CatalystNU
Conversations that Transform
How we talk to one another is as important, if not more so, than what we talk about. Especially when we’re discussing hard things or deeply disagreeing with one another, the way we choose to engage in conversation can have a profound impact on the outcome. Good dialogue is not about avoiding what’s uncomfortable, but about being thoughtful about the process while leaning into that discomfort. Doing this isn’t easy, and it takes skill and ongoing practice.
In this series, participants will learn the how of dialogue and build practical skills for having
more meaningful conversations. Led by internal and external experts across disciplines, each session
will weave together a topical theme—leadership, emotions, equity and inclusion—with skill building in a
highly interactive format. After completing the series, participants will have gained new knowledge and
expanded skill sets to use in their working, learning, and living environments—they will be “elite
conversationalists.”
This initiative is a partnership between the Office of Community Enrichment, Human Resources, Office of the Ombusperson, and the Center for Leadership. Sponsored by the Office of the President and Office of the Provost.
We are no longer accepting applications for CatalystNU at this time.
Check back for other opportunities to engage.
Program Highlights
Program Details
Program Requirements
- Submit application by 11:59pm on November 29, 2024.
- Must be current faculty, staff, or student of Northwestern University.
- Upon acceptance, attend three full-day workshops (required).
- Three half-day sessions (optional, but highly encouraged).
Outcomes
CatalystNU aims to empower all participants to:
- Understand their own default behaviors in situations where they disagree with their peers.
- Assess the effectiveness and limitations of those default behaviors, and make conscious decisions about how and when to engage disagreements.
- Challenge assumptions they might make when preparing for and engaging in such interactions.
- Analyze different means of conducting effective dialogue across difference, and improve upon pre-existing skills – in preparation for and at-the-table – to influence effectively.
- Identify areas of improvement for future practice and mastery.
By the end of this program, participants will:
- Be able to self-regulate amid controversial conversations or sensitive moments.
- Engage difficult topics using active and deep listening to understand perspectives.
- Be aware of the perceived and actual power differences that may affect interactions with students, faculty, staff, and university administrators.
- Bring a complaint about university policy to decision-makers productively, where they can work with university administrators towards a resolution that is satisfactory to all parties involved.
Design and Content
Underpinning our workshops is a belief that people – especially adults – learn best by doing. Workshops will be more interactive than simply presentation. Because we will discuss topics involving interpersonal communication, participants must be able to engage – with instructors and with each other – to be able to internalize key concepts.
To that end, the program will include three full day (9am – 5pm) in-person sessions (required) and three half day (optional, but highly encouraged) sessions.
Full Day Workshop One | Friday, January 24, 2025
- What We Bring to Our Interactions
- Understanding Difference
- The Role of Emotions
- The Art of Understanding
- Practicing Understanding
Full Day Workshop Two | Monday, April 7, 2025
- Scenario Practice
- Managing Micro Moments
- Preparing Through Practice
Full Day Workshop Three | Thursday, May 29, 2025
- Self-Awareness And Regulation in Complex Situations
- Party Mapping
- Group Decision-Making
- Campus Improvements
- Commitments
- Closing Session: Keynote
Half Day Sessions:
- February 21,2025
- May 7, 2025
- June 3, 2025
Key Benefits
- Faculty will be able to confidently navigate tricky classroom situations.
- Staff and faculty will be able to discuss divisive issues with colleagues and students while maintaining or building professional relationships.
- Students will be equipped to use effective dialogue as another tool in their toolkit of advocating for change, on campus and in the world.
Facilitators
Naseem Khuri
Naseem is a trainer, consultant, mediator and facilitator specializing in negotiation, influence, and conflict management. He is a Senior Facilitator with Vantage Partners, a Principal with CMPartners, and a Senior Advisor with Dragonfly Partners. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.
Jayne Nucete
Jayne (Jaynie) Nucete is a facilitator and trainer focused on conversations that generate deeper insight, connection, and action for transformative change in individuals, teams, organizations, and communities. She is based in Boston, Massachusetts and has been facilitating interpersonal skills workshops for 25+ years. Through workshops, coaching, and consultation, she helps clients and community members develop mindsets, skills, and practices they need to engage their most challenging conversations with confidence.
Robert Wilkinson
Robert Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer on Public Policy and Leadership at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Rob teaches graduate courses on negotiation and leadership effectiveness. In 2023, he won the Harvard Kennedy School Carballo Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Read facilitators full bios