Posts in: Tools & Resources

As scientists and subject matter experts, we often rely on specialized language, or jargon, to communicate with precision and efficiency. And that’s a good thing — when we are communicating within our disciplines. But when we're communicating with people outside our field, that same language can become a barrier. Research shows that when people don’t under...

Prepping for meetings is an important step in having a constructive conversation, especially when your audience has little time or knowledge of your field of study. One item that you can prep to help your information stick, even after the meeting is over, is a one-pager. A great one-pager catches your audience’s attention, starts a conversation, and acts as ...

When Conflict Shows Up What do you do when conflict crops up? Maybe you’re in a meeting making a decision, and things get heated. Or maybe you’re talking with a colleague or neighbor and all of sudden, they say something you deeply disagree with. Or perhaps it’s the classic holiday dinner example, where everyone avoids certain topics, so that you can all g...

I was recently facilitating a virtual workshop and a participant asked me to dive deeper into what differentiates the So What? and the Benefits sections of COMPASS's Message Box.  The distinction between these two trapezoids—thanks, middle school geometry—is subtle, and they frequently overlap, but parsing out the difference between the two can be a valuab...

Expressing perspectives, opinions or even recommendations about the implications of your science can be a bit uncomfortable, even scary in politically charged times like we are in now. But if you want your science to be relevant and useful, you need to make sure it gets out of pages of peer-reviewed journals or organization reports and into real-world discussions. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKUfSw2WLFg In this insightful interview, COMPASS's Heather Mannix speaks with Emily Patrolia, founder and CEO of ESP Advisors and a COMPASS board member, about the crucial role of science and scientists in informing policy decisions. They explore the current challenges and opportunities scientists face in engaging with policy...