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COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT
[Community Inclusion and Engagement Commission on July 16, 2026.]
COMMISSION IS NOW IN SESSION.TODAY IS THURSDAY, JULY 16TH, AND THE TIME IS 6:32 PM I AM RASHMI WMA, CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, AND I'LL CHAIR THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST ITEM ON AGENDA IS TO CALL ANY VISITORS TO SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THAT CASE? UH, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FOR THE MINUTES? I SECOND.
I DID NOT HEAR FIRST WHO MOVE WAS FIRST.
YOU'LL GO, YOU'LL BE THE FIRST TO, YEAH.
AND, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WELL, HOLD ON.
YOU MEAN TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? AS, AS PRESENTED, YOU'D MAKE A MOTION TO, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
SO I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
THE APPROVAL, UH, THE MOTION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
UM, ANY OTHERS? UH, ANY OPPOSITIONS TO THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED, PLEASE SAY YES.
WITH THAT WE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION FROM GASTON GROUP.
UH, GREG, PLEASE PRESENT MEMBER OF GASTON GROUP FOR THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM FOR THE EVENING.
SO TONIGHT WE HAVE A, A CONTINUATION.
THIS IS NOW THE THIRD, UH, SINCE THE CIC WAS BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE OF WHAT IS NOW OUR ANNUAL JULY TRAINING SESSIONS, LAST YEAR WE HAD A JOINT MEETING, YOU MAY REMEMBER, WITH THE VPAC.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE BROUGHT FELICIA BACK AGAIN WITH THE GATSON GROUP TO, SO SHE DID OUR ORIGINAL WAY, I SAY, WAY BACK, JUST THREE YEARS AGO, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, BUT, UH, TO HELP REALLY GET US STARTED KICKOFF, DEFINE AT THAT TIME, UH, WHAT WAS MEANT A LOT BY DIFFERENT GROUPS, EITHER WITH A DA OR DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS.
AND SO, UH, PLEASURE TO HAVE HER BACK AGAIN THIS EVENING TO TALK ABOUT.
AND THIS IS THE, THE TOPIC THAT WAS, WAS PRESENTED TO ALL OF YOU TO SELECT FROM, FROM HER CATALOG OF TOPICS.
AND SO SHE HAS PUT TOGETHER THE PRESENTATION YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE THIS EVENING, UH, UH, ON, ON, ON, UH, FOR, FOR TONIGHT'S TRAINING SESSION.
ALRIGHT, WELL, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT RALENE STOPPED.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN IN THESE, UM, EVENTS WITH ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A WORKSHOP, IT'S A CONVERSATION.
OKAY? SO I DON'T KNOW ANYONE IN HERE WHO TALKS TO THEMSELVES.
WELL, I DO SOMETIMES, BUT ANYWAY, BUT A CONVERSATION IS OBVIOUSLY A TWO-WAY STREET.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UM, I NEVER, EVER TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS FOR GRANTED, SO PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M THANKFUL AND BLESSED TO BE HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME WITH YOUR TIME.
SOMETHING THAT NONE OF US CAN EVER GET BACK, RIGHT?
UM, SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO BRING MY CHAIR OVER HERE IN CASE I WANNA SIT DOWN.
I HAVE A FEW POWERPOINT SLIDES.
I PROMISE YOU I WILL POWERPOINT YOU TO DEATH,
UM, BUT I'LL PASS THAT OUT IN A MINUTE.
I'VE GOT MY LITTLE, UM, AND ALSO, I JUST HAVE TO TELL YOU, WELL, GREG KNOWS, UM, A YEAR AGO, MARCH THE THIRD, WE LOST MY YOUNGEST SISTER.
SHE WAS 48 YEARS OLD, MASSIVE STROKE, AND SHE LEFT FOUR KIDS ALL ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
AND SO 30 DAYS AFTER THAT, WE LOST MY NIECE NENE.
AND SO ANYWAY, UM, NENE WAS LIKE A BIG COMPUTER BUFF LIKE I AM.
BUT MY SISTER, MY OTHER SISTER GAVE ME HER LAPTOP AND HER LAPTOP BAG.
AND IN THAT BAG WAS THIS NOTEBOOK.
SO I'VE GOT NENE WITH, SO IT'S A LITTLE, A LITTLE WORN, BUT I'VE GOT NINI HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
SO WHAT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT.
WE HAVE FIVE MODULES, FIVE LEARNING MODULES THAT
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I'VE CREATED FOR YOU.EACH MODULE BUILDS ON ONE ANOTHER.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH SOME PRACTICAL TOOLS THAT YOU CAN USE RIGHT AWAY.
NOT A LOT OF THEORY, BUT THINGS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY APPLY.
AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANNA ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
AND ALSO DON'T TAKE OFF ANYTHING FROM ME.
IF I MISSPELL A WORD, ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT, AND THEN SOMEBODY WILL SAY SOMETHING.
I'LL SAY, YOU TRY WRITING SOMETHING IN FRONT OF ME,
SO THE QUESTION IS A SIMPLE ONE.
I JUST KINDA WANNA TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM.
SO JUST SHARE ONE WORD THAT DESCRIBES YOUR EXPERIENCE SINCE BEING ON THE COMMISSION, AND MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY YOU, WHY YOU CHOSE TO SERVE.
I USED TO SERVE ON THE, MY TIME EXPIRED ON THE DISABILITIES COMMISSION.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF COMMISSIONS.
AND, UM, SO WHY THIS ONE FOR YOU? MAYBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW LONG, BUT JUST ONE WORD.
ONE WORD THAT, THAT WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO SERVE.
WHY DON'T WE START OVER HERE? YEAH.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG.
ANY OTHER PERSONAL REASON OR OUR REASON? UH, TO BETTER SERVE MY COMMUNITY AND EMPOWER MY, MY COMMUNITY.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I, I THINK I GROW FROM HEARING EVERYBODY'S, UM, EXPERIENCES AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S POINT OF VIEW FORCES ME TO SEE THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND THEN I HOPE THAT OUR COMMISSION HELPS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AS A WHOLE GROW, UM, AND BEING MORE INCLUSIVE.
UH, FOR ME IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S COMPASSION.
I THINK THIS, THIS, AGAIN, AS AMY SAID, UH, WITH EVERYBODY'S VIEWS AND THEIR FEEDBACK AND WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HERE, THE WAY WE INTERACT, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BUILDING MORE COMPASSION IN ME, EVEN, EVEN ON OTHER FRONTS.
LIKE, EVEN ON MY WORK FRONT MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LEARNING SO MUCH HERE THAT I TAKE IT BACK TO MY TEAMS, TO MY EMPLOYEES MM-HMM
UM, TO OTHER PROJECTS THAT I'M BUILDING.
AND I THINK THIS SPECIFICALLY, UH, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS ACCESS, WHO IS IN THE ROOM, WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO WHO IS NOT, WHO IS NOT INCLUDED.
UH, I MEAN, WHEN PEOPLE ARE FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED, IT IS, IT'S REALLY ACTUALLY THE AWARENESS.
I MEAN, THERE IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES, THERE'S ALWAYS ACCESS, BUT IT'S THE AWARENESS THAT'S, THAT'S MISSING.
I THINK I'M TAKING THAT BACK TO ANOTHER PROJECT I'M WORKING ON TO BUILD IT IN THE RIGHT WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS YEAH.
AND THAT BUILDING UP AWARENESS IS, UH, THROUGH A LOT OF COMPASSION WITH OTHERS, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN TRYING TO KIND OF SHOW WHY WE ARE DOING THIS RIGHT.
OR WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BUILDING SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT PUTTING ALL THOSE ASIDE AND COMING TO, COMING TO PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF COMPASSION.
UM, IT'S A MORE LIKE COLLECTIVE IMPACT THOUGH.
UM, I THINK TO MYSELF, UH, HOPEFULLY I CAN MAKE AN IMPACT, RIGHT? OR, AND THAT'S IN MY NETWORKS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, BUT I ALSO LIKE THE IDEA THAT, UM, WE, WE COLLECTIVELY ARE VERY STRONG AS A GROUP.
UM, AND, AND TO ALL THE REASONS THAT YOU ALL MENTIONED MM-HMM
UM, THAT, THAT COLLECTIVE IMPACT OR REPRESENTATION OR WHAT HAVE YOU, WHAT, WHAT, WHATEVER, UM, ADDITIONAL WORD YOU MAY PUT TO IT, UH, COLLECTIVELY, IS THAT THAT STRONG IMPACT? I LOVE THAT IMPACT SINGULARLY YES.
BUT A COLLECTIVE IMPACT IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE MORE POWERFUL.
UM, BEING A PART OF A COMMUNITY AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND WE ARE AS STRONG AS WE ARE BECAUSE OF EACH OTHER.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST, I'M SAY LOOKING OUT, I TOLD YOU, DON'T JUDGE ME ON MY HANDWRITING.
BUT I'M PRETTY SURE EACH OF YOU WOULD AGREE WE NEED MORE OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S OUR ELDERLY, OUR CHILDREN, OUR DISABLED COMMUNITY.
WE, WE NEED A LOT MORE OF LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
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GONNA GO WITH ENGAGING.AND, UM, I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM MULTIPLE LENS.
I THINK ONE GETTING NEEDS TO BE MORE ENGAGED IN THE CITY AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I LOVED YOUR WORD OF LIKE HAVING THAT AWARENESS.
BUT THEN I ALSO FEEL, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALSO GETTING THE COMMUNITY TO BE ENGAGED AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK, UM, IN TWOFOLD, SO FOR MYSELF, AND THEN ALSO JUST CREATING THE PATH FOR OTHER FOLKS TO BE ENGAGED AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR CITY AND HOW THEY CAN HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, AND I LOVE THAT.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL SAT KIND OF BEHIND THE REMOTE CONTROL, RIGHT? I WISH THEY WOULD DO THAT.
RIGHT? YOU'VE HEARD THE SAYING THAT SOMETIMES THE PERSON YOU'RE WAITING ON IS YOU MM-HMM
RIGHT? SO I I I'VE BEEN THERE.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN PEOPLE SEE YOU BEING ACTIVE, BEING INVOLVED, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I'M GOING TO THIS MEETING AT CITY HALL AND OH, YOU WANNA COME? OH, OKAY.
IT COULD BE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER.
TELL, UNPACK THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, KINDA CURIOUS HOW WE GET MARGINALIZATION IN THE COMMUNITIES AND HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, BRING THEM BACK IN OR HOW DID THEY GET CREATIVE? VERY NICE.
I ALSO HAD A BACKGROUND IN DISABILITY, UH, OUTREACH.
YOU KNOW, UM, WELL, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, MY NIECE, IT'S TWO NIECES AND TWO NEPHEWS, AND THEY'RE ALL ON THE SPECTRUM NOW.
PHILIP JUNIOR, HE'S, WHAT IS HE, 23 NOW, HE'S LIKE SEVERELY AUTISTIC AND HE'S IN LIKE A HOLE.
AND THEN, UH, VICTORIA, SHE'S INGENIOUS, LIKE LITERALLY A GENIUS, BUT WILL NEVER BE TO THE POINT WHERE SHE WILL PROBABLY EVER BE ABLE TO LIVE FULLY ON HER OWN.
YOU KNOW, SHE CAN BE IN LIKE A GROUP HOME SETTING, BUT NEVER REALLY ON HER OWN.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN PRINCE AND GRACE, THEY'RE THE TWO MINORS, 11 AND NINE.
AND, UH, THEY WERE OUT HERE WITH ME ACTUALLY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
Y'ALL PRAY FOR ME
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, BUT YOU KNOW, I DO ALL I CAN TO HELP MM-HMM
BUT, UM, MY EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED.
AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE, DON'T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING KNOCKS ON YOUR LORD.
PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU KNOW, A GRANDCHILD OR A CHILD HAS A DIAGNOSIS.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE DISABILITY SPECTRUM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE GET HOME.
IT'S HARD BEING THE LAST, BUT, UM,
I THINK, UM, MY ONE WORD WOULD BE APPRECIATION.
UM, I THINK I NEVER REALLY APPRECIATED, UM, WHAT THE CITY DOES FOR US MM-HMM
BEFORE JOINING THE COMMISSION YEAH.
WE ALWAYS KNEW WHAT KIND OF THE CITY DID MM-HMM
I THINK THERE'S A LARGER SENSE OF APPRECIATION THAT I LOVE THAT WHAT, UH, EVERYONE ELSE DOES FOR.
SO I LOVE, WELL, LIKE I SAID, I LIVE IN IRVING AND I USED TO SERVE ON THE DISABILITIES COMMISSION AGAIN, I JUST ROLLED OFF AND I'LL PROBABLY BE VOLUNTOLD
BUT TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GET INVOLVED, YOU START REALLY SEEING HOW THE CITY WORKS, HOW IT FUNCTIONS, AND ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT'S AVAILABLE, RIGHT.
AND ALSO HOPEFULLY WHERE YOU SEE A PART YOU CAN PLAY.
UM, CERTAINLY WHAT I'M HEARING FROM EVERYONE IS THAT YOU ARE ENGAGED AND YOU ARE HERE, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF RICHARDSON AND FOR MAKING MY LIFE RICHER FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO ON AND GET STARTED.
SO TODAY'S JOURNEY, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, LEARNING OBJECTIVES, BELIEVE THAT'LL WORK.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT FIVE MODULES.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS GOING TO, ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO BE BUILT AROUND, UM, THESE FIVE MODULES.
THE FOUNDATION OF CITIZEN CONNECTION.
RIGHT? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? THAT'S MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO PEOPLE.
WHY IS THAT DOING? OKAY, HERE WE GO.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO BE DOING THIS.
SO COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY AND CLARITY.
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ONE OF MY, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ONE OF MY FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MY FAVORITES.COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY AND CLARITY.
