In March, the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP) hosted a conversation between HNMCP instructor and lecturer on law Morgan Michelle Franklin and HNMCP alum Elaine Lin Hering, the author of the forthcoming book “Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully.”

In this conversation, Hering and Franklin discuss the ways in which, and the reasons why, we silence ourselves — and others — and the impact silencing has on our work and personal lives and our culture more broadly.

From the publisher: "Having a seat at the table doesn’t mean that your voice is actually welcome. Knowing something is wrong doesn’t mean it’s easy to speak up. In fact, there are incentives for many of us to stay silent. Why speak up if you know that it won’t be received well, and in fact, often makes things worse?

In Unlearning Silence, Hering explores how we’ve learned to be silent, how we’ve benefited from silence, how we’ve silenced other people—and how we might choose another way. She teaches how to recognize and unlearn unconscious patterns so we can make more intentional choices about how we want to show up at home and at work. Only by unlearning silence can we more fully unleash talent, speak our minds, and be more complete versions of ourselves… and help other people do the same.

With compassion, clarity, and understanding, Hering guides readers through real-life examples and offers a concrete road map for doing this vital and challenging work."