By Laura Modena for TownLift (Oct. 14, 2024)

PARK CITY, Utah — Mountain Mediation Center will host its second free “Let’s Talk” community communication training of the year on Oct. 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the McGrath Mountain Center in Park City. Register Here

The program, which originated as a Park City Leadership Class 29 project in Oct. 2023, aims to improve connection and enhance community through better communication skills.

Nicole Wozniak of Mountain Mediation Center said, “We’ve held multiple Let’s Talk sessions since then, bringing the community together to boost their skills to remain composed, listen effectively, find common ground, and connect with others.”

The training covers four modules: Self-Awareness, Listening, Finding Common Ground, and Communicating to Connect. Two trainers lead the interactive sessions, guiding participants through practical exercises.

“Mountain Mediation is committed to providing residents of the Wasatch Back with the skills and resources to feel confident and composed during difficult conversations and in moments of conflict,” Wozniak added.

The free training is made possible by a grant from Park City Rotary. Mountain Mediation invites potential sponsors and organizations interested in hosting team trainings to contact them for more information.

The event will take place at 1431 Lowell Ave, Park City, UT 84060. Registration is required.

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Article by Scott Iwasaki for the Park Record (May 10, 2024)

The need for civil discourse rises during times of division, like what is happening in the country and world today.

And it’s important for people to know they can still be friends and part of a community even if they disagree with one another.

That lesson will be conveyed during the Mountain Mediation Center‘s upcoming “From Contention to Conversation,” which will be led by author and co-founder of Mediators Beyond Borders International Ken Cloke, a world-recognized mediator and dialogue facilitator, on Thursday, May 16, at the Park City Hospital’s Blair Education Center, 900 Round Valley Drive.

Registration is now open for two different options, said Gretchen Lee, the nonprofit’s executive director.

“You can come all day, which will be an in-depth training to facilitate conversations,” she said,
“or there is an afternoon option if you just want to participate in the conversations. That’s when those who attended in the morning will practice some of the skills they learned.”

Registration deadline for the all-day option, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes lunch, is Monday, May 13. People who want to attend the afternoon session can register up until May 16. (See schedule below)

The event ties into Mountain Mediation Center’s mission, which is to “build local capacities for peace, advocate for mediation and facilitate the transformation of conflict globally,” Lee said.

“The neat thing about this is that it totally overlaps with our ‘Let’s Talk’ training that we’ve been doing in the community,” she said. “This workshop will allow people to practice those ‘Let’s Talk’ skills.”

Leadership Park City‘s Class 29 initiated “Let’s Talk” as its class project. Leadership Park City is a community program that encourages and trains new leaders and provides a long-term, group-oriented learning opportunity.

“They got us involved, based on the work we do, and when the class ended in October, we took ‘Let’s Talk’ over,” Lee said.

“Let’s Talk” features four different modules — self awareness, active listening, communicating to connect, and finding common ground, which are all needed during this divisive time, said Chris Campbell, Mountain Mediation Center’s director of development.

“This is what the Leadership Class found as they were going around getting input about their project,” he said. “When they talked with nonprofits, government officials and businesses, they saw a need to be able to talk civilly with each other, be more effective through our communication and work through some of this discord that is so common these days.”

Those who participate in the “Let’s Talk” initiative, have enjoyed learning its principles and skills, Campbell said.

“Once they learn them, their next question is, ‘What’s next?’” he said. “So there’s an interest in wanting to engage and use these skills.”

Those skills are important if people are going to start having civil conversations again, Campbell said.

“I think part of the reason why it’s been challenging to engage with each other is that people don’t want to do harm or make things worse,” he said. “So, this Ken Cloke training that is coming up will give people the skills and confidence to go into these conversations, be productive and not cause harm. And the afternoon conversation is a chance for people to practice talking about these challenges with one another.”

Lee discovered Cloke after she took in one of his training sessions pre-COVID in 2019.

“He’s a very well-respected and renowned person in his field,” she said. “I found out that he would be coming to the Utah Council of Conflict Resolution symposium as the keynote speaker on May 17, so, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring him up to Park City the day before.”

