In order to do the true, active listening with communities, to understand the barriers and challenges they are experienced and to work with them to help enact the change they want to see, we are informed by Nancy Kline’s ten components of a Thinking Environment®: Attention, Equality, Ease, Appreciation, Encouragement, Feelings, Information, Difference, Incisive Questions, Place.
Time to Think method for fostering the highest quality of independent and collaborative thinking and communication with individuals and groups. The method creates the best possible conditions in which people will think well, in doing so, they become more creative, courageous, and collaborative. They become more confident in their own judgement, more like to initiate and deliver without needing constant guidance, yet genuinely interested in others’ ideas.
Given the work we are seeking to do with our communities, creating an environment that supports people’s best thinking is key to supporting and promoting community conversations and interventions.
