052: The Water Nerd’s Guide to Rocking Public Meetings, Part 2, with Dr. Larry Schooler

Be sure to check out part one of our conversation with Dr. Schooler in EP051 first. Dr. Larry Schooler is the father of two and husband of one. He is also a mediator, facilitator, consensus builder, and public engagement consultant. He spent eight years developing and overseeing the public engagement division for the City of Austin, one of the first of its kind in the country. He is now director of consensus building and community engagement at CD&P, a Texas-based consulting firm. He’s also a senior fellow at the National Civic League and the Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas, and a subject matter advisor for 100 Resilient Cities. He divides his time between Texas and Florida and enjoys long walks on the beach, long runs on marathon courses, playing the piano, and rooting for Houston sports teams. His first book, on public engagement in truth and reconciliation and how the public can help resolve big conflicts, is due out later this year. Top Takeaways: The nuts and bolts of public meetings– What are some things to come prepared with? What are some things to keep in mind? What are some things you need to have in mind to keep your head right if you are facilitating meetings? Empathy is at the core of effective communication. Communication is a dialogue and we don't always agree with each other's dialogue, but that's OK. Ultimately, that's how change is made in a respectful way. People don't always agree with every decision made that affects them, but they are more likely to be supportive or have trust you and your organization if they were given an opportunity to have their voice heard and it was taken into consideration during the process. TONS of stories...and much more! Show notes: Stephanie's worst first date analogy–only talking negatively about ourselves resulting in the mob killing the messenger vibe?  The agencies spending the time meeting with people when the temperature is average or low that find those exchanges to be a lot easier to handle than the people where this is the first time they are hearing from their utility. Relationships matter. When people say “build trust” what they’re really saying a.) show that you know what you are talking about and b.) have some sort of relationship–not appear to be this kind of generic, faceless entity. Meet people where they are. People are bringing their own perspectives to public meetings. Empathize with them. Talk about feelings.  Share perspectives. I’m not there to convince them they are mistaken, I simply need to share what this looks like from our vantage point and why it’s important to us which hopefully leads you to hear it in a different way. The reflex is defensiveness. One defensive thing that often happens in public meetings is the “no decision has been made reflex”. Which makes people think a decision has been made. “Drafts” aren’t always perceived as drafts even though they truly may be. The more an agency can anticipate and prepare responses, the better: 1.) Think in terms of Frequently Asked Questions. 2.) Lead with empathy. Peel back from a difficult room thinking about “What can I do to prevent that ‘difficult room’ coming about”? It’s all in the relationships. Stephanie asks a rogue question based on a conversation we had in Episode 51[43:03] Interject when you’re feeling uncomfortable. “I want to address your questions, but I’m feeling uncomfortable.” Hear how Larry handles a heated small group discussion. How do we get more people to show up at public meetings? Have a compelling ask, compelling invite and the resources for them to participate. Resources–meeting location: easy to navigate, access to public transportation, use private facilities, not wed to 6 pm start times. Language accessibility–simultaneous interpretation of another language(s). Having activities with supervision for children.