Creating healthy learning experiences means continuously examining where our own unconscious and conscious biases are showing up in our work.
We do this by strengthening our individual and collective abilities to hold brave spaces to interrogate our own work. This protocol is designed to help build those muscles amongst a team.
How does it work?
This protocol requires a presenter (one member or a small subset of your team) who comes prepared to succinctly share a prototype. It also requires a separate facilitator who helps hold the group norms and keeps time. Or use the or use the audio guide in place of a presenter and facilitator.
As this resource is designed to enable collective reflection, it is best used:
Within a team that has already engaged in some training and courageous conversations about equity, identity, and privilege.
In a regular practice (for instance, scheduling a recurring monthly meeting for this purpose and having team members sign up in advance for slots).
In accompaniment with other individual and team activities for continuous learning aimed at elucidating unconscious and conscious biases, and with consistent reflective practice, such as journaling.
If facilitating, use the downloadable worksheet to move through the protocol with your team.
Tips for facilitation
Work with the presenter beforehand to frame a good question – meet before the session to make sure the presenter is prepared to succinctly share their prototype.
Stick to the time for each section – if you need help with keeping time, ask another team member (not the presenter) to volunteer to help you and/or use a timer.
Don’t be afraid to keep the group focused on the protocol – if someone raises a great question that is not relevant to the particular stage of the conversation, gently ask the participant to write it down and wait until you have moved on to the ‘final thoughts’ stage.
Resist the urge to skip the debrief – the debrief is a crucial way to deconstruct the conversation and improve the quality of our dialogue w/colleagues over time.
Be courageous and confident – strong facilitation is the key to having successful dialogue about our work and is appreciated by everyone in the group. If it helps to literally read each step to the group, by all means do so.
Want More?
Access the Mural template for the Critial Lens Protocol here
Credits
Louie Montoya
sam seidel
LICENSE: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE 4.0 INTERNATIONAL