C Pierce Consulting

08/26/2026

I'm excited to share that I'll be presenting at PechaKucha Bozeman on September 9th and 10th at the Ellen Theatre!

If you're not familiar with the format, each presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds each, which is fast-paced and a bit thrilling for the presenter.

I'll be talking about my years living overseas and how that experience sparked my fascination with polarization, as well as sharing some daily practices that we can employ to counter it.

Come for an evening of short talks from a great lineup of local voices.

Tickets and info here: https://theellen.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SVs00000cRlplMAC

Hope to see you there!

08/19/2026

No investigative journalists have come knocking, but I figured it's about time I answered the questions people may be asking anyway.

Who am I? What do I actually do? Where and when do I do it? How does it work? And why on earth does any of this matter?

I broke it down using the classic 5 W's, and the "why" is the part I care about most: I believe in people, and I believe democracy dies without dialogue.

If you've ever wondered what a "dialogue practitioner" actually does (fair question), the full breakdown is on my blog now:

https://www.cpierceconsulting.com/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-3zaa9-zlxng-67tfc-l5ra5-lt379-nmjhh-e66nt-jzphg


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While admittedly no investigative journalists have been knocking at my door, I do believe it's helpful for me to provide some insights into my business, C Pierce Consulting. Consequently, I'm using this blog to answer the 5Ws: Who am I, and who do I work with? What exactly do I do, where do I work,

07/31/2026

Debate, discussion, dialogue.

We use these words interchangeably, but they're not the same tool, and using the wrong one is often why conversations stall.

Debate's purpose is to win, with its roots literally meaning "to beat down." It's great for pressure-testing an idea, but terrible for preserving relationships.

Discussion is used to decide. It's effective when a group already agrees on the goal and needs to sort through existing ideas to land on the "how."

Dialogue, meanwhile, helps us to understand and evoke new insights. It's what's needed when a group has stopped listening to each other, trust has broken down, new ideas are needed, and no amount of arguing or discussing has helped them move forward.

Most of us default to debate or discussion because they're faster, and faster feels more productive. But speed isn't always the win. Sometimes the real work is slowing down enough to understand why you disagree in the first place.

New post is up - link in bio. 🔗

Which one does your team default to? Tell me below. 👇

07/25/2026

Last night I heard chef Chef Allison Fasano | NYC (yes, from Chopped 🍳) share how she found her voice, from sneaking off to open mic nights as a quiet kid, to getting in the habit of saying yes. It got me thinking about what it actually takes to find our own voice, in dialogue and in life.

One question I keep coming back to: "Who will play your music if you don't do it yourself?"

Full reflection on my website, linked in bio. 🔗

07/25/2026

New reflection on the blog 📝

Five weeks of intergroup dialogue training with Anna Yeakley and Marjorie Trueblood, and I'm still sitting with what it surfaced. From the CARES listening model, to the difference between sympathy and empathy, to exploring the Cycle of Liberation.

One line from a classmate has stuck with me since: "Dialogue allows you to show up as you are, as a human."

Full reflection on my website, linked in bio. 🔗

07/21/2026

What we often call thinking is really recalling memories, experiences, and familiar patterns.

True thinking surprises us. It invites us to say what we haven’t said before, to notice emerging possibilities rather than simply repeating the past. It asks us to reflect on our own behavior and consider why we’ve acted and responded in the ways we have.

Unfamiliar situations and new conversations require fresh responses.

When we engage with others, it’s worth asking:
To what extent are our views shaped by memories and assumptions? And to what extent are we truly thinking?

When was the last time a conversation changed your thinking, rather than simply confirming what you already believed?

07/21/2026

One of my favorite tools used by the Montana Mediation Association is the PIN Model:

P - What is our position? What is theirs?

I - Why do we want this? Why do they want it?

N - What needs are driving us to want this? What needs are motivating them?

When we explore our positions, understand each others' interests, and uncover the motivations behind our needs, we create the conditions for better understanding and better solutions.

Special thanks to MTMA for putting on such a fantastic training this Saturday.

07/05/2026

As we wrap up the weekend celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, I’ve been thinking about how our country’s history relates to William Isaacs’s dialogue concepts of certainty and awareness.

In dialogue, “noble certainties” are the beliefs we hold so tightly that they blind us to other possibilities. When we cling to certainty, we limit our freedom to think, reflect, and grow.

At the same time, our brains naturally seek a stable, coherent view of the world. We tend to experience reality as more fixed and predictable than it actually is.

History reminds us otherwise: consider the U.S. Constitution. The principles it contains have endured, but their interpretation has evolved over centuries, and continues to evolve today. The vision remains, while our understanding of it changes alongside society.

As Buckminster Fuller wrote, “Life is a verb.”

Awareness invites us to recognize that everything is in motion, including ourselves. It asks us to suspend rigid opinions long enough to hold multiple perspectives at once, even when they seem to contradict each other.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts of awareness is that it frees us from the pressure of having everything figured out. We can stay curious, continue learning, and trust that, like everything else, our current understanding is not the final one.

As we reflect on the first 250 years of the United States, I’m curious about what the next chapter will bring for our country and world. May we move forward with a little less certainty, a little more awareness, and a willingness to notice the subtle shifts already underway.

07/05/2026

Hi, I’m Christine! I’m a former educator turned dialogue practitioner and leadership development consultant, as well as a wife, dog mom, doctoral student, and lifelong learner. When I’m not working or researching, you’ll find me running trails, lifting, skiing, or climbing.

I help groups navigate change and conflict so they can work better together and achieve meaningful results.

I started my PhD because I was fascinated by team dynamics and workplace culture. But along the way, I found myself asking a different question: Why are we so polarized, and what can we do about it?

The deeper I’ve gone into the research, the more convinced I am that healthier organizations and communities begin with better dialogue. That realization inspired me to start this consulting business.

Here, I’ll be sharing insights from my research, practical dialogue tools, and ideas for building stronger teams, healthier workplaces, and more connected communities.

Thanks for being here. I’m excited to have you along for the journey.