The Taking ACTION framework (first introduced in Chueng, Ganote, & Souza, 2016):
- Ask clarifying questions to assist with understanding intentions.
- “I want to make sure that I understand what you were saying. Were you saying that…?”
- Come from curiosity not judgment.
- Listen actively and openly to their response.
- If they disagree with your paraphrase and clarify a different meaning, you could end the conversation. If you suspect they are trying to “cover their tracks,” you may consider making a statement about the initial comment to encourage learning.
- “I’m glad to hear I misunderstood you, because, as you know, such comments can be…”
- If they agree with your paraphrase, explore their intent behind making the comment.
- “Can you tell me what you were you hoping to communicate with that comment?”
- “Can you please help me understand what you meant by that?”
- Tell what you observed as problematic in a factual manner.
- “I noticed that . . .”
- Impact exploration: ask for, and/or state, the potential impact of such a statement or action on others.
- “What do you think people think when they hear that type of comment?”
- “As you know, everything speaks. What message do you think such a comment sends?”
- “What impact do you think that comment could have on …”
- Own your own thoughts and feelings around the impact.
- “When I hear your comment I think/feel…”“Many people might take that comment to mean…”
- “In my experience, that comment can perpetuate negative stereotypes and assumptions about… I would like to think that is not your intent.”
- Next steps: Request appropriate action be taken.
- “Our class is a learning community, and such comments make it difficult for us to focus on learning because people feel offended. So I am going to ask you to refrain from stating your thoughts in that manner in the future. Can you do that please?”
- “I encourage you to revisit your view on X as we discuss these issues more in class.”
- “I’d appreciate it if you’d consider using a different term because it is inconsistent with our course agreement regarding X…”