GREG, CAN YOU COME AND DO ME A FAVOR? I SEE PEOPLE WRITING.
I ALSO CREATED, HEY, PATRICIA, GUY.
NOW MIKE, MY BUDDY AT THE PRINT SHOP SAID HE HAD SOME EXTRA, SO THAT SHOULD BE PLAINTIFF.
ALRIGHT, SO AGAIN, THESE ARE THE MODULES, COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY AND CLARITY.
NAVIGATING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
WHO'S READY FOR THAT ONE?
BUILDING AND SUSTAINING TRUST.
BUILDING AND SUSTAINING TRUST.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COME ON, GRACE.
HOW AM I DOING WRONG WITH THIS? OKAY.
YOU THINK I NEED TO POINT OVER HERE? IT'S WORKING.
LIKE I SAID THIS, I'M WITH FAMILY, SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT.
SO EVERYTHING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING IS GOING TO CONNECT BACK TO ONE OF THESE THREE OH, SOME EXTRA.
SO KEEP THESE IN MIND AS WE GO.
SO THE FIRST MODULE IS GOING TO BE, AGAIN, ABOUT THE FOUNDATION, WHAT CITIZEN CONNECTION ACTUALLY REQUIRES.
AND THEN I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES OF WHAT THINGS THAT MAY GET IN THE WAY LEARNING OBJECTIVES, FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONS, SHIFT WITH DIVERSE CITIZENS.
COME ON, RESOLVE CONFLICTS WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND CARE.
AND THEN LASTLY, BUILD TRUST TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SATISFACTION.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS GOING TO BE CONNECTED BACK TO THOSE FIVE MODULES AND THESE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO ON AND JUMP RIGHT IN.
SO THE FOUNDATION OF CITIZEN CONNECTION, WHAT CITIZENS NEED AND WHAT SOMETIMES CAN GET IN THE WAY.
UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CONNECTION DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN.
WOULD YOU AGREE THAT IT'S BUILT AND IT'S BUILT INTENTIONALLY? MM-HMM
RIGHT? THIS DOESN'T COME BY OSMOSIS, OR YOU CAN'T WHEEL IT DOWN.
RIGHT? DOESN'T QUITE WORK THAT WAY.
SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THAT FOUNDATION REQUIRES.
WHAT CITIZENS NEED FROM THEIR COMMISSION TO FEEL HEARD AND RESPECTED.
CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW THEIR VOICE CARRIES WEIGHT.
AND THIS IS, OH DANG, THIS IS HUGE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHY MY ANIMATIONS AREN'T WORKING, BUT Y'ALL DON'T READ.
OKAY?
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WANNA BE TOLERATED.
RIGHT? PEOPLE WANNA KNOW THAT THEY'RE HEARD.
I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT EVERYONE WANTS AND DESERVES.
THEY DESERVE TO BE SEEN AND THEY DESERVE TO BE HEARD.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S ASKING FOR TOO MUCH PERSONALLY, RIGHT? BUT THESE ARE WHAT CITIZENS NEED FROM, FROM EACH OF YOU TO TRUST THAT THEIR INPUT MATTERS.
PARTICIPATION WITHOUT IMPACT BREEDS DISENGAGEMENT.
I JUST SAW WHERE YOU WERE GOING.
PARTICIPATION WITHOUT IMPACT BREEDS DISENGAGEMENT.
IT'S LIKE, WHY AM I HERE? I COULD BE WATCHING FAMILY FEED, RIGHT? AND THEN CITIZENS MUST SEE WHAT THEY SHARE.
THAT WHAT THEY SHARE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
IF I'M GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO GO TO A COUNCIL MEETING, IF I'M GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO JOIN THIS, SPEND TIME AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, RIGHT? I SHOULD BE WORKING NOW.
I'VE GOTTA DO MY REPORT WHEN I GET BACK, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHAT I'M DOING IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE, AND I'M ONLY GONNA GIVE YOU MY TIME IF, IF ONLY UNLESS I TRUST YOU.
RIGHT? AND THEN ACCESSIBILITY AND APPROACHABILITY, COMMISSION MUST FEEL REACHABLE, NOT DISTANT, FORMAL OR INTIMIDATING TO THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES.
NOW, I DON'T WANT YOU SHOWING UP AT MY HOUSE AT NINE O'CLOCK,
RIGHT? SO WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT THIS? ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS? WHAT DO YOU THINKING? I AGREE WITH ALL THREE OF THEM.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK ESPECIALLY STARTING WITH NUMBER ONE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT CITIZENS KNOW THAT THEIR VOICE CARRIES WEIGHT.
AND THAT THEY'RE LISTENED TO AND NOT TOLERATED.
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I KNOW YOU HAVE THE SENTENCE, LIKE THE COMMISSION MUST FEEL REACHABLE, BUT I, I LOVE LIKE THAT ACCESSIBILITY.WHAT IF YOU'RE STARTING FROM A DEFICIT, LET'S SAY THERE'S SOME ISSUE BETWEEN THE CITIZENS, AND SO YOU HAVE TO WORK UP TO TRUST AND, UM, FEELING APPROACHABLE AND FEELING RESPECTED.
WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
HE SAID THAT, WHAT IF YOU'RE AT A DEFICIT, RIGHT? SO I THINK THE FIRST THING IS TO CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THAT CITIZEN FEELS COMFORTABLE.
EVEN DOWN TO AS, AS GRANULAR AS AS YOUR BODY LANGUAGE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF YOUR ARMS ARE ALL CROSSED, AND YOU KNOW, I SEE STEAM COMING, I'M GOING THIS WAY,
I KNOW YOU HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? BUT I KINDA LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING AROUND CONFLICT.
NOT, YOU KNOW, SAYING, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S A SKILL, RIGHT? TO SORT OF TALK TO SOMEONE WHO MAY ALREADY HAVE THEIR MIND MADE UP ABOUT YOU.
OH, THAT COMMISSION, THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
WELL, THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY'VE HAD A PROBABLY A NOT SO POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CHANGE IT, RIGHT? SO IT'S HOW YOU LOOK AT IT THAT, YEAH.
ANYTHING COME TO MIND WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT A DEFICIT, LIKE AN EXAMPLE OR ANYTHING? YOU CAN CHANGE THE NAMES
SAY A FRIEND OF MINE IN PANAMA,
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN A, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO GET INTO IT RIGHT NOW.
MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST KEEP GOING.
THINK A LOT OF US ARE SEEING THE SAME THING.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SPRING FROM THAT, BUT, UH, OKAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO DEEPER AND FURTHER, IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME, I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD ISSUES, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU PUT IT ON THE TABLE.
I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, BUT I'M A GOOD LISTENER.
AND, UM, AND I AM BLESSED ENOUGH TO DO THIS WITH QUITE A FEW CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES.
AND SO WHEN I TELL YOU I'VE HEARD A LOT, I'VE HEARD A LOT
SO, EXCEPT FOR THE RECORDING THAT GOES TO THE PUBLIC.
HE IS LIKE, OKAY, JUST ACCEPT FOR THAT.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS? I, I ACTUALLY WANTED TO BRING UP WHAT SARAH ACTUALLY SAID ABOUT APPRECIATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS HAS, I MEAN, WE ARE COMMISSIONERS HERE, BUT AS, AS RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, YEAH, WE, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY ACTUALLY DOES.
I MEAN, I'VE COME THROUGH LEADERSHIP RICHARDSON, BUT DESPITE, YOU KNOW, OH, YES.
THAT, THAT DID GIVE US A VIEW OF ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS YES.
BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY GIVING US THE VIEW OF WHAT REALLY GOES ON INTRICATELY HOW THE CITY THINKS.
AND HOW THE CITY IS ACTUALLY WANTING TO REACH OUT.
YOU KNOW, THE OUTREACH IT IS, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING, THERE'S A GENUINE INTEREST MM-HMM
SO, SO I LIKE THAT COMMENT THAT RAJ MADE ABOUT APPRECIATION, THAT WE ARE DEVELOPING THAT APPRECIATION TO KNOW THAT THE CITY IS DOING THESE THINGS, WHICH WAS NOT IN OUR AWARENESS, UH, TO BEGIN WITH MM-HMM
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBILITY AND APPROACHABILITY, UH, NOT BEING DISTANT, FORMAL, INTIMIDATING IS, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND LIKE WHEN WE, WHEN WE ARE SEEING THAT PUBLIC EVENTS LIKE MAYBE LUNAR NEW YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE BOOTH OUT THERE FOR THE COMMISSION TO INTERACT WITH FOLKS, UH, AT THE EVENT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WORK IS GOING IN, MEETING THEM, TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE COMMISSION.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL NEED TO DEVELOP A FEW TACTICS THAT KIND OF HELP US, YOU KNOW, FURTHER JUST LIKE, BASICALLY WALK THE STOCK, RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK TO THAT EFFECT, I KNOW THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED GET ON BOARD, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE APPLY TO IT AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE TURN TO ACTUALLY GET ON BOARD, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD POSSIBLY OPEN UP THIS BOARD TO HAVE A VISITOR WHO'S INTERESTED IN DOING A GET ON BOARD, YOU KNOW, TO RAJA'S POINT, BECAUSE THE AWARENESS ISN'T THERE.
YOU KNOW, BRINGING, LIKE WE BRINGING US IN, KIND OF, WE CREATED THAT APPRECIATION, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING OTHER VISITORS, NOT JUST FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT VISITORS TO KIND OF SIT IN AND EXPERIENCE A BOARD HERE, OR MAYBE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A-C-I-E-C BOARD.
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UH, I, I THINK WE COULD POSSIBLY EXPAND ON THAT CONVERSATION FOR NOT JUST THE NINE COMMISSION MEMBERS, BUT WHO ELSE CAN WE INCLUDE THROUGH THE BOARD AS AN EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.SOMETHING I JUST WANNA ADD REAL QUICK TOO, BECAUSE YOU HAD MENTIONED THE TACTICS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD YOU GUYS, AND I THINK THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE FOR THE RELIGION DISCUSSION WE HAD HAD SEVERAL WEEKS AGO FOR THERE TO ACTUALLY BE AN AUDIENCE.
YOU, YOU HAVEN'T HAD A SITUATION YET IN WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE TO PRESENT FOR YOU MM-HMM
SO THINK ABOUT IT IN THAT CONTEXT TOO.
IT'S NOT JUST GETTING OUT AND GOING TO, BUT IT'S IN A FUTURE EVENT, SHOULD YOU GUYS BE IN A POSITION THAT YOU HAVE A TOPIC THAT COMES UP THAT ATTRACTS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS IS APPLICABLE FOR THAT AS, AS WELL IN THIS ROOM AND THIS TYPE OF SETTING IN THAT, UH, THAT KIND OF SETTING AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD WAY OF BLENDING, YOU KNOW, THIS EXPERIENCE TO SOMEONE, NOT JUST AS FOLKS THAT ATTEND, BUT KIND OF GETTING INTO OUR SHOES TO UNDERSTAND HOW, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
UM, SO YEAH, HAVING, HAVING THE, THE BOARD MEETING, ACTUALLY THE COMMISSION MEETING OPEN UP TO MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK I'VE GOT, LET SEE THIS ONE HERE.
COMMON BARRIERS TO MEANINGFUL CONNECTION.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONNECTIONS, UH, MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH CITIZENS, ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT CITIZENS WANT OR NEED.
AND HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN TO BECOME SUDDENLY MIND READERS, RIGHT? VOYANCE,
WE JUST WANNA BE, WANNA BE MINDFUL FOR OF THAT ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT CITIZENS AGAIN, WANT OR NEED.
SO AGAIN, THAT KIND OF GOES BACK TO THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT PERSONAL RESPECT, RIGHT? OF EVERY SINGLE CITIZEN AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ARE IN LIFE, WHETHER THEY'RE EARLY IN THEIR CAREER, MID-CAREER, RETIRED, DISABLED, FULLY FUNCTIONING.
SO AGAIN, THIS CAN BE, AND OFTENTIMES IS A MAJOR BARRIER TO MEANINGFUL CONNECTION.
ALSO COMMUNICATION STYLES THAT FEEL DISTANT OR DISMISSIVE.
AND I THINK I'VE GOT A QUICK, UM, ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE GONNA GO DO HERE IN A SECOND, BUT THIS ONE SORT OF HITS ME, UH, SOMETIMES PERSONALLY, BECAUSE AGAIN, NOT EVERY COMMUNICATION STYLE IS GONNA BE LIKE YOURS MM-HMM
BUT HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU'RE COMMUNICATING IN A WAY WITH SOMEONE THAT'S A LITTLE CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA SOUND DISMISSIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL A PERSON, RIGHT? THEY'RE WORTHY OF THAT DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
RIGHT? PART OF OUR ROLE IS TO LISTEN TO EVERYONE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT AGREEING, IT'S ABOUT BEING, AGAIN, JUST BEING RESPECTFUL.
SO COMMUNICATION STYLES THAT FEEL DISTANT OR DISMISSIVE.
TALK ABOUT CUTTING SOMEBODY OFF, MEANING THEY'LL CUT YOU OFF IN THEIR BRAIN.
THEY'RE LIKE, THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO YOU ANYMORE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S KINDA LIKE THINKING, UH, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TALK TO SOMEONE AND THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT YOU, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GONNA GO TO MY CAR.
OKAY? UH, VICTORIA'S SHAKING HER HEAD OVER THERE.
YOU GOT TO TELL ME WHAT YOU OH, I, I AGREE WITH THAT,
'CAUSE I, I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, BUT I THINK ON LIKE, SLIDE ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FOR NUMBER TWO, UHHUH,
WE HEAR YOU, WE RESPECT YOUR VOICE, BUT IT MAY NOT TURN INTO SOMETHING THAT IS ACTIONABLE YEAH.
OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXECUTE ON RIGHT AWAY.
AND SO I THINK THAT BALANCE, UM MM-HMM
AND SO I WAS JUST LIKE REALLY AGREEING THERE.
BECAUSE I COULD SEE HOW THAT COULD BE A BARRIER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING VERY INSTANT OR THEY WANNA CHANGE VERY FAST, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE AS FAST AS SOMETIMES THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE US TO MOVE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? AND THAT MAY, OKAY, GREG, SOMETHING'S GOING ON WITH THIS THING.
UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT POINTING AT SCREEN.
OKAY? AND IT SHOULD, OH, WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YES, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT INTO IMPLEMENTATION, BUT YOU HEARD OF MM-HMM
YOU HEARD THEM, THEY KNOW THAT YOU LISTEN TO THEM.
AND THAT SOMETIMES IS WHAT PEOPLE NEED.
AGAIN, REMEMBER, BE SEEN AND BE HEARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TEAM BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I JUST HAD ONE, UH, KEY TAKEAWAY HERE.
[00:30:01]
POSITIVE CITIZEN RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT ON CONSISTENCY, RESPECT, AND THE GENUINE BELIEF THAT EVERY VOICE MATTERS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE HARDEST TO HEAR.AND, AND THOSE CAN BE HARD, RIGHT? BUT I THINK WE'D ALSO AGREE THAT SOMETIMES THAT'S WHERE THE LEARNING IS, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE THE LEARNING CAN BE.
OKAY? SO NOW THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE FOUNDATION, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE COMMUNICATE IN THOSE MOMENTS.
BECAUSE THE WORDS WE USE, HOW WE USE THEM CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
ALRIGHT, SO COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY AND CLARITY.
ARE Y'ALL KEEPING UP IN YOUR BOOK? HOW DO YOU LIKE THOSE WORKBOOKS? THIS IS NICE.
THE WORDS WE USE AND HOW WE USE THEM MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
SO CONNECTING WITH EMPATHY AND CLARITY.
SO NUMBER ONE, LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND, NOT TO RESPOND.
OKAY? I WISH THEY HURRY UP AND FINISH TALKING SO I CAN SAY WHAT I WANNA SAY.
WHEN WE ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO SAY, WE STOP HEARING AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEING SAID.
PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA TELL YOU, BUT THEY KNOW WHEN YOU'VE CHECKED OUT.
AND I HATE TO TELL YOUR PARENTS IN HERE, YOUR KIDS KNOW WHEN YOU'VE CHECKED OUT
LISTEN, UNDERSTAND, ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST, VALIDATE FEELINGS BEFORE OFFERING FACTS OR SOLUTIONS.
CITIZENS, AGAIN, WE'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, NEED TO FEEL HEARD BEFORE THEY CAN RECEIVE INFORMATION.
SO JUST SLOW DOWN FOR A SECOND AND LISTEN.
BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU'RE JUST POPPING OFF REALLY QUICKLY OFFERING INFORMATION, IT COULD BE 10 MILES FROM WHAT IT IS THAT THEIR CONCERN IS, RIGHT? SO LISTEN, THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE.
CLEAR PLAIN LANGUAGE SIGNALS THAT YOU VALUE THE CITIZEN'S TIME AND UNDERSTANDING JARGON CREATES DISTANCE.
YOU'RE NOT IMPRESSING ANYBODY, MAYBE YOURSELF, BUT THESE, THIS PERSON WANTS TO KNOW HOW THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK OUT THE ISSUE THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHERE YOU WENT TO COLLEGE.
SO DON'T FLEX THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE HURTING.
THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND HELP FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER, RIGHT? EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS A STORY.
Y'ALL HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ME USE THIS.
UM, I KNOW GREG, YOU PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY IT.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS USE THE EXAMPLE OF EVERYONE IN HERE I KNOW HAS A SUITCASE THAT'S ON ROLLERS, RIGHT? WE ALL HAVE ONE OF THOSE.
AND SO I CHALLENGE YOU, EVEN WHEN YOU GO HOME THIS EVENING, IF YOU GO TO THE STORE, STOP BY SEVEN 11, GO INTO THE OFFICE TOMORROW, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS PULLING A SUITCASE.
NOW YOU CAN'T SEE IT, BUT I PROMISE YOU THEY'RE PULLING ONE.
AND IN THAT SUITCASE ARE FOUR KIDDOS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
IS THE CHECK GOING TO CLEAR? WHAT IS THE DOCTOR'S REPORT GOING TO SAY? HOW MANY MORE MONTHS CAN I STAY IN THE HOUSE BEFORE THEY FORECLOSE ON ME? I HATE MY JOB.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN TAKE THIS.
SO EVERYBODY'S CARRYING SOMETHING IS MY POINT.
AND JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIGHT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HEAVY.
I HAD COFFEE WITH A FRIEND OF MINE THE OTHER DAY.
WONDERFUL GENTLEMAN GOING THROUGH A HORRIFIC DIVORCE.
I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR PROBABLY 12 YEARS.
SITS ACROSS FROM ME, TEARS, HIM AND HIS WIFE TOGETHER HAVE ONE SON.
AND HE SAT THERE AND TOLD ME, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, FELICIA, SOMETIMES I JUST WONDER IF I'M BETTER OFF IF I JUST WASN'T EVEN HERE.
BUT I KNOW IT WOULD KILL MY SON.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT, DID HE JUST SAY WHAT I THOUGHT HE DID? I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD'VE SAID THAT.
RIGHT? I HAVE NOT STOPPED THINKING ABOUT THAT.
SO I JUST SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, WE ARE ALL CARRYING SOMETHING.
SO YOU HAVE A, AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEING A PART OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO CLARITY, ACKNOWLEDGE, AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
[00:35:01]
SEE HERE.I THINK THIS NEXT ONE IS THE ACTIVITY THAT I CREATED FOR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS, PLEASE.
ON THE CLARITY PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, THE CLARITY THING IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ONE BECAUSE BY THE DEFINITION, INFORM IS SO ASYMMETRIC, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT IT'S EASY TO CHARGE INTO MISPERCEPTION MM-HMM.
AND MISREPRESENTATIONS MM-HMM
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT ALSO THE CITIZEN.
IT'S, IT IS, IT'S THE HARDEST PART, I GUESS.
IT REQUIRES A LOT OF WORK IN, IN THE, IN, IN THE SHORT, SHORT TERM AND IN THE LONG TERM.
NO, I LIKE WHAT, WHAT HE'S SAYING NOW, CLARITY.
IT, IT JUST, AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT JUST DOESN'T COME BY OSMOSIS.
RIGHT? BUT HOW CAN WE GET, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO GET THAT, TO GAIN THAT BETTER CLARITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE, AND THE CITIZEN? OH, I'M OPENING THAT UP TO ANYBODY.
UM, FOR MYSELF, I, I'VE USED THE PHRASE CLARITY AS KINDNESS IN THE PAST.
UM, IT JUST, UM, IN THE SENSE THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I'M ENGAGING WITH SOMEBODY AND I EITHER HAVE INFORMATION THAT THEY DON'T HAVE, OR I HAVE SOMETHING FROM KNOWLEDGE FROM A MEETING OR KNOWLEDGE FROM SOMETHING ELSE, I CAN BE VERY CLEAR AND DIRECT BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE, LIKE, I ALREADY HAVE IT, SO I'M NAMING IT.
UM, I'VE ALSO FOUND TIMES WHERE, UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT MM-HMM
THEREFORE, BUT NAMING IT TO THE PERSON MM-HMM
SO EVEN JUST, UM, UM, PREFACING MYSELF AS IF IT'S A CONVERSATION OF FIGURING IT OUT MM-HMM
FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, VERSUS IF I'M ANSWERING A QUESTION DIRECTLY OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
I FEEL LIKE THAT HAS, UM, SLOWED DOWN ON THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE IN HERE WILL TALK THROUGH THINGS, RIGHT? AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE PROCESSING THINGS OUT LOUD.
WE'VE COME USED TO THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, TO HONOR WHOEVER I'M SPEAKING WITH.
IF I'M DOING THAT, I WILL OFTEN SAY, HOLD ON, I GOTTA THINK THIS THROUGH.
DO YOU THINK YOU, LIKE, I'LL START TALKING IT OUT LOUD.
UM, JUST THAT'S AGAIN, I TRY TO BALANCE RESPECTING THEM MM-HMM
AND THEN ALSO, UM, THE CONFIDENCE WITH WHICH I EITHER HAVE AN ANSWER OR I GO, OOF, WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO, UM, BUT I'VE USED THE CLARITY AS KINDNESS BEFORE.
WERE YOU GOING TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, NO, I WAS JUST, THIS IS A MUTUAL APPRECIATION CLUB.
I, I, I, I, I LOVE THAT WHEN SHE ACTUALLY PUTS THINGS THAT WAY.
AND I SAID, AND I SAID, VICE VERSA.
NO, SHE IS, SHE'S KIND OF NAILED IT, YOU KNOW, THE KINDNESS.
I WAS ALSO GOING TO SAY, UM, I THINK NEUTRAL, BEING NEUTRAL, I KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD.
UH, BUT WHEN YOU DO SAY EMPATHY, SOMETIMES YOU ARE ALMOST, IF THE CITIZEN IS BEING EMOTIONAL, EMPATHY COULD ALSO MEAN YOU'RE DROPPING DOWN TO THAT EMOTIONAL LEVEL MM-HMM
AND THAT I THINK SOMETIMES YOU KINDA GET ENTANGLED MM-HMM
IN TRYING TO BE DEFENSIVE EITHER OR TRYING TO SOLVE FOR SOMETHING.
BEING PRESUMPTUOUS STARTS HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU, YOU'RE TRYING TO BE HELPFUL.
SO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPING THAT, I, I, I KNOW IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DISTANCE, BUT IT'S ABOUT BEING NEUTRAL, RIGHT.
AND SAYING, UH, YES, I DO HAVE KINDNESS MM-HMM
UH, BUT KIND OF STAY AWAY FROM GETTING EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED WITH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE THERE TO LISTEN.
AND I HAVE THIS, I, I GET TOO EMOTIONAL IF, IF SOMEBODY'S FEELING AN EMOTION, I'M FEELING IT
BUT, BUT FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, LIKE, I'M TRYING TO REMIND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, BACK OFF A LITTLE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THEIR FIELD RIGHT.
I, I WANNA JUST OBSERVE THEM RIGHT.
AND, AND FROM THAT I'VE NOTICED THAT FROM THAT POINT OF NEUTRALITY, I, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I'M SERVING BETTER YEAH.
THAN KIND OF DROPPING DOWN TO, TO SOMEONE ELSE'S LEVEL.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE BELOW ME OR ANYTHING.
BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THEY'RE ALL, AS YOU SAID, EVERYBODY HAS A BAGGAGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FROM MY BAGGAGE'S POINT OF VIEW, I'M LOOKING AT THEIR BAGGAGE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT REFERENCE EITHER.
SO IF I JUST BACK OFF AND I DON'T TRY TO CORRELATE MY SITUATION, OH, MUST BE SIMILAR.
UM, NOT TRYING TO SOLVE, NOT TRYING TO BE DEFENSIVE EITHER.
I, I, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT, BUT I HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING MYSELF NEUTRAL.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING HERE, YOU'RE NOT GOING THERE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, UH, EQUATE SOMEBODY TO WHAT YOU HAVE GOING ON.
YOU KNOW? SO, SO SOMETIMES JUST BEING NEUTRAL
[00:40:01]
REALLY HELPS TO OBSERVE SOMETHING WITHOUT TOO MUCH EMOTION INVOLVED IN THERE.AND I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE NEUTRAL AND STILL BE HUMAN.
TO NOT, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY YOU MAY TEAR UP WHEN YOU GO GET IN YOUR CAR,
BUT, UM, TO YOUR POINT, JUST REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE I MOVE ON, I, I THOUGHT WHAT YOU SAID WAS, WAS KEY.
SOMETIMES THAT CLARITY PIECE CAN BE CHALLENGING.
RIGHT? BUT EVEN IF IT'S TO THE POINT I JUST KIND OF WROTE HERE IS SOME, A TECHNIQUE OR, UM, NOT A STRATEGY THAT I SOMETIMES USE IS I WILL ACTUALLY ASK OR SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHAT I'M THINKING.
THIS IS HOW I'M DEFINING THIS.
AND THEN ASK THEM, WELL, HOW ARE YOU DEFINING THIS? WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS? AGAIN, DON'T ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW, BUT JUST ASK THEM.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES JUST TALKING IT OUT AND LISTENING, YOU MAY FIND THAT YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR APART.
BUT AGAIN, JUST MAYBE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S TAKE A TIMEOUT FOR A SECOND.
HOW ARE YOU DEFINING THIS? HOW ARE YOU SEEING THIS? IT, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT'S ONE OF MY BEST LISTENING TECHNIQUES.
AND AGAIN, SOMETIMES YOU CAN SOMETIMES BE LITERALLY SAYING THE SAME THINGS, JUST KIND OF USING DIFFERENT WORDS.
SO JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT ONE TOO, AS A POTENTIAL, UM, TECHNIQUE.
THEN DON'T ASSUME THAT, YOU KNOW.
I THINK THE OTHER THING TOO, I LOVE THAT JARGON CREATES DISTANCE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, IT'S LIKE, I CAN SPEAK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE, BUT LIKE, CREATING THAT SHARED LANGUAGE OR LIKE THAT SHARED UNDERSTANDING.
SO LIKE, I LOVED YOUR EXAMPLE BECAUSE I SEE EVEN IN LIKE MY DAY TO DAY WORK LIFE MM-HMM
UM, SOMETIMES WE USE A LOT OF JARGON.
BUT WHEN LIKE FOLKS ARE COMING TO ME, THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT THE EXECUTIVE SAID.
LIKE, BECAUSE I WORK IN HR, SO MY ROLE IS TO TRANSLATE IT INTO THE WAY THAT THE EMPLOYEE CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, AND SO I'VE SEEN WHERE A LOT OF JARGON ACTUALLY CAN DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
LIKE, IT'S LIKE, OH, WELL THAT'S HOW WE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, THAT'S HOW WE TALK.
UM, BUT THAT OTHER PERSON THAT THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THOSE MEETINGS.
AND SO THEY HAVE NO IDEA, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START TALKING TO ACRONYMS, LIKE I TRY TO STAY SO LIKE FAR AWAY FROM ACRONYMS BECAUSE THAT OTHER PERSON MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT ACRONYM.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO EASY TO REALIZE HOW MUCH WE DO TALK IN JARGON MM-HMM
AND HOW TO BREAK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND CREATE THAT SHARED UNDERSTANDING.
I'M HOPING THIS NEXT SLIDE IS MY ACTIVITY.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS IN YOUR BOOK ANYWHERE, BUT, UM, LET'S SEE.
SO, UM, IS THAT EXAMPLE IN YOUR BOOK? DID I PUT THAT IN THERE? PROBABLY DID, YEAH.
SO, OH, IT'S GONNA COME UP ON THE NEXT ONE.
SO I'M GONNA SHOW YOU TWO RESPONSES TO THE SAME CITIZEN CONCERN.
NOW, I MADE THIS UP, IT AIN'T EMAILED ME ANYTHING.
ACTUALLY I DID SOME BENCHMARKING, BUT ONE THAT MISSES THE MARK, ONE THAT LANDS WITH A PARTNER.
UH, DISCUSS WHAT MADE THE SECOND RESPONSE DIFFERENT AND WHAT SPECIFIC WORDS TONE OR APPROACH SHIFTED THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE CITIZEN.
UM, I CAME TO THREE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND NOBODY EVER FOLLOWED UP WITH ME.
I FEEL LIKE MY INPUT DOESN'T MATTER.
HEY, WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
HEY, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW UP EVERYBODY.
AND CALL EVERYBODY IN RICHARDSON,
AND I HEAR YOU, YOUR INPUT ABSOLUTELY MATTERS.
LET ME MAKE SURE WE CONNECT YOU WITH THE RIGHT PERSON TODAY.
SO JUST KIND OF GET IN YOUR GROUPS AND JUST GIVE YOU ABOUT FOUR MINUTES.
LET'S TALK ABOUT MAYBE WHY WE WOULDN'T WANNA DO THE FIRST ONE AND MAYBE WHY THE SECOND ONE MIGHT, UM, HAVE LANDED, UH, BETTER.
SO WHAT SPECIFIC WORDS, TONE OR ACTIONS MADE RESPONSE RESPONSE B LAND DIFFERENTLY FOR THE CITIZEN? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? ABOUT FOUR MINUTES.
AND SO VOICE STAR WITH, I JUST LET, I DON'T PUT THEM SAY THAT TO START.
[00:45:01]
THE SAME WAY.THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT BECAUSE, AND I LETTING THEM KNOW THAT YOU, THEY'RE SAYING HE WANTED, EVEN THOUGH HE PARKED IT HERE YELLING AT YOU, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
WHAT THEY LIKE A LOT OF TIMES LIKE, SO I JUST KIND, SHE SAID, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT ME.
MUST SOMEBODY THAT YOU DIDN'T ANSWER THAT SECOND ONE.
WHAT ARE YOU LIKE
I WANNA CHECK I THINK TWO MINUTES.
IF WE LOOK THERE'S TWO PEOPLE ON, WE HAVE TOO MUCH ACTUALLY RESPONDING.
THAT'S A GOOD, SO THAT'S CONSIDERING, RIGHT.
SO YOU FEEL THAT WHEN I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ONE MINUTE, LIKE, RESPECT, COMMUNICATION AND TO MAKE SURELY WELL, NO, I THINK IF I'M TIRED, TIME
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, I MEAN, I SEE THEM, I HEAR BEFORE I'M LIKE, I'M GONNA BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU, BUT IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHAT DID YOU, LET ME, LET ME HEAR WHAT YOU CAME UP WITH.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? START OVER HERE.
WELL, THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS THE MOST 31.
BUT I MEAN, HERE'S THE THING THAT I, WE'RE TRYING TO NEUTRALIZE THIS QUESTION IN A, IN A ARY WAY, RIGHT.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT, EH, WE'RE SO BUSY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL.
AND WE'RE THINKING THAT OPTION B COULD BE A, I'M HEARING TO YOU, OKAY, I'M TRYING TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION, BUT I CANNOT ENGAGE WITH YOU.
AND OPTION A, THE RESPONSE NUMBER IS LIKE THE EASY ONES THAT WE HAVE ALL THE TIME.
SO WE HAVE TO BE SUPER LIKE BE MORE CAREFULLY YEAH.
AND MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE WAY WE ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE AND THE WAY WE REACT.
VERY GOOD WITH THE WORD COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY ELSE? DID I NEED SOMETHING? SORRY? DID I NEED SOMETHING? NO, I'M, YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST, UM, I RELATE TO THIS BECAUSE
[00:50:01]
I'M AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.AND SO ALL THE PARENT, UM, CONCERNS COME TO ME NO MATTER WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S 620 KIDS IN THE SCHOOL.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING THE WAY THAT RESPONSE B STARTED, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I ALWAYS START.
I JUST LET THEM TALK HOWEVER LONG I WANT TO TALK.
AND THEN I JUST SAY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH ME.
THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME WITH THIS.
THAT'S WHAT I, I ALWAYS SAY FIRST.
UM, SO THAT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT.
AND IT IS HARD TO NOT TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY.
SOMETIMES UHHUH, BECAUSE REALLY THE TRUTH IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THIS COMPLAINT THAT THEY'RE SHARING WITH YOU, IT REALLY WASN'T ABOUT YOU MM-HMM
DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU, BUT YOU'RE THE ONE HEARING IT.
AND SO IT'S YOUR JOB TO TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TURN IT AROUND FOR THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE, THEY JUST WANNA TALK AND THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE HEARD THEM.
LIKE I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, VICTORIA, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT THEY GOT IT OFF OF THEIR CHEST.
UM, THEY PROBABLY DO FEEL BETTER.
ANYTHING, JUST NO, I WAS, I ACTUALLY OPENED UP SAYING I MOST LIKELY I'LL GIVE A RESPONSE.
A FOR REASONS GILDA DON'T MENTION I'M TOO BUSY.
I TOLD RUSH, I SAID, GIVE ME CONTEXT.
IS IT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK? IS IT THE FIRST EMAIL THAT I'VE RESPONDED TO THE 500 YEARS? WHERE'S MY PATIENTS
THAT'S WE FELT, I I THOUGHT I WAS RESPONSIVE TO RESPONSIBILITY.
SHE SAID NO, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT DAY
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, BOTH, THE TWO RESPONSES THAT WE, WE WERE DISCUSSING, WE LOOKED AT, UH, WE FELT LIKE RESPONSE A WAS COMING WAS COMING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE DEFENSIVE.
AND UH, YOU, YOU KIND OF SAYING, I, I KNOW THIS ALREADY.
RIGHT? WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
SO I, WE, WE KNOW THIS ALREADY AND HAVE TO FOLLOW WITH EVERYONE.
BUT WHERE IT'S COMING AT IS YOU ARE HERE AND SOMEONE ELSE IS HERE, RESPONSE B IS MORE LIKE COMING AT THE SAME LEVEL.
AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY SAYING, INSTEAD OF SAYING, WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK, LIKE I KNOW HEAR YOU SAYING, I HEAR YOU, YOU ALSO KIND OF ADMITTING I DO NOT, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS AND, BUT I'M HEARING YOU.
JUST AS AMY SAID, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME YEAH.
SO, SO I THINK ONE IS MORE LIKE, I KNOW THE OTHER IS LIKE EVEN I DIDN'T KNOW, BUT I GOOD TO HEAR YOU, YOU KIND OF VERBALIZING THAT.
UH, BUT ALSO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE SEEN AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THIS IS LOOKING MORE LIKE YOU, UH, PEOPLE SEEING AN EYE LEVEL, YOU KNOW, SAME LEVEL YOU ARE, YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE.
B, THERE'S SOME VULNERABILITY WHEN YOU SAY, LET ME MAKE SURE WE CONNECT YOU WITH THE RIGHT PERSON TODAY.
I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, THE KNOW IT ALL OF EVERYTHING.
AND SO AGAIN, THAT HUMANIZES YOU.
KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAKES YOU OFF YOUR PEDESTAL.
THIS TEAM HERE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, IF THE PERSON WASN'T DEFENSIVE THAT CAME TO YOU, THIS BROUGHT THE PACE, THEY PROBABLY WOULD BE AT THE RESPONSE.
UM, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT IT, WHERE YOU SENT IT TO THAT DEFENSIVE PARTNER.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, WE BOTH, SHE, SHE WORKS IN THE AR, HR AND I USED TO WORK IN HR.
IF I'M TALKING TO A MANAGER, WE KINDA AGREE.
WE TALKING TO A MANAGEMENT RESPONSE.
A YOU SAID, BOOM, THERE'S CONTEXT.
WE'RE HOLDING THEM MUCH MORE ACCOUNTABLE.
AND PLUS THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ANYWAYS.
UH, BUT, UH, WITH, UH, RESPONSE B, THE ONLY CONCERN THAT WE, IF YOU TELL THE PERSON, WE'RE GONNA CONNECT YOU TO THE RIGHT PERSON TODAY.
ARE THEY GONNA GO AND TELL 13 PEOPLE THAT YOUR WORK IS NO GOOD?
LIKE CONTINUING TO BUILD THAT CREDIBILITY AND FOLLOW THROUGH AND KEEP IN MIND
[00:55:01]
IF AUDREY SAYS, I'M GOING TO CONNECT YOU WITH THE RIGHT PERSON TODAY, AND AUDREY DOESN'T, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SAY, AUDREY DID THIS ON FACEBOOK, THEY'RE GONNA BLOW UP CITY OF RICHARDSON.THE CITY DOESN'T RESPOND TO THE CITIZENS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT ON BLAST.
NOT, THEY'RE NOT EVEN PROBABLY GONNA REMEMBER YOUR NAME.
SO JUST KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO, THAT THAT'S HOW THAT'S GOING TO APPEAR.
AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST MY FRIENDS RIGHT HERE.
NO, I MEAN, IS THERE A WAY TO DO RESPONSE A BUT WITH RESPECT AND CLARITY AND MAKE THEM FEEL SEEN AND HEARD? WELL, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY YES.
MAKE SOME OWN, SORRY, TONE, HOW YOU SAY A YEAH.
WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW UP WITH EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY VERSUS WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW EVERYBODY INDIVIDUALLY.
I MEAN, WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT?
IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAYING THIS IN, IN PERSON, RIGHT? ARE YOU IN THEIR FACE? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU, UH, ANGRY? ARE YOU, IS ARE YOUR HANDS LIKE THIS? OR ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE GET A TON OF FEEDBACK.
OH MY GOSH, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW UP WITH EVERYONE AND THEN THAT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO TRANSITION INTO A RESPONSE.
SO YOU BRING UP AN EXCELLENT POINT.
SO WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT RESPONSE B FOR THE SAME REASON THAT AUDREY MENTIONED, WHICH IS THAT MAYBE YOU, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A FOLLOW ON YEAH.
THAT IT'S GONNA CREATE A PROBLEM.
THE OTHER THING IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'VE ALREADY GIVEN, WHEREAS ZOOMING FOR A MOMENT IT COULD BE GOOD.
THE OTHER COULD BE THAT IT'S REALLY NOT GOOD AND YOU, YOU'RE TIRED OF LISTENING TO IT RIGHT NOW.
HOW DO YOU, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT YOU STILL, WHICH GOT BACK TO THE POINT OF THE TONE, WHICH IS SAYING THAT YEAH, WE HAVE CONSIDERED YOUR FEEDBACK.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE RAISED, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RAISED THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS, AND WE HAVE DECIDED THAT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE MAY CONSIDER MM-HMM
SO YOU'RE NOT MAKING A PROMISE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FULFILL, WHICH IS TO CONNECT THEM TODAY TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
YOU'VE NOT DISMISSED THEM EITHER.
YOU'VE ACKNOWLEDGED WHAT THEY'VE SAID.
UM, BUT YOU HAVE ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT MM-HMM
UH, AT THIS POINT, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING HAS BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO YOU KIND OF DON'T DRAG YOURSELF IN A, IN A HOLE.
AND YOU KNOW, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY PEOPLE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RESPOND RIGHT NOW.
AND IT MAY BE TWO OR THREE DAYS BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO NOW INSIDE THAT DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL ALL WARM AND FUZZY, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT.
THEN SOMEBODY JUST BLOWING SMOKE MM-HMM
SAYING, OH, I'LL CALL YOU BY FIVE.
SO YOU, YOU BRING UP AN EXCELLENT POINT.
SO THE, ON THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION ON THIS IS HOW WOULD YOU WANT TO BE RESPONDED TO AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT THAT AND YOU DO THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS THINKING AS, UH, RAJ AND ASHA WAS SAYING, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE ACCOUNT FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY I, WE GET A TON OF THAT FEEDBACK, I THINK THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY CONFIRMING SOMETHING THAT RESONATING THE SAYING THAT, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DISSONANCE ON THE SAME TOPIC, BUT HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT CONSENSUS? DID YOU HAVE THE METRICS WHEN YOU SAY A TON, OR IS IT JUST A, A RHETORIC, LIKE THAT'S JUST HOW YOU TALK, BUT WHEN YOU, BUT WHEN YOU DO ACTUALLY SAY WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK, YOU ARE ACTUALLY GIVING SOME INTERNAL INFORMATION TO FOLKS THAT DIDN'T HAVE THAT VISIBILITY.
