Team health means that the building blocks of an effective team are in place. Without team health I find that unproductive conflicts are more likely to arise. All in all, conflict competence will be constrained. Conflict competence refers to how well an organization, team, or individual responds to conflict in all its manifestations. Below, I […]
#91 Team Health Builds Conflict Competence Keep Reading »
Listening well is often considered the hallmark of effective communication in conflict dynamics, but speaking one’s mind well is also important. Meaningful communication always flows in both