Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

The “the good schmooze” has the ability to serve us well.  Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are examples of good schmoozers, and this skill has obviously served them well. By softening the opposition between private and public, personal and political, higher and lower, schmoozing plays a vital but underappreciated role as a life and leadership skill.  Everybody schmoozes nowadays, but often it is the networking sort of schmoozing rather than the kind that creates good interactional feelings.

The good schmooze is talk about life itself:  the good, the bad, and the ugly—a heartfelt interaction with others—chatting, not “chatting up.”  We will discuss how to reflect on what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. Tactful schmoozing can defuse situational tensions and lubricate personal, social, workplace, and political interactions with others.

This workshop is on Wednesday, February 20 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm in 409 Yon Hall.  The Art of a Good Schmooze registration.

This workshop is part of the Passport to Great Teaching certificate track. For more information on upcoming activities, visit this website.