BUT YOU ARE CONFIRMING THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, THE SAME, SAME TOPIC COMING UP.
AND THAT ITSELF KIND OF SHOULD LAND BACK WITH US AGAIN.
IT'S LIKE WE REALLY HEAR THAT A LOT THEN SHOULD WE FOLLOW IT THROUGH MM-HMM
'CAUSE IT'S BECOMING A METRIC AT THAT POINT NOW MM-HMM
AND THEN REMEMBER THE ONES THAT ARE SAYING IT, PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR CITIZENS ARE NOT SAYING IT.
SO IT'S PROBABLY MORE THAT HAVE THAT ISSUE OR THAT CONCERN.
YOU'RE JUST HEARING FROM THE FIVE OR SIX BRAVE SOULS
[01:00:01]
MAYBE A LITTLE TOO MUCH INFORMATION WITHOUT YOU HAVING DONE YOUR OWN HOMEWORK.
ONE OF THE, THE THINGS IVORY SAID THAT I REALLY LOVED, UH, IS SHE SAID LIKE, A LOT OF FOLKS MAY, THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE.
THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO FOR THEM.
SO WITH THAT, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW EVERYONE.
SHE'S LIKE, I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT EVERYONE.
LIKE, I CARE ABOUT, YOU'RE NOT RESPONDING SPECIFICALLY TO ME.
THAT, UM, PEOPLE WANNA KNOW THAT THERE'S LIKE THAT INDIVIDUALIZED CARE.
SO I, I DON'T WANNA PUT GREG ON THE, ON THE SCENE OVER HERE, BUT, UM, BEING COMMUNICATIONS FOR CITY
DO YOU MAKE IT A POINT THAT WE EMAIL YOUR REPLY TO IT? AND WHAT DO YOU DO? THAT IS GREAT.
WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED ASK RICHARDSON.
I THINK I STARTED ABOUT 2017 OR SO, MEANT TO PUT IT ONTO SOCIAL MEDIA AS A, AS A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WHERE IT'D BE ASK RICHARDSON.
UM, DIDN'T END UP DOING SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WHAT WE HAVE, IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, I THINK I'VE PRESENTED ON THIS HERE BEFORE MM-HMM
BUT YEAH, EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS A ASK RICHARDSON LIBRARY, ASK RICHARDSON, FINANCE, ASK RICHARDSON, WHATEVER.
AND THEN THERE'S A CATCHALL THAT'S A GENERIC THAT ACTUALLY COMES TO MY ADDRESS.
THE DIRECTION THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT I DO MYSELF IS, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE WHO GET THAT EMAIL IN CASE ANYBODY'S ON VACATION.
AND THEN WE RESPOND HOPEFULLY WITHIN 24 HOURS, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ON A FRIDAY, THEN BY THE MONDAY ISH, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, YOU JUST RESPOND THAT YOU GOT THE EMAIL AND THAT YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP.
THAT WAY PEOPLE KNOW THAT, THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEARD, THAT, THAT, THAT IT'S REACHED SOMEBODY.
THE CORE OF THAT IS THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING A BOT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING A, I'VE BEEN ASKED BEFORE, BECAUSE I THINK I'VE SAID IN HERE TOO, I WILL ANSWER IF IT'S TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I HAPPEN TO BE CHECKING MY EMAIL.
I'LL ANSWER AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND PEOPLE WILL RESPOND BACK SAYING, IS THIS A REAL PERSON? YOU KNOW,
AND I'LL RESPOND, HEY, I JUST HAPPENED TO BE UP.
I SAW THIS I, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, I WAS FORWARDING THIS ON TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE IS PEOPLE NOT ONLY KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEARD, BUT IT, IT SHOWS A LEVEL OF SERVICE.
THAT YES, WHAT WE WANNA PORTRAY IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON MM-HMM
THAT I DON'T THINK YOU GET IN EVERY COMMUNITY.
I REALLY, AND THAT, AND THAT, THAT GOES WITH, IT'S NOT JUST MY DEPARTMENT.
THAT TECH IS NOT JUST MY DEPARTMENT.
EVERY DEPARTMENT IS FOCUSED ON THIS HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE WANT TO BRING TO THE, THIS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
AND, UH, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'RE SEEING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING, NOT JUST THIS TYPE, TYPE OF COMMUNICATION.
SO, LONG ANSWER, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE WAY YOU ASKED, WHAT WOULD GREG DO? HE'S LIKE PUTTING A FACE TO RICHARDSON.
WHEN YOU SAY RICHARDSON, YOU HAVE MANY PLACES IN THE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR GETTING BUT THINKING RICHARDSON A HUMAN ACTUALLY KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY NICE WAY OF, WHAT WOULD GREG DO? YES.
YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT HUMANIZING THE CITY WITH MAYBE A, A NAME THAT'S A A YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE, WE THINK WE GET MAYBE A CAMPAIGN.
WE GET IT AND GREG GETS UP AT 2:00 AM AND GOES,
THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF GOOD.
SO, SO THAT ACTUALLY GETS TO ANOTHER COMPONENT, IS WE ARE THE CITY, CITY OF BRIDGETON.
WE'RE NOT ABOUT THE I, IT'S THE WE.
AND IT WOULD NOT BE A INDIVIDUAL PERSON.
IT WOULD BE IF, IF WE WERE TO DO ANYTHING.
UH, IT'S, IT'S USUALLY A, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO BE ON A GROUP FOCUS BECAUSE NO ONE PERSON DOES IT ON MM-HMM
SO AS WE WRAP UP THIS, UH, MODULE HERE, I JUST HAD A NOTE HERE.
I WROTE, UM, AS A KEY TAKEAWAY, AND I DON'T THINK I PUT THAT ON HERE, BUT EMPATHY, UM, AS WE CLOSE THIS OUT, IS NOT AGREEMENT.
AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT, ITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN CITIZENS FEEL HEARD, THEY ARE FAR MORE OPEN TO RECEIVING INFORMATION, GUIDANCE, AND EVEN DIFFICULT ANSWERS.
SO SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN WE COMMUNICATE WELL, CONVERSATIONS CAN GET HARD.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO, I'M DOING THIS BACK HERE LIKE THIS.
SO GREG TOLD ME MODULE THREE IS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
SO HOW TO NAVIGATE CONFLICT WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND CARE, NAVIGATING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
HOW YOU SHOW UP IN DIFFICULT, IN A DIFFICULT MOMENT DEFINES THE CITIZEN'S EXPERIENCE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THAT CAME
[01:05:01]
FROM.IS IT, PLEASE LET THIS BE IN YOUR BOOK.
SO A FRAMEWORK FOR NAVIGATING CONFLICT.
I WANNA HEAR FROM Y'ALL ON THIS.
SO AGAIN, THIS REALLY IS A FRAMEWORK THAT CAN BE USED ANYWHERE, RIGHT? NUMBER ONE, PAUSE.
RESIST THE URGE TO REACT IMMEDIATELY.
AS HARD AS THAT MIGHT BE, JENNIFER SHAKING HER HEAD LIKE, YEAH, RIGHT.
RESIST THE URGE TO REACT IMMEDIATELY.
ACKNOWLEDGE, VALIDATE THE CITIZEN'S CONCERN BEFORE RESPONDING.
I, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I USE ALL THE TIME, EVEN I DO THIS WITH MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS I JUST, I REPEAT IT, NUMBER ONE, THAT TELLS THEM THAT I'M LISTENING.
AND THEN SECONDLY, I'M ACTUALLY REFRAMING WHAT THEY SAID SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR IT.
AND THEN THEY SAY, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I SAID.
BUT THAT'S WASN'T WHAT I MEANT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID,
SO THAT EVEN SOMETIMES PUTS THE CONVERSATION BACK ON TRACK AND IT GETS US CLOSER TO CLARITY.
SO I DO WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON THE WORD PAUSE OVER HERE.
ALSO, ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IS SITUATION.
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING AND SOMEBODY COMES TO YOU AND THEY WANT AN ANSWER.
AND IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION TO HAVE, AND YOU'RE KIND OF PUT AT THE SPOT.
I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST A PAUSE AT THAT POINT.
IT'S, IT'S MORE LIKE SAYING THAT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS LATER.
LET'S SET A TIME AND LET'S DISCUSS THIS AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF BEING PUT ON THE SPOT.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT TO ME, AND I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO IT ON PER ON PURPOSE, WHERE THEY WANT TO ACTUALLY CORNER YOU IN A SITUATION AND YOU HAVE TO RESPOND.
IT'S LIKE, UH, WE WANNA PUSH YOUR BUTTONS.
RIGHT? AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT LET PEOPLE PUSH YOUR BUTTONS MM-HMM
AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE THE CONVERSATION TO A TIME AND PLACE THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
YOU MEAN YOU JUST DON'T TELL 'EM, LET'S TAKE IT OUT TO THE HALL
THAT IS AN EXCELLENT POINT THAT YOU MAKE.
AND PART OF THAT, TO YOUR, TO JUST WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, PART OF THAT PAUSING IS RESISTING THE URGE AND THEN SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S PUT A MEETING ON THE CALENDAR, OR LET'S TABLE THIS.
APOLOGIZE, I SHOULD LET YOU GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
DO YOU SEE ANY, UM, CHANGES TO THIS ORDER IF YOU GO TO A DIFFERENT CULTURE? LIKE SOME CULTURES ARE MORE TONAL, SOME CULTURES ARE
IF THEY COME UP WITH A BIG, YOU KNOW, UM, LARGE TONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SURE.
RESPOND WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF EVEN HANDED THING MM-HMM
THAT MIGHT NOT GET THE SAME RESPONSE.
I MEAN, I'M ALWAYS SURPRISED 'CAUSE I ALWAYS TRY TO REPEAT WHAT I HEAR.
AND SOMETIMES THAT, THAT LOOKS LIKE TO THEM IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO AVOID THE SITUATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT, IT'S WEIRD HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE RESPOND MM-HMM
AND I HANG OUT WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES SURE.
OR REPEATING, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT COULD COME OFF AS WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'M NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S HARD TO GAUGE WHAT THE RESPONSE WILL BE.
AND, AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE OFFENSIVE BEFORE THEY BECOME WHATEVER, UM, BEFORE THEY START TALKING.
I THINK YOU BRING UP AN EXCELLENT POINT IN TERMS OF HOW THESE, THIS FRAMEWORK COULD BE AND WOULD BE RECEIVED, UH, CULTURALLY.
BUT WHAT I WOULD IN, UH, WHAT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT JUST THIS PARTICULAR FRAMEWORK, THINK ABOUT THIS AS A, AS A FOUNDATION, RIGHT.
UM, YOU MAY WANT TO DO NUMBER FOUR BEFOREHAND.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE 1, 2, 3, 0 5, YOU KNOW, IN THAT PARTICULAR MANNER.
BUT AGAIN, SITUATIONALLY WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, MAYBE WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT IT JUST MAY, IT MAY DEPEND.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS THE, UH, CULTURAL AWARENESS THAT YOU NEED.
UH, TENOR, TONE OF VOICE, SHOUTING ALL CAPS,
HAS A WAY OF COMING ACROSS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S ALSO PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT, LIKE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OR EXPERIENCE LEVEL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
EVERYBODY RESPONDS DIFFERENTLY, SO, EXCELLENT.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A WAY TO, I JUST WANNA ECHO A LITTLE BIT ON CULTURE.
THIS JUST HAPPENED, I THINK IT WAS LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO WE WORKED WITH OUR FACTORY IN, IN THE PHILIPPINES.
AND I WAS NOT GETTING SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I NEEDED OUT FROM THEM.
IT TOOK MONTHS, EVENTUALLY GOT
[01:10:01]
ON A CALL WITH THEM AND I ASKED THEM LIKE, OKAY, WE ARE PLANNING THIS.IT'S GONNA BE COMING AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
CAN YOU COMMIT TO IT THAT YOU'LL DO IT? AND THERE WAS SILENCE.
AND THEN AFTER A WHILE, YOU KNOW, FINALLY WE SAID, OKAY, THIS IS IT.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF, THEY SAY THAT.
AND THEN AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THE CALL, THE OTHER PERSON WITH ME SAID, OH, YEAH, THEY COMMITTED, THEY WILL DO IT.
AND I WAS LIKE, NO, THEY COMMITTED.
THEY SAID, NO, THEY WON'T DO IT.
THEY DIDN'T SAY IT, BUT SILENCE TO ME WAS INDICATIVE OF THE FACT THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA DO IT.
IT'S LIKE YOU JUST HAD TO READ THE FACT THAT WHEN THEY WERE QUIET, YOU ASK THEM FOR SOMETHING AND THEY REMAIN QUITE QUIET, QUIET UNTIL YOU KEPT SAYING, IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU SHOULD DO IT.
THEN FINALLY THEY SAID, OKAY, WE'LL LOOK AT IT.
THAT'S THEIR WAY OF TELLING YOU.
NO, BUT I WAS GONNA SAY, IF YOU DON'T CONFIDENCE, YOU DON'T ANSWER TO ME.
THAT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT GONNA DO IT.
THIS MEANS NO, I MEAN, TOMORROW MEANS MAYBE ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
SO UNLESS YOU KNOW THE CULTURE, IT'S HARD TO REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU GOT.
CAN I ASK A, JUST LIKE A CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR THE GROUP.