Campbell said learning to disagree with one another and still stay in connection is “powerful and magical.”

“It’s (amazing) to be in a space where you can talk strongly about things you disagree with in a way that helps you feel heard and helps other people to feel heard and reach a place of better understanding,” he said. “There is a way to disagree and stand strongly for your own opinions without needing to attack and denigrate the other person. When you can have that respect for each other, the conversation is so rewarding to participate in.”

‘From Contention to Conversation’ schedule 

• 9:45 — Check-in and coffee
• 10 a.m. — Facilitator training begins with Ken Cloke
• Noon —  Lunch
• 12:45 p.m. — Afternoon participant check-in
• 1 p.m. — “What Is a Facilitated Dialogue?” by Ken Cloke
• 1:30 p.m. — Conversations led by facilitators begin
• 3 p.m. — Debrief dialogs led by Ken Cloke
• 4 p.m. — Event ends

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Mountain Mediation Center Executive Director Gretchen Lee discusses the next free community-wide Let’s Talk training on April 24, a partnership with Leadership Class 29 to focus on basic foundational communication skills.

Click here to listen to the on-air segment.

(April 16, 2024)

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Published Letter to the Editor, Park Record (December 27, 2023)

Last spring, I was delighted when members of the PC Leadership Class 29 approached Mountain Mediation Center about their class project — a program to help people communicate to connect with each other. This seemed like it could be a perfect fit with the education and communication trainings we offer as part of our organization’s focus on preventing conflicts and resolving disputes.

Flash forward six months: Class 29 developed, marketed and executed a fantastic two-hour experiential training called Let’s Talk. A variety of local leaders and organizations have participated in the training program. Let’s Talk consistently receives rave reviews by attendees who are excited to use what they have learned to improve their conversations at home, work, and throughout the community.

The training organizes the key skills into four short modules, giving participants the opportunity to practice with each other. Imagine what our community could look like with residents equipped with the tools to confidently listen and communicate to connect with each other, even on sensitive topics. This could be a game changer!

Thank you, Leadership Class 29, for bringing Let’s Talk to our community. We are honored to steward this invaluable program in the new year as we build a more inclusive community where people can use these communication skills to connect with each other.

Gretchen Lee

Executive Director, Mountain Mediation Center

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• A reading of the play “A Sissy in Wyoming” being held September 19th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Kamas Library and September 20th from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Park City Library. A Q&A and community conversation being held after the readings.
• Upcoming trainings in critical listening skills in partnership with Leadership Park City.
• A fundraiser on September 29th, “Pizza at the Pendry.”

Click here to listen to the on-air segment.

(September 15, 2023)

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Article by Will Scadden for Town Lift (July 18, 2023)

PARK CITY, Utah – Park City Leadership’s 29th class created a communication training program for Summit County government officials, nonprofits, and business leaders called “Let’s Talk.”

The program is intended to create a framework for people to engage in meaningful conversations that foster awareness, build common ground, and improve listening skills.

The 29th Park City Leadership class believes that communication is the foundation of strong and healthy communities, and through the training, leaders learn and reinforce communication skills to help them facilitate better, more productive community conversations.

The program will provide practical skills training to empower people to moderate more successful discussions with stakeholders (clients, citizens, partners, etc.).

One of the objectives of Let’s Talk is to empower community members to disagree on divisive topics, but coexist by ‘humanizing’ dialogue, identifying commonalities and shared values, and communicating effectively.

Leadership Class 29 believes that the result will be, at a minimum, a higher-quality dialogue. The class also believes that more high-quality dialogue in our community has the potential to improve the quality of life in Summit County and result in a more engaged citizenry.

Community members will benefit from learning key skills and best practices required to inform a more productive communication style. Training modules will address topics and impart skills relating to awareness, finding common ground, listening, and communicating to connect.

The Class has partnered with Mountain Mediation and the Park City Community Foundation to introduce the first Let’s Talk’s training courses, scheduled for July 25 and August 10. More information can be found at https://www.letstalk-parkcity.com.

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