The Dialogue Project: A Look at What Business Is Doing to Help Reduce Polarization in Society

In partnership with Gies College of Business, the School of Social Work, Illini Hillel, and University of Illinois Student Affairs, join us along with Bob Feldman, founder of the Dialogue Project, for a discussion on fostering civil discourse to mitigate societal polarization.

November 4, 2024
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CEU for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
FREE webinar

A polarized population means a polarized workforce and virtually every company has confronted the challenges of dealing with internal and external stakeholders on a wide range of controversial social issues.  Furthermore, recent research indicates business is the most trusted institution in America today, ahead of government, the media and even NGOs.

The consequence is that critical pressures are facing today’s C-suite:

• Do you speak out on high-profile social issues?
• How do you navigate political discourse in the context of the workplace?
• Does a corporation have any obligation to educate and promote civic responsibility among its employees?

The Dialogue Project, housed at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, explores what role business can play to help reduce polarization and improve civil discourse. It sponsors research, conferences, Webinars and more.  A wide range of companies and business leaders have contributed content as well as financial resources to bring more attention to this issue.

Bob Feldman will share examples of the work being done by companies today and how these companies are tackling the issues raised above. Bob will also allow plenty of time for discussion and to assure broad engagement.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the role of business in addressing societal polarization: Learners will be able to explain how companies are involved in mitigating societal polarization and fostering civil discourse.
2. Identify the pressures faced by business leaders in addressing political and social issues: Learners will recognize the critical challenges that C-suite executives face when navigating political discourse and social issues within the workplace.
3. Analyze strategies businesses use to promote civic responsibility and dialogue: Learners will assess how various companies are contributing to civic education and promoting responsible discourse among employees.

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, use the Zoom registration option below:
(Registrants from the Gies College of Business should use this option)

ZOOM REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Bob Feldman, a longtime and well-known senior marketing and communications executive, is the founder of the Dialogue Project, a program that engages the world’s business leaders on what role business can play to reduce polarization in society, improve civil discourse and create a more productive climate for business.

The Dialogue Project began in 2019 with the support of a number of corporations, including Southwest Airlines, Pfizer, JP Morgan Chase, Bristol Myers Squibb, HPE and others. In that launch year, the Dialogue Project conducted a major study of business leaders to gain insight into how industry can contribute to reduced polarization.  Soon after, results of that research received widespread media coverage in Fortune, The Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Politico and elsewhere. The following year the program took residence at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

The Dialogue Project has sponsored symposia and generated thought leadership for business leaders and academia worldwide on critical issues facing today’s society. Programming has focused on:

• Mitigating threats of disruptive employee behavior during this political campaign season (remarks to the Conference Board’s Chief Legal Officers Council and Chief Compliance Officers Council);
• How should corporate leaders engaging on social issues (remarks to a conference sponsored by SHRM, the world’s largest organization representing senior human resource executives);
• The New Ideas competition for top-tier college student across the country that challenge them to develop new ideas for businesses that tackle polarization and discourse;
• Risk and rewards of stakeholder capitalism (remarks to a conference at Duke University);
• Managing crises and politics in a polarized world (a full-production crisis simulation exercise at the annual conference of the Page Society – the world’s leading association of chief communications officers).

Prior to founding the Dialogue Project, Bob was vice chair of ICF Next, a worldwide marketing and communications firm. Bob joined ICF as part of that company’s acquisition of PulsePoint Group, a communications management consulting firm Bob founded in 2007.  Earlier in his career, Bob was with DreamWorks Animation SKG as the company’s first head of corporate communications and corporate marketing. Prior to that, Bob lived in New York and was for eight years president and chief executive of WPP’s GCI Group. Before that he held senior positions with Ketchum and Burson.

In 2018, Bob received the prestigious Plank Center “Milestone in Mentoring Award” for a career that prioritized mentoring and “touched the lives of countless public relations professionals.”  In 2019 he received the Page Society’s “Distinguished Service Award,” granted annually to the professional who has “strengthened the role of public relations in business and society” and advanced the state of the corporate communications practice.