SO IN THAT, IN THAT CASE, UM, AND THIS IS LIKE MY OWN LIMITED SCOPE OF, OF, OF, OF A LOT OF CULTURES, BUT IS THERE A, IS ARE THERE CERTAIN WORDS OR PHRASES THAT CAN BE USED TO DIFFUSE OR TO LIKE, CREATE SOME OF THAT NEUTRAL? SO LIKE WHEN I HEAR, UM, IT WAS IN THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE LIKE, JUST SO I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING CORRECTLY.
I HEARD THIS, THIS, THIS, LIKE, IS THAT I, I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY LEAVE WITH LIKE A PRACTICAL WAY TO HAVE, LIKE, THOSE, THOSE PHRASES THAT NOT TRYING TO DEMEAN OR MOCK ANOTHER CULTURE, BUT LIKE, I DO WANT TO MOVE TO CREATING LIKE, SHARED UNDERSTANDING AND LIKE MAKING SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF CULTURES, THAT PEOPLE STILL FEEL LIKE THEY ARE HEARD AND THEY'RE RESPECTED.
SO I'M JUST ASKING, JUST LIKE A CLARIFYING QUESTION ARE LIKE THOSE TYPE OF PHRASES FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE ARE PHRASES THAT COULD CONTINUE TO HELP US TO GET TO A, A RESOLUTION? I MEAN, I WOULD KINDA LOOK TO LEADERSHIP IN THOSE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WITHOUT A ROADMAP AND A, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHO'S THERE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE.
BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE DOESN'T TRANSLATE.
JUST 'CAUSE IT'S ALL ENGLISH DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHAT THE BEST THAT'S TRUE.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE GET FRUSTRATED OR THEY JUST DON'T LOOK AT IT STUFF.
ANOTHER TERM THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS CONDESCENDING.
THEY'LL SEND THAT, SEND THAT WHEN YOU REPEAT SOMETHING BACK TO SOMEONE, YEAH.
SEE, IT'S NOT THE INTENTION AT ALL.
AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF OUT THERE, WHICH WE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
BUT WE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE REALLY RESPONSES.
WHAT ABOUT IF YOU WERE LIKE IN A SITUATION AND YOU JUST DIDN'T KNOW? RIGHT.
AND SO YOU LITERALLY OPEN WITH, I DON'T KNOW.
I WANT TO KNOW
HOW CAN I SAY THIS IN A WAY? OR HOW CAN I, HOW CAN I ASK THIS QUESTION WHERE I'M STILL, YOU KNOW, I WANNA BE, I AM RESPECTFUL.
I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE AND IT'S BEEN RECEIVED, LIKE, WOW, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED.
I'M SO GLAD YOU SAID SOMETHING VERSUS ME PUTTING MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH.
DOES, DOES THAT WORK WITH EMOTIONAL PEOPLE? I MEAN,
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE THAT I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, THEY COME UP WITH A, LIKE ONE ARM CHOPPED OFF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHAT? WELL, I MEAN, THEY HAVE A REAL URGENT FRONT BURNER ISSUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, AGAIN, I THINK IT JUST KIND OF GOES BACK TO THAT JUST BEING RESPECTFUL.
AND THEN JUST SHOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, VULNERABILITY OF, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M, I'M OUT OF MY, MY ZONE HERE.
I, I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL IN THIS SPACE AND CAN YOU HELP ME? AND I THINK IF YOU JUST SOMETIMES JUST BE THAT OPEN AND HONEST AND RAW, I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I NEVER, I MEAN, IT WAS A GREAT PERSPECTIVE.
IT CAN BE TRICKY BECAUSE LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, IT MAY COME NORMAL TO ME TO BE LIKE, OKAY, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THIS, BUT I LOVED YOUR INPUT OF BEING LIKE, LET ME GO.
I THINK YOU SAID THAT EARLIER TOO, LIKE ASKING THEM, UM, BECAUSE I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL MM-HMM
AND LIKE, I DON'T, IN MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T WANT TO BE CONDESCENDING, AND I DON'T WANT TO EVEN BE MOCKING, BUT I WANT TO, THE GOAL FOR ME WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SAY IF SOMEONE IS EMOTIONAL OR THEY ARE UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING AND THEY'RE COMING TO ME, MY GOAL IS HOW CAN I MOVE US TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN HAVE RESOLUTION AND, AND THE PERSON STILL FEELS HEARD AND RESPECTED.
[01:15:01]
AT THE LEAST, TRY MY BEST TO ABSOLUTELY.LIKE I DON'T, EVEN IF I, LIKE YOU SAID, IF I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T, I'M SO SORRY.
BUT LIKE, LET ME TRY TO GO FIND OUT FOR YOU.
LET ME TRY TO GO GET YOU AN ANSWER IF I CAN.
I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE SAYING THAT.
I REALLY DO LIKE ACROSS CULTURES.
UM, ASK QUESTIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL ISSUE.
AGAIN, I LOVE THIS BECAUSE YOU BOTH MAY BE IN THE SAME VEIN, BUT JUST USING DIFFERENT WORDS, MAYBE DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY.
UM, RESPOND, OFFER WHAT YOU CAN WITH HONESTY AND CARE AND THEN FOLLOW THROUGH.
THE CONVERSATION DOESN'T END WHEN IT DOES.
A LOT OF TIMES IT DOESN'T
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A FRAMEWORK FOR NAVIGATING CONFLICT, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THINKING BEFORE YOU'RE SPEAKING.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
UM, ACKNOWLEDGE IT IN YOUR BODY LANGUAGE, RIGHT.
PLEASE BE PRESENT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING WITH PEOPLE WHEN YOU WANT THE SAME THING.
UM, AGAIN, CLARIFYING, JUST MAKING CERTAIN THAT YOU BOTH ARE HEARING THE SAME THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THIS AGAIN, I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE.
THIS IS HOW I'M DEFINING THIS WORD.
HOW ARE YOU DEFINING IT? RIGHT? JUST KIND OF MAKING SURE YOU'RE ALL IN THE SAME LANE.
A ANY, ANYTHING THAT YOU MAYBE ADD ON THIS OR ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE.
AND THIS ISN'T LIKE THE FRAMEWORK FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PENTAGON USES OR THE GOVERNMENT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS? ANY THOUGHTS? YEAH, I HAD THE
IT'S A PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT BY BEING, TRYING TO BE PATIENT AND TRY TO BE, TO FOLLOW THAT FRAME? MM-HMM.
WHEN YOU KNOW NE NOTHING'S GOING TO PROVIDE A TRUE SOLUTION.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE ON THAT? HMM.
IF THERE'S NO SOLUTION, NO SOLUTION CONVERSATION, PROBABLY YOU'RE DEALING WITH A, A PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE PERSON, ET CETERA.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? DOES, BASED ON THAT FRAMEWORK? YEAH.
DOES THAT PERSON KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, UM, CONSIDERED ALL OPTIONS? DO THEY KNOW THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN? DO THEY KNOW THE STEPS THAT YOU TOOK? DO THEY KNOW THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE SO THAT YOU DIDN'T JUST GET TO A DECISION OVERNIGHT TO WHERE THERE WAS NO SOLUTION? RIGHT.
YOU HAD TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING THAT GOT YOU TO THE POINT, I CAN'T PUSH THIS ANY FURTHER.
DO THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS, LET'S ASSUME YES.
WELL, I MEAN, THEN AT THAT POINT, MY RECOMMENDATION AND ADVICE WOULD BE THAT YOU LET THEM KNOW THAT AND JUST SIT DOWN WITH 'EM AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT I'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE.
BECAUSE WHAT THEY WANNA KNOW IS, HOW DID YOU GET TO THAT NO SOLUTION? RIGHT.
IT'S NOT THE MATTER THAT, IT'S NOT THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION THERE.
THEY CAN PROBABLY SWALLOW THAT, BUT THEY WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU DID ALL THE WORK TO GET THERE, THAT YOU JUST DIDN'T GIVE UP.
SO JUST LAY IT OUT AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS HOW I GOT HERE.
SO AT THAT RE AT, AT THAT POINT, IF I'VE WATCHED YOU, YOU'VE EXPLAINED EVERYTHING AND I'M LIKE, GEEZ, HE'S RIGHT.
BUT I'M FEELING BETTER BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD.
ANYBODY ELSE ON THAT? EXCELLENT QUESTION.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T SAY LIKE, IT'S NOT A NO, WE'LL SAY LIKE, NOT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I THINK, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WHY IS THERE NO SOLUTION? LIKE, IT COULD BE A TIMING THING.
IT COULD BE A, IT'S A NO RIGHT NOW, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A NO.
I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE GASLIGHT ANYONE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING.
BUT LIKE, I DO THINK A LOT OF THINGS JUST COMES DOWN TO TIMING.
AND SO SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT BE RIGHT NOW, ACTUALLY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
HOWEVER, I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND I RESPECT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ONCE THE NEXT FISCAL BUDGET PASSES.
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING BACK ON THE TABLE.
LIKE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO GASLIGHT, BUT GIVING SOME FOLKS JUST A LITTLE SLIVER OF HOPE THAT THE, THAT THE FIGHT AND THE WORK IS GONNA CONTINUE.
BUT EVEN IF IT'S A CONCRETE WALL YEAH.
AND WE'VE ALL HIT UP AGAINST CONCRETE WALLS IN LIFE BEFORE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP IT MOVING.
BUT AGAIN, WE KNOW WHAT, WHAT WAS DONE, THE STEPS THAT WERE TAKEN, WHAT WAS TRIED, WHAT WORK, WHAT DIDN'T.
THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD ADD ON HERE, UM, AND MAYBE
[01:20:01]
THIS IS, MAYBE THIS HAS COME WITH AGE OR BEING TIRED,UM, I WILL NOT NECESSARILY ENGAGE WITH SOMEBODY WHEN, AT THIS TIME THAT THEY FEEL THAT, UM, IF IT IS INAPPROPRIATE IN A SPACE, IF IT'S A PARENT, BUT I GOT 15 KIDS AROUND ME, THAT'S GOOD.
UM, IF IT'S A SUNDAY MORNING AND THEY WANNA TELL ME EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING WRONG, UM, I WILL, I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THAT.
WILL YOU CALL ME TOMORROW? YOU KNOW, OR THAT'S GOOD.
HEY, I'M GOING TO BE OUT, OR WE'RE GONNA GET THIS SERVICE STARTED, I'LL MEET YOU OUT IN THE WELCOMES OR WHATEVER IT IS.
IT GIVES THEM A MOMENT TO BREATHE.
AND I'M MEETING THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, BUT THE, UH, THAT ALSO HELPS DIFFUSE YES, YES.
BUT I THINK MAYBE IN, LIKE, IF I THINK BACK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF MY, UH, THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT WORK OR WHATEVER THAT I WAS DOING PREVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY IN MY TWENTIES OR WHAT HAVE YOU, I, OH, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT NOW? OKAY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT IT NOW WITH YOU.
AND IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT ALL MY CHILD.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S JUST, THERE CAN BE, THAT CAN BE, UM, UH, BENEFICIAL TO NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT ALSO YEAH.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE PIECE WHEN YOU SAID, OH, I'D PROBABLY ADD THAT IN THERE ALSO, OR SOMETHING TO THAT.
JUST READY TO GIVE MY OPINION.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WAS MISSING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS? IT'S REALLY GOOD.
WELL, I, I, I LIKE, I, I LIKE WHAT IT WAS RESONATING THROUGH HERE.
YOU KNOW, LEAVING PEOPLE MORE HOPEFUL, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO KIND OF DIFFUSE THE CHARGE.
BUT I ALSO REMEMBER WHAT AMY SAID, NOT TO TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY.
BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF YOU THAT THE PROBLEM HAS EMERGED, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO TALK TO YOU.
I, I, I REALLY LIKE THAT ARBITRATOR ROLE.
LIKE, YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARBITRATION IN THE SENSE LIKE, YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO SOLVE.
BUT YOU ARE, YOU'RE IN BETWEEN LIKE THE CITY AND SOMEONE ELSE.
SO YOU'RE JUST LIKE, OKAY, LET'S, LET ME JUST SEE IF I CAN BE HELPFUL, HOPEFUL.
UM, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, UH, IF YOU'RE FACING A WALL, UH, I'D SAY TRY TO FIND A POINT IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU FELT A LOT OF LOVE
EVEN IF, IF IT'S YOUR DOG THAT REMINDS YOU, JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
USUALLY I USE THIS MODE OF TRANSFERENCE.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE, I WOULD SAY MEN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER, OTHER PEERS.
I MEAN, I I'M SAYING MALE VERSUS MALE, WHERE SOMETIMES WE'RE BOTH ALPHAS,
BUT A DOG, REMEMBERING A DOG DOES HELP
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, IF, IF YOU CAN FEEL THAT FROM A POINT, FROM A TIME IN LIFE, YOU ACTUALLY FELT IT, I KIND OF CALL IT IN AND THEN I JUST SIT THERE WITH IT AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS THE TRANSFERENCE, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA TRANSFER WHAT I FELT THEN RIGHT HERE, EVEN IF I CAN'T MAKE THIS WORK, I'M JUST GONNA SIT WITH THIS RIGHT HERE.
I THINK I HAVE A WATERFALL ON MY DOG.
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, NOW I'M HERE.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A RECOMMENDATION, RECOMMENDED FRAMEWORK FOR NAVIGATING CONFLICT.
SO LET'S MOVE TO OUR NEXT MODULE.
MODULE FOUR, UH, BUILDING AND SUSTAINING TRUST.
WHO AGREES WITH THIS? TRUST IS BUILT OR LOST ONE INTERACTION AT A TIME.
UM, OFTENTIMES TAKES, UM, A WHILE TO BUILD.
AND HOW QUICK TO DISSOLVE
SO FOUR PILLARS OF COMMUNITY TRUST.
