Principle Two:

Safe Spaces

Safe spaces refer to both physical and mental.  Dialogue must happen in a safe space, which can be difficult in our busy everyday lives. In order to ensure a safe space, the following must be considered: everyone must be able to see and hear each other, physical distance and human contact must be balanced, there must be an awareness of the balance of power in the room, there must be an absence of all forms of violence and finally there must be enough time set aside to allow for dialogue (Borhan, 2023).

 

Ask your client, what does a safe space mean to them?  Is it positive or negative?

The below activity provides a scenario that requires one to think through the aspect of safe space in order to facilitate a dialogue to solve a problem.

 

Activity:

You work in a busy office.  There is one coworker that you tend to be at odds with, which is affecting your ability to work cooperatively to get your job done.  Your supervisor suggested you talk to this person to clear the air.

 

In preparing to speak with them, consider how you would approach the following to ensure a safe space:

 

When to meet/time: How do you make sure this meeting is happening at a time when that is convenient for the both of you, how much time will you a lot for this meeting?

 

Where to meet /in person or virtual: Is a face-to-face discussion better than one that is conducted virtually?

 

Balance of power: If you have a higher status in the organization, how do you balance that, so this coworker does not feel intimidated.