YBBG at Round Table with Shanard Smith Part I

Shanard "Dabestdressed" Smith leads a discussion on "Contingencies"

Shanard called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me about a round table he planned to put together, after having a nice little debate with a group of people at a previous outing.  You may remember Shanard from YBBG, as he was #15 in the What he said segment. The video is just the opening few minutes.

Playbook: The Round Table Discussion (Battle of the Sexes style)

The setup: Six men vs Six women at Mez (Epicentre in Charlotte)

Topic: Contingencies in relationships 

Shanard's role: Conversation starter/facilitator

YBBG's role:  Recorder and referee

Other Participants: @itsdee_eh_druh @itsme_msPopular @TheHurtLocker12@pennyboi19 @ezraleak @8iam @kmarqpratt @lrb0126@lfcsec5_troy 

The video above shows the beginning, as I recorded on my Sprint iPhone 4S. Shanard and I had a discussion about the topic, "Contingencies", before the discussion.  I needed clarity on what he meant, and how the discussion would go. 

Communication styles

Shanard and I had previously participated in panel discussions together on various topics.  We have somewhat different styles when it comes to leading discussions. I am a "stay on task", "let's get clarity", "law and order" type.  Shanard is more an "organic", "free flow", "let it do what it do" type. 

One person's "chaos" is another person's clarity. Chaotic discussions drive me crazy.  I tense up when people talk over each other and raise their voices.  But, many people are used to that type of communication and it allows them to flow freely. The Round Table Discussion started out orderly, but got hot and "organic" by the end. HA! 

Initial takeaway

The Round Table Discussion started out with no rigid terms, but the premise was that men organically flow in relationships, whereas women want defined terms. 

More from The Round Table Discussion to come...stay tuned