THESE SHOULD BE IN YOUR BOOK, CONSISTENCY, SHOWING UP THE SAME WAY EVERY TIME, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS IN THE ROOM OR HOW DIFFICULT THE TOPIC.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT PUTTING ON A MASK OR A COSTUME MM-HMM
JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS A GUEST OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PARTICULAR PERSON IN THE ROOM.
THE CITIZENS WOULD DESERVE TO SEE THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND THIS TABLE TONIGHT.
THE SAME CHARACTER, KINDNESS, COMPASSIONATE LEARNING, GROWTH, CURIOSITY, APPRECIATION, ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU TOLD ME GOT YOU IN THIS ROOM.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WE BE CONSISTENT.
TRANSPARENCY, BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DON'T AND WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, OBVIOUSLY TO THE DEGREE IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT PROPRIETARY
[01:25:01]
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.BUT AGAIN, JUST I LOVE THAT, BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU DON'T.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, VULNERABILITY IN MY OPINION, IS A STRENGTH.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING TO RUN FROM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT MAKES YOU HUMAN.
UM, THE THIRD PILLAR, RESPONSIVENESS, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN REASON, MAYBE NOT AT TWO IN THE MORNING, EVERYBODY
BUT I'M NEVER GONNA, I'M GONNA EMAIL HIM LIKE THAT
SEE IF HE WAS FOLLOWING THROUGH ON COMMITMENTS AND CONCERNS.
CITIZENS NOTICE WHEN NOTHING HAPPENS AFTER THEY SPEAK.
CAN WE SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM? PROBABLY NOT.
RIGHT? BUT WE CAN HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE CAN SET UP TOOLS AND PORTALS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEND IN YOUR CONCERNS.
YOUR, YOU'RE, YOU CAN SPEAK, RIGHT? MAYBE AT MEETINGS, I'M NOT SURE.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMS WHERE YOUR VOICE CAN BE HEARD.
SO AGAIN, THAT RESPONSIVENESS IS, IS KEY.
AND THE LAST ONE IS INCLUSION.
AND I'VE HEARD THIS ALL TONIGHT.
ENSURING EVERY CITIZEN FEELS THEIR VOICE IS GENUINELY WELCOME AND NOT JUST TOLERATED.
SO TALK TO ME, TEAM, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT, WHAT'S COMING OUT FROM YOU ON ANY OF THESE? ANYTHING? LET'S SEE WHAT'S NEXT HERE.
UM, ONE PIECE THAT I WOULD MENTION IS I QUESTION SOMETIMES ABOUT THE COMMISSIONS OR THOSE THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE BY THE CITY.
UM, HOW SYNONYMOUS WE ARE WITH THE CITY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE'S, UH, PERCEPTION OF THIS COMMISSION IS REMOVED FROM WHAT THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE CITY IS.
UM, SO IF THEY HAVE A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE CITY, MY INKLING IS THAT THEY HAVE MAYBE A POSITIVE, UH, ABOUT THIS COMMISSION.
IF THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE CITY, IT IMPACTS THIS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT, UH, I'M JUST WATCHING THAT THOSE ARE INTERTWINED NOT JUST WITH OUR COMMISSION, BUT WITH OTHERS THAT ARE INTERTWINED IN A WAY THAT O OFTENTIMES EVEN CAN BRING SOME FALSE CAUSALITY.
I MEAN, LIKE THOSE, UM, THERE'S JUST SOME, UH, FALSE THREADS I THINK THAT SOME PEOPLE MAKE MM-HMM
AND IT JUST, IT IS JUST INTERESTING TO ME.
SO, SO I THINK TO MYSELF, UH, WE MAY, UM, LIKE WHEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE, OH, SORRY, I'M JUMPING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S A REFLECTION ACTIVITY YOU'LL SAY.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH, UM, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE CITIZENS OF RICHARDSON, UM, CURRENTLY TRUST THIS MISSION? MM-HMM
AND I WOULD BE VERY CURIOUS TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD PUT A VERY HIGH HERE, BUT THEN IF THEY WERE ASKED THE SAME ABOUT THE CITY, UH, GOVERNMENT OVERALL, IF IT WAS A ONE, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
I THINK THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE CLOSER IN LINE.
I'M TRYING TO USE THE FEW WORDS
SO WHAT, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAY IS THAT THERE IS SOME PARALLELS, I THINK.
SO BETWEEN HOW THEY MIGHT VIEW OR COMMISSION OR THE THREAD MIGHT NOT BE AS WELL.
I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE CLOSER THAN WHAT WE DO.
OH, WE DO A LOT OF SURVEYS, BUT NOT THAT ONE.
I WAS GONNA SAY NOT, NOT FOR LACK OF SURVEY
BECAUSE THAT COULD MEASURE RIGHT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TEAM? YEAH, I THINK ON RESPONSIVENESS, I MIGHT ADD SOMETHING OVER HERE IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ASK FOR SOMETHING AND MAYBE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN GIVE THEM, BUT IF YOU CAN FIND OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM MM-HMM
SOME OF THE HARDEST CONVERSATIONS I HAVE ARE DURING COMPENSATION REVIEW WHEN WE GO THROUGH COMPENSATION.
LIKE PEOPLE COME THROUGH AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS.
I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE ARE HAPPY, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHAPPY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ASKING FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS AND YOU'RE NOT GIVING THEM, BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM SOMETHING ELSE, I, I THINK IT REALLY HELPS.
AND, UH, I THINK AS A CITY AS WELL, YOU KNOW, CITY CAN NEVER GIVE EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR, BUT AS LONG AS THEY CAN SEE THERE'S SOME RESPONSIVENESS.
RESPONSIVENESS DOESN'T MEAN THAT WHAT YOU ASK FOR, YOU GET EXACTLY THAT.
RESPONSIVENESS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
YOU JUST ARE BEING RESPONSIVE TO CORRECT.
I THINK I'D SAY, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S A GOOD GOING BETWEEN, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE SANTA CLAUS MODE OR THE SAVIOR MODE.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS? UH, I'M JUST REAL QUICK FOR THE GOALS OF THIS COMMISSION YOU HAD, UH, IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
I AM NOT, WHAT AM I EIGHT 30? UH, 8, 8 30 IS WHEN THIS COMMISSION IS, HAS GOLD.
[01:30:01]
FOR ANY OH YES, OF COURSE.BUT I, I MEAN HER, SHE'S HERE TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
JUST LETTING, LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW FOR YOUR OWN.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THANK YOU.
WE'LL GET ON THROUGH THE REST.
I I I DIDN'T HAVE A TIME, I DIDN'T HAVE MY EYE ON THE TIME I WAS ON THE FLOOR.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'LL WE'LL PUSH OFF.
BUT YOU, YOU ALL HAVE YOUR BOOKS, SO ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL PUSH ON.
AND ACTUALLY, THIS IS THE LAST MODULE, SO PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE.
SO ALL THREE OBJECTIVES INTEGRATED AND APPLIED.
SO THIS WAS A GROUP ACTIVITY, BUT WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER.
UM, SO I JUST HAD ANOTHER SCENARIO, UM, KIND OF DRAWING EVERY DRAWING ON EVERYTHING THAT WE COVERED.
UM, SO HERE, LET ME JUST GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.
SO YEAH, WE CAN JUST DO THIS TOGETHER AS A TEAM BECAUSE I DO HAVE A FINAL REQUEST FOR EVERYONE AND WE CAN CLOSE OUT ON THAT.
SO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS, SO CHECK THIS OUT A LONG TIME.
RICHARDSON RESIDENT ATTENDS A-C-I-E-C MEETING AND EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION.
THEY SUBMITTED FEEDBACK TWICE THROUGH THE CITY'S ONLINE PORTAL AND NEVER RECEIVED, RECEIVED A RESPONSE.
THEY FEEL IGNORED AND ARE VISIBLY UPSET.
SO HOW DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THIS CITIZEN'S CONCERN IN THE MOMENT? WHAT COMMUNICATION APPROACH WOULD YOU USE AND WHAT WOULD RESOLUTION OR FOLLOW THROUGH LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
FIRST I WON'T BELIEVE THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GREG WOULD.
SO LET'S JUST DO THIS AS A GROUP ACTIVITY.
SO ANY, ANYONE ON ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS HERE? I THINK THE FIRST THING IS I REALLY LIKE THAT.
LIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR INPUT.
I CAN GIVE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE HEARD.
SO THAT WOULD BE HOW I WOULD START OFF MY SENTENCE.
THAT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY TO HEAR EVERY, EVERY INTERACTION I GET FROM A RESIDENT, I START WITH, THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME THIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO DO SO.
AND SOMETIMES I WONDER IF THAT JUST FEELS TRITE, BUT IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT
WHAT ELSE? I THINK I'D USE THE APPROACH THAT WAS IN ANSWER B, LIKE TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT.
I THINK IT MAY BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN THE, I DON'T WANNA SAY WE'RE IN THE INSIDE, BUT WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CITY, RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE SOME MORE INSIGHT INTO YEAH.
WHO THEY NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO AND GET THEM THROUGH TO THE RIGHT PERSON.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IT CAN JUST BE SO FRUSTRATING, RIGHT? TO JUST GET AN ANSWER TO A SEEMINGLY SIMPLE QUESTION.
AND SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH, WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH, THEY JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE PHONE NUMBER IS OR THE PO BOX.
YOU KNOW, IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO GET THE INFORMATION.
SO, BUT AGAIN, I, I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, JUST SAY, HEY, GIVE ME A MOMENT.
LET ME GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
I LIKE ALSO WHEN IT SAYS THEY SUBMITTED FEEDBACK SO THAT I'M, LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT, THAT, YEAH.
AGAIN, IT'S THROUGH ONLINE, UM, IN, IN PERSON, FACE-TO-FACE.
UM, TELL, TELL ME WHAT YOUR CONCERN WAS.
SO THEN THEY'RE, UM, THAT'S GOOD.
THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT HAVE ALREADY SHARED IT, BUT THEY MAY, UM, HAVE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPEAT IT TO SOMEBODY FACE TO FACE.
AND MAYBE I'LL ADD SOMETHING AS WELL AS TO SHARE SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE COME AND COMPLAIN THAT THEY CALL THE CITY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.
AND I ALWAYS USE MY EXAMPLE THAT THERE WAS PART OF OUR PAVEMENT THAT HAD KIND OF GONE OUT AND I CALLED THE CITY.
I THINK IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR FOR THEM TO FINALLY COME AND FIX IT BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE BUDGET.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY ACTUALLY DID COME AND FIX IT.
SO I ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT, OKAY, THEY MAY NOT BE COMING NOW, BUT THEY REALLY WILL COME.
I MEAN, TRUST ME, RIGHT? I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS AND THEY ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S KEY, THAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU HEARD OR THAT YOU THINK THAT THEY'LL DO, BUT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY WITH ME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR OBSERVATIONS? I THINK THE BIGGEST OBSERVATION THROUGH THIS AS LIKE A PERSONAL LEARNING IS, IS ME BECOMING MORE RESOURCEFUL MM-HMM
AND KNOWING LIKE, WHAT ARE ALL THE RESOURCES AT MY FINGERTIPS, RIGHT? SO LIKE, IF THEY ARE COMING TO ME WITH FEEDBACK OR THEY'RE LIKE, I'M TRYING TO GIVE, I, I WANNA KNOW WHO, WHO'S WITHIN MY REPERTOIRE OF LIKE, FOLKS THAT I KNOW, LIKE, OKAY, SO ASK RICHARDSON.
LIKE, I NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT EXISTS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A THING, AND I CAN SPEAK TO IT.
[01:35:01]
PLEASE SEND IT TO AS EXPERT.YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, I JUST THINK I'M TAKING AWAY, LIKE, I NEED TO BECOME WAY MORE RESOURCEFUL OF ALL THE THINGS THAT THE CITY OFFERS SO THAT I CAN BECOME MORE BENEFICIAL WHEN FOLKS BRING THIS FEEDBACK TO ME.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'VE MENTIONED, EXCUSE ME, THAT I LIVE IN IRVING.
WELL, I'VE GONE THROUGH, UH, LEADERSHIP IRVING, UH, LEADERSHIP NORTH TEXAS.
I EVEN WENT THROUGH THE IRVING WHAT CLASS? UM, COHORT.
WE NEED TO TALK, BUT, UM, I'VE EVEN WENT THROUGH THE IRVING, UH, CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
WHAT? YES, I DID WIN THE, UH, DRIVING.
REALLY QUICKLY, QUICK SIDEBAR.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, CHIEF DERRICK.
OH MY GOD, Y'ALL DON'T TELL HIM I SAID THIS.
I LIKE DROVE THE FASTEST AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CONTROL STOP, IT WAS A CONTROLLED RIGHT.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, THEY WERE LIKE, OH, CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE YOUR PICTURE AND EVERYTHING.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT TOOK THE PICTURE AND EVERYTHING.
I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, I JUST LOVE DRIVING FAST.
AND, UH, HE WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU JUST MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, YOU SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO 1, 1 61.
I WAS LIKE, OH YEAH, I'LL SLOW DOWN.
YOU KNOW? OH, LOOK, NO HANDS
SO ONE OF 'EM LIKE LITERALLY FOLLOWED ME OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.
BUT I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY IT, IT HAS BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO GET INVOLVED.
AND THEN I ACTUALLY NOW CAN TELL OTHER, NOT JUST OTHER IRVING CITIZENS, I TELL PEOPLE WHEREVER THEY LIVE, GET INVOLVED.
GO TO YOUR COUNCIL MEETINGS MM-HMM
FIND OUT, UM, WHAT DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT'S DISABILITIES, PARKS, AND REC, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOUR CITY WONDERFUL AND RICH.
DON'T JUST SIT BACK AND COMPLAIN.
