  • Deeper sense of community through cohort-based model
  • Reduced burnout and more space to focus on what matters most 

What's Involved:

  • One facilitated 2.5-hour full-group session per month, Friday mornings from September through April
  • Meeting with a practice partner two times/month (self-scheduled; prompts will be provided)
  • One facilitated small-group meeting per month (with flexibility for scheduling)
  • A one-on-one coaching session

Tentative dates for the 2026-2027 Academic Year:

September 11, October 2, November 20, December 18, January 22, February 19, March 19, April 29 (Tuesday)

Nominations are due by June 5, 2026. Click here to nominate yourself or someone else.