Our Approach
Drawing from mediation and facilitation expertise, Resetting the Table’s vision for transforming the public conversation goes hand-in-hand with a proven method for getting there. We have designed an extensive toolkit supporting participants to connect, listen to and challenge each other even in the face of volatile disagreement. Our programs are guided by five core principles:
Directness
We support participants to go toward the heat and engage the thorny issues that most matter to them. Unlike many practitioners of conflict resolution, we do not push people to agreements or common ground.
Multiplicity
We provide non-partisan, substantive information on key disagreements from multiple points of view, supporting parties’ informed understanding of diverse stakeholders and open exploration on their own terms.
Expressiveness
We offer participants channels to interact and be heard – rather than serve as passive recipients of “expert” knowledge.
Ownership
We customize programs based on community input, giving parties significant ownership to determine what they talk about and how.
Stabilization
We train facilitators and structure processes to support participants to remain receptive, empowered, and connected even as they address their differences head-on, often overcoming confirmation bias to expand their thinking as a result.