SO AGAIN, I, I ACTUALLY, I SAY THAT, UH, WITH PEOPLE THAT LIVE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN RICHARDSON, FLOWER MOUND, FRISCO, WHEREVER GET INVOLVED.
SO I ACTUALLY DO ENCOURAGE THEM ONE LAST ACTIVITY AND THEN WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE OUT.
AND I THINK I PROBABLY HAVE A, UM, A LINE IN YOUR BOOK.
ONE THING I WILL DO DIFFERENTLY IN MY NEXT INTERACTION WITH A CITIZEN YET, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHARE IT, BUT YOU CAN IF YOU WANT TO.
THOSE COMMITMENTS SMALL AS THEY MAY SEEM, ARE EXACTLY HOW TRUST GETS BUILT.
REMEMBER ONE INTERACTION AT A TIME.
AND AGAIN, IF ANYONE WANTS TO SHARE, YOU CAN CERTAINLY NO PRESSURE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA LOCK YOU IN THE ROOM.
WHAT ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE? I'D SAY WHAT WILL FELICIA DO?
I LIKED, UM, KRISTEN'S STANDPOINT OR VIEWPOINT OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE TIME AWAY.
UM, JUST KIND OF TRYING TO BE PROTECTIVE OF ME AND THE OTHER PERSON.
SO IT'S LIKE, LET'S FIND SOME TIME.
I LOVE THAT TO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THIS MORE.
WELL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO CLOSE US OUT.
I, I DUNNO ABOUT, UH, AND WHEN OTHERS HAVE PIZZA, FELICIA FOR WAS THANK YOU.
IT WAS REALLY, I, I LITERALLY, THERE WAS A FLOW AND I WAS IN YES, YOU HEARD YOU WERE, I WAS LIKE SWIMMING AND, UH, SO IT WAS, IT, IT REALLY FLOWED.
IT, UH, I THINK YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND IT REALLY MADE OUR EVENING TO BE ACTUALLY HERE.
THIS WAS, AND I HAVE TO SAY, I'M, A LOT OF TIMES TRAININGS ARE NOT THIS FUN.
WE'RE LIKE, OH, TRAINING, RIGHT? THEN I, I THINK, UH, TODAY WE WALKED IN AND, UH, WE ARE LEAVING, UH, BETTER PEOPLE BECAUSE OF YOUR TRAINING.
SO BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT, UH, GREG, DID YOU MIND TALK ABOUT THE MEETING AT FRISCO? UH OH, SURE.
UH, IT'S NOT PREPARED, BUT YOU CAN GO AND TALK ABOUT ITEMS. AND ARIANNA ADAMS, CAN YOU ANSWER, I HAVE A FEW THINGS WHILE HE LOOKS IT UP.
UH, SO THE, THE ACTION THAT YOU ALL TOOK PAYING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MM-HMM
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD FOLLOWED IT OR NOT, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DID HERE ON
[01:40:01]
RELIGIOUS OBSERVATION AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.THE COUNCIL DID VOTE UNANIMOUSLY THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW THE, THE COMMISSION'S ADVICE AND, AND, AND NOT DO THAT JUST FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE AND, AND ALL THE GOOD CONVERSATION THAT YOU HAD HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN.
IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL, I THINK THE COUNCIL TO, TO, YES.
HAVE YOU TALKED, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT TWICE.
THE ENTIRE COMMISSION TALKED ABOUT IT.
YOU LOOKED AT WAYS THAT, THAT WE CAN MAKE THOSE RECOGNITIONS AND OTHER WAYS BEYOND ACTUAL GOV OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT ACTION.
AND SO THAT WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, TALKING ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED.
THE CARES PROGRAM IS OPEN RIGHT NOW, SO PLEASE APPLY FOR THAT.
UM, APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL JULY 31ST.
IT'S EVERY THURSDAY FROM SEPTEMBER 3RD TO THE 22ND.
UM, AND IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT PROGRAM.
IT WAS, OF ALL THE THINGS YOU CAN DO, LIKE THE POLICE ACADEMY, THE FIRE ACADEMY, THAT WAS MY FAVORITE.
UM, IF YOU FIND THINGS THAT YOU'VE LEARNED HERE ABOUT HOW THE CITY OPERATES INTERESTING.
YOU'RE GONNA MEET WITH THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE GONNA MEET WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT, JUST ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT MONDAY NIGHT, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
UM, COUNCILMAN BARRIOS ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAS RESIGNING FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON HIS CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN FULL TIME.
SO I CAN'T RECALL WHERE ALL OF YOU LIVE, BUT IF ANY OF YOU LIVE IN PLACE THREE AND MAY BE INTERESTED, APPLICATIONS WILL BE OPENING SOON.
UM, UNDER OUR CHARTER, IF THERE'S ONE VACANCY ON THE COUNCIL, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL APPOINT SOMEBODY TO TAKE THAT POSITION UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE OPENING UP APPLICATION SOON.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE, UH, APPLICATION AND FINALIZING THAT THIS COMING MONDAY.
UM, AND THEN THERE WILL BE A PERIOD WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT APPLICATIONS.
SO IF YOU LIVE IN PLACE THREE AND HAVE ANY INTEREST, UM, OR KNOW OF A FRIEND OR UH, A CITIZEN WHO WOULD BE GOOD FOR IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO SEND THEM THE INFORMATION.
THE CURRENT APPLICATION AS IT IS NOW, NOT IN FINAL FORM, BUT CLOSE TO FINAL FORM, IS IN THE AGENDA PACKET FOR THIS COMING MONDAY.
IF YOU'RE CURIOUS OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS THE PROCEDURE, THAT WILL FOLLOW THAT FROM THE AGENDA PACKET AS WELL.
HOW DO YOU FIND OUT WHERE, WHAT AREAS PLACE? THREE.
SO YOU CAN LOOK UP THE CITY COUNCIL PACKET, BUT VERY LOOSELY STATED, IT IS EVERYTHING WEST OF 75 AND SOUTH OF CAMPBELL.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT THAT LEAKS INTO, UH, DOWNTOWN RICHARDSON, LIKE UP TO GREENVILLE AVENUE, BUT IT'S, IT'S THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF RICHARDSON, UH, WEST OF 75 SOUTH OF CAMPBELL.
AGAIN, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE NUANCE TO THAT, BUT THAT'S LARGELY THE, UH, PLACE.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU LIVE, RUSSIA, AND THERE'S A GOOD MAP ON THE, UM, ON THE CITY OF RICHARDSON WEBSITE, BUT UNDER CITY COUNCIL.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE TIMES WHERE I'VE HAD TO REFERENCE JUST YEAH.
SO YEAH, I PLEASE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR US IF WE GET A HUNDRED PEOPLE TO APPLY, BUT THAT'S BETTER THAN GETTING ONE PERSON OR NO PEOPLE TO APPLY.
SO, UH, GO LOOK AT THAT AND ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, IF YOU DON'T LIVE THERE, YOU CAN ALWAYS MOVE THERE.
BUT YEAH, SO FOR FRISCO, THAT IS ON AUGUST 13TH, THEIR MEETING STARTS AT, I BELIEVE IT'S FOUR 30, THAT AT FIVE O'CLOCK WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BE ON THEIR AGENDA FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'VE GOT FOUR, I THINK JUST SIGNED UP TO ATTEND KRISTEN.
SO, UH, WITH, UH, RASHMI, HE WAS UNABLE.
SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT'S BEEN PREPARED, UH, KRISTEN WILL BE PRESENTING, BUT, UH, WITH ALL THE, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT CAN ATTEND.
UH, I EMAIL, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE IT.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, NO, WE HAVE THREE BECAUSE YOU GOING.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, SO I'M HAVE ONE MORE SPACE IF SOMEBODY'S WANTING TO GO TO FRISCO ON AUGUST 13TH, UH, FR FIVE, FIVE O'CLOCK MEETING AND JUST LET ME KNOW.
AND THAT'LL BE PRETTY MUCH OUR, OUR LAST SPOT THAT BE AVAILABLE.
UM, I'M SORRY, GREG, HOW MANY DO YOU, HOW MANY'S GOING AND HOW MANY? WE HAVE THREE.
SO I HAVE THREE COMMISSION NUMBERS RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND SO IT'S THREE PLUS JENNIFER, BUT, BUT SHE'S CUSTODY LIAISON SO IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR, SO, UH, I CAN DO SPACE ONE MORE.
SO FAR EVERYBODY'S THAT'S GOING HAS SAID THAT THEY'VE MEET ME THERE.
I WILL, IF, IF ONE OF YOU WANTS TO GO THAT HAS NOT ALREADY CONTACTED ME, LET ME KNOW AND I CAN TO TWO OR WE CAN JUST, JUST LET ME KNOW.
ALSO IN ADMISSION ON SEPTEMBER, I THINK IT WAS 18TH, 19TH,
[01:45:01]
SEPTEMBER 19TH, WE HAVE, UH, THE RICHMOND POLICE DEPARTMENT STUDENT IS 12TH ANNUAL PUBLIC SAFETY EXPO.THIS WAS IN THE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES SHEET THAT I HANDED OUT SEVERAL, BUT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A DATE CERTAIN AT THAT TIME.
UH, I, I SAW IT ON THERE TODAY.
SO IT'D BE SEPTEMBER 19TH FROM 10TH TO 12.
LEMME DOUBLE CHECK OUR DATE TIME.
SO IF PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO SET UP A TABLE.
WE COULD DO THE SAME SETUP THAT WE'VE SEEN AT, AT, UH, YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, BASICALLY.
SO IT'S TABLE WITH A TABLE CLOTH ON IT THAT SAYS COMMUNITY INCLUSION ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION.
I JUST REMEMBER, UH, THE COURSE OF YOUR CONVERSATION WITH MS. RICHARDSON, I'VE GIVEN THAT TO YOU LAST TIME.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT TO BE A HANDOUT.
WE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU COULD ENGAGE THE, THE COMMUNITY WITH AND TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO JUST LET, UH, I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL TOMORROW TO REMIND YOU THEIR CARS AND GUNS.
THEY'LL HAVE A HELICOPTER, POLICE VEHICLES.
IT'S A TOUCH TRUCK EVENT, SO THEY'LL HAVE FIRE, FIRE, POLICE VEHICLES, BUT IT'S ALSO CITY VEHICLE.
UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, TAKE PART AS WELL.
AND THE HELICOPTER THAT COMES IN IS THE, UH, DPS HELICOPTER THAT WE WORK WITH IN, UH, IN THE REGION.
AND SO THE, ALL THAT'S THERE FOR, IT'S A FAMILY, FAMILY FRIENDLY.
SO I'LL SEND THAT EMAIL TOMORROW ON THE, UH,
SO YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW, ARE YOU AVAILABLE, DO YOU WANT TO, AND THEN, UH, BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, I CAN, I CAN SET UP THE, HAVE THE TABLE SET UP.
UH, I ALSO WANTED TO BRING UP, UH, WE DID HAVE A EDWARD SIGNING WITH A TWIN CITY.
UM, SO CITY OF RICHARDSON, I KNOW SOME OF YOU ATTENDED, UM, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO ATTEND, IT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY AMAZING, UH, EVENTS TO, UH, TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT THAT WORKS OUT.
MAYBE IF YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION, IF YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH THE FOLKS.
YEAH, SO WE, UH, WE HAVE A FRIENDSHIP CITY NOW, UM, UH, KEUNG.
UM, AND IT, IT WAS REALLY AMAZING.
SO OUR, OUR MAYOR WENT OVER, UM, TO TAIWAN LAST YEAR, AND, UH, KEUNG WAS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT HE VISITED.
UM, MET THE MAYOR THERE AT THE TIME WHO COMMITTED TO COMING TO RICHARDSON, UH, AND MADE GOOD ON THAT PROMISE.
AND SO WE SIGNED OFFICIAL PAPERWORK, UM, TO BECOME A FRIENDSHIP CITY WITH THEM.
UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS VERY LOVELY.
THEY TOURED ALL AROUND THE CITY.
THEY CAME TO THE IQ, THEY VISITED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY VISITED UTD, UM, REALLY GOT A FLAVOR FOR WHAT RICHARDSON IS ABOUT.
UM, THE SAME AS OUR MAYOR DID WHEN HE, WHEN HE VISITED.
UM, AND, AND REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
IT WAS, IT WAS SPECIAL, UM, TO, TO SEE THE, THE CULTURES COME TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH, UM, AN INTERPRETER, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, I WAS GIVING OUR MAYOR A HARD TIME BECAUSE, UM, THEIR MAYORS FEEL FAR BETTER EAGER
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I TOLD HIM HE'S GONNA HAVE TO LEARN A FEW MORE PHRASES TO KEEP UP WITH THE MAYOR.
I MEAN, WE GAVE HIM COWBOY BOOTS.
WE GAVE HIM HIS OWN, UH, STREET SIGN WITH HIS LAST NAME ON IT.
AND HE, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A DINNER AFTERWARDS, WHICH WAS VERY NICE.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, IT WAS, IT WAS A LOVELY EVENT.
WELL, AS WE MENTIONED THAT DURING THAT CEREMONY OF THE, UM, MEMORY AND OF UNDERSTANDING OR WHERE THE, THE, BOTH THE MAYORS WERE SIGNING, UM, THE COMMUNITY INCLUSION ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION WAS RECOGNIZED.
SO THERE WERE SEVERAL OF US THERE THAT, UM, THAT STOOD AND GAVE, WELL, SOME OF IT, WE GOTTA DO THIS.
WHY DIDN'T
I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT, JUST WE WERE GONNA MAKE ANY DECISION.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF INCLUDE ALL THE COMMISSION MEMBERS IN SOME OF THE EXCITING STUFF THAT HAS HAPPENED.
SO, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME TODAY.
UH, ARE THERE ANY ION MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? WELL, THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING, WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS.
THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.