| IMO, you don't need expert kid gloves when you can have lazy gloves instead. Sure, someone still needs to be taught (or miraculously realize on their own) the basic rules, but once known them, I don't think the rules really require any skill to use, even if applying them can take time and effort. Realizing when to use them, comes back around to OP and K-complicity; "if I'm worried this'll get me in trouble, use the kid gloves.". Or, perhaps: "If this is a sensitive topic, use the kid gloves". Which to me seems pretty straightforward - do you know anyone who doesn't think diversity/etc issues are sensitive? Here's a few of my "rules": 1. Don't make statements about other people - only ask questions. 2. Say less. Say less than that. 3. Look for opportunities to hand off the "microphone" Are there rules you've noticed, that are easy to apply, that make talking about hard things easier, or less fraught, for you? |