When Work is not working. Practicing radical vulnerability to open up spaces for transformative listening and collective kinship

Workplaces are complex environments that can vacillate between growth and adversity. Toxic environments erode well-being and resilience (Kesse, 2024). This experiential session invites participants to practice in the Transformative Learning Protocol (Anderson-Sathe, et al., 2021, 2022) by engaging the participants in story-telling through reframing stories of work toxicity. The Transformative Listening Protocol (TLP) promotes reflective, authentic and relational listening (Romano, Kramlich, et al., 2024) that aligns with Mezirow’s (1991) view that transformative learning is rooted in critical reflection and new meaning-making. Through the facilitation in dyads and/or in small groups, participants will explore their stories of workplace toxicity in order to open up spaces for people to experience radical vulnerability (Wright, & Derreth, 2022), and holistic listening in a brave collective setting. This session will allow the participants to explore and experience kinship as they share their stories.