DOMAINS OF INQUIRY
Complex questions surface across consequential communication contexts. The following are illustrative, offering a glimpse into the kinds of inquiry each domain may hold. Rather than seeking one-size-fits-all answers, ICL draws on research to examine the tensions, assumptions, relationships, and contextual forces that shape these questions.
GRIEF, LOSS & BEREAVEMENT
Why can an attempt to comfort someone who is grieving make them feel even more alone?What happens when the way someone grieves conflicts with what other people think grief should look like?How do we acknowledge a loss when we don't know what to say — or whether to say anything at all?SERIOUS ILLNESS, UNCERTAINTY & CARE
What do we say when someone needs answers that nobody can actually give them?How do patients, families, and professionals communicate when they need different things from the conversation?What happens when protecting someone from difficult information also keeps them from something they need?SUPPORT & SUPPORTIVE COMMUNICATION
What if some of what we have learned about being supportive isn't actually very supportive?What happens when the person needing support and the person providing it understand the situation differently?When does trying to help become another demand on the person who needs support?COMMUNICATION AT WORK
Why can the same feedback feel useful from one person and threatening from another?What makes people speak up in some workplaces, and decide it is safer to stay silent in others?When a difficult conversation goes badly, is the problem with the people, the organization around them, or both?ICL ENGAGEMENTS
ICL brings these areas of inquiry into learning experiences for organizations, professional communities, practitioners, and other groups. Engagements may focus on communication challenges, explore broader domains, or develop around questions specific to an audience or context. Examples and cases are drawn from the setting in which the learning will be applied.
Engagements may be designed for in-person, online, or blended formats, as appropriate to the learning experience.
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