S6 Ep8 : Build Your Capacity To Listen | Michael Rohd

02/26/24 • 32 min

Michael Rohd is a theatre-maker, educator, process designer, writer and facilitator. His research and creative practice is focused on civic imagination. He has a 30+ year history of projects across sectors bringing cultural activity to the work of public engagement, community planning and cross-sector coalition building. In 1992 in Washington DC he co-founded Hope Is Vital, an arts & public health program that, over 8 years, helped start up theatre-based public engagement/HIV prevention coalitions in over 80 communities around the US. In 1999, he co-founded Sojourn Theatre and served as artistic director for 20 years, co creating and directing nearly 30 devised often site specific and participatory theatre works. In 2012, he co-founded Center for Performance and Civic Practice, a collective of nine artists/facilitators who work with organizations and agencies around the country on community research, transformational process and system change. He is currently Civic Collaborations Director for One Nation One Project, a national arts/municipality/public health project & research cohort in partnership with National League of Cities; he is co-designer/co-facilitator for Art-Train, a virtual national technical assistance program in partnership with Springboard for the Arts. He recently founded the Co-Lab for Civic Imagination at the University of Montana, and he is author of the book Theatre for Community, Conflict and Dialogue.

Key Takeaways

Groups of people share something, whether that is space, time, values or goals
What is the harm of entering a space with the intention of persuading others at all costs?
Bringing people together might require different tactics depending on their goals. Reflect and dialogue with community members before jumping in
Working with a co-facilitator makes for better processes and better outcomes
When things are off, be mindful. Pause and be transparent about what might be going wrong
We all need to build our capacity for listening

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (book)
Can’t Drink Salt Water by Kendra Mylnechuk Potter (play)

Find Guest’s work:

https://howlround.com/commons/michael-rohd

For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Emma Yarger.

Email [email protected] with questions or comments about the show!

Key Takeaways

Groups of people share something, whether that is space, time, values or goals
What is the harm of entering a space with the intention of persuading others at all costs?
Bringing people together might require different tactics depending on their goals. Reflect and dialogue with community members before jumping in
Working with a co-facilitator makes for better processes and better outcomes
When things are off, be mindful. Pause and be transparent about what might be going wrong
We all need to build our capacity for listening

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (book)
Can’t Drink Salt Water by Kendra Mylnechuk Potter (play)

Find Guest’s work:

https://howlround.com/commons/michael-rohd

For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Emma Yarger.

Email [email protected] with questions or comments about the show!

Previous Episode

S6 Ep7 : Leaving Legacies of Inclusion | Rhodes Perry

Rhodes Perry is a bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and an internationally sought-after keynoter. He helps senior executives and people leaders build belonging at work by establishing psychological safety and trust. Nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) thought leader, he has over 20 years of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, the City of New York and PFLAG National. Media Outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work. Both of his books, Belonging at Work (2018) and Imagine Belonging (2022) debuted as #1 Amazon bestsellers and were published by Publish Your Purpose Press. He earned a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and a MPA from New York University. He currently serves on the National LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce’s Transgender Inclusion Task Force, and the Cascade AIDS Project’s Board of Directors.

Key Takeaways

When people share their identities and experiences with you, receive them with care
Standing up and advocating for yourself paves the way for others to do the same
Be aware of who you intentionally including and also who you might accidentally be discluding
Push yourself out of your comfort zone to engage with many communities and people who identify differently than you
When you notice that you’re uncomfortable, note where its happening in your body, and remember that learning happens just past the edge of your comfort zone
At work it's important for everyone to have the agency to show up as authentically as they choose
Pay attention to who’s speaking, whose ideas are considered and whose aren’t

Guest’s Media Recommendations:

Disclosure (Documentary)

Find Guest’s work:

https://www.rhodesperry.com/

For more of Michael’s work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay

Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify.

Editing and co-production of this podcast by Emma Yarger.

Email [email protected] with questions or comments about the show!

Next Episode

S6 Ep9 : Majority In The Middle | Shannon Watson

Shannon Watson is a communicator, strategist, thought leader, and civic thinker. Shannon has worked in policy public affairs roles for Majority in the Middle, Casper Corcoran, The Medical Alley Association, St. Paul Area Chamber, U.S. Bank, the Minnesota Senate and the National conference of State Legislatures. She has more than two decades of experience in electoral politics having worked on local and state-wide campaigns on both sides of the aisle in Kansas, Colorado and Minnesota. She holds a bachelor's degree in English, Theatre, and Psychology from Wichita State University and a master's degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her dog, CJ.

Key Takeaways

Unfortunately people often focus on differences first, how can we challenge ourselves to look past differences to see similarities
The more time and effort put into relationships makes people more comfortable with people who are different from them or with things they don’t understand
There’s no all or nothing — every group is varied and has diversity within it
Authenticity is about owning your successes and failures

Guest’s Media Recommendations: