Whenever you bring together people with unique experiences and opinions there are bound to be times when people disagree on things. It is a good thing to have YAB members with different, unique perspectives & opinions. This is part of why we strive to recruit people from diverse backgrounds and identities.
However, it is not okay to have members, facilitators, or presenters:
To prevent this as much as possible, be sure YAB members are walked through the comfort clause and these ground rules are consistently revisited.
For example- At our YAB, the comfort clause is included in the beginning slides of every YAB presentation to remind everyone of the shared expectations and behaviors we all agreed to follow. This can include an “Ouch & Oops Clause.”
What is the Ouch & Oops clause and how can it help with conflict resolution?
The “Oops & Ouch” clause encourages people to speak up when their feelings are hurt, and enables those who caused harm to learn, take accountability, apologize, and change their future behavior. Intention ≠ Impact. This rule for YAB meetings encourages members to feel supported in speaking up when they are hurt and models how to take accountability when we mess up.
Some members might not feel comfortable speaking up in the moment or are unsure whether they want the behavior to be addressed. A good rule of thumb for members is having a 72-hour rule (or other time limit).
Ultimately it is the responsibility of the meeting facilitators to ensure the YAB meetings are professional, supportive, respectful, and productive. If a YAB member repeatedly acts in way that is harmful to other YAB members we recommend that you: