Guidelines for Conversations

Purpose and Approach

The work of the Task Force is to help build a community grounded in mutual growth, flourishing and a shared sense of belonging — where all Carleton community members feel supported, valued and heard.

These consultations are intended as opportunities for bridge-building, helping Carleton move closer to a community where we all belong. This work is rooted in trust, integrity, and open communication, and recognizes that trust must be actively earned through transparency and meaningful follow-through.

Guided by Indigenous principles of Peace, a Good Mind, and Strength, the Task Force seeks to come together in a good way. This process centres Indigenous teachings of shared voice, collective responsibility and deep relational practice. The Indigenous Elders supporting the process believe everyone has a role to play in listening, contributing, and moving together with good minds and good hearts.

Capturing the Conversations

Given the nature of these conversations, these sessions will not be recorded by the Task Force. Instead, a note taker will be present. The notes will be held by the co-chairs, anonymized and then shared with the Task Force. Everyone is asked to respect the privacy of the group by not recording the session.

Through story-sharing, listening, and showing each other respect, the Task Force aims to foster healing, strengthen connection, and to move forward together toward shared aspirations.

Shared Commitments for Participation

To support a meaningful and constructive dialogue, participants are asked to commit to the following principles:

1. Engage with Respect, Kindness and Care
   • Arrive with good intentions
   • Treat all participants with kindness, dignity and consideration
   • Value and learn from a diversity of experiences, identities, perspectives and opinions
   • Assume good intentions while recognizing the impact of words and actions
   • Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing language or behaviour
     
2. Listen Deeply and Speak Authentically
   • Listen to understand, not to respond
   • Speak from your own experience
   • Welcome all voices with curiosity and empathy
   • Ask clarifying questions when meaning is unclear
   • Recognize that words may carry different meanings for different people
     
3. Share Space and Responsibility
   • Contribute to the conversation to the best of your ability
   • Be mindful of how much space you take:
     • If you tend to speak often, practice listening and making space
     • If you tend to hold back, consider sharing your perspective
   • Respect silence as part of reflection and processing
   • Share responsibility for maintaining a constructive and inclusive dialogue
     
4. Engage Differences with Care
   • Be open to perspectives that differ from your own
   • Critique ideas, not individuals
   • Be willing to respectfully challenge and be challenged
   • Seek shared values, even in the presence of disagreement
   • Approach discomfort with care, not blame
   • Recognize that conflict, when approached thoughtfully, can support growth and change
     
5. Support a Climate of Trust and Learning
   • Accept others’ honesty and candidness as a gift
   • Suspend judgment — of yourself and others — and allow space for unpolished thinking
   • Honour confidentiality: do not share names or personal identifiers outside the conversation
   • Approach the conversation as a space for learning, not winning

Role of Facilitators

Facilitators will actively support these guidelines and help create a space that is respectful, kind, inclusive and productive. They may intervene when needed to:

• Ensure balanced participation
• Uphold respectful dialogue
• Support clarity and understanding
• Maintain alignment with the purpose of the conversation

Closing Reflection

These guidelines are intended to help create a space where meaningful dialogue can occur. By participating with intention and care, each of us contributes to building a stronger, more connected community.