Employers consistently rank communication, teamwork, and critical thinking among the most important career readiness skills. Increasingly, they also emphasize the ability to navigate disagreement—especially across political, generational, and cultural differences—without disrupting collaboration.

Yet many students and early-career professionals enter the workplace without structured experience handling these moments.

In this webinar, CDI explores the connection between career readiness and constructive dialogue. Drawing on employer research and field-based insights, we’ll examine why dialogue skills are emerging as essential “durable skills” and how they support stronger collaboration, better problem-solving, and healthier team dynamics.

You’ll leave with:

• A clearer understanding of how dialogue aligns with core career readiness competencies

• Practical ways to build skills like listening, perspective-taking, and collaborative problem-solving

• Approaches for integrating dialogue into courses, career readiness programs, and workplace practices

Moderator: Caroline Mehl, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Constructive Dialogue Institute
Featuring: Dr. Ashley Biser (Ohio Wesleyan University) and Sara Rahim (SHRM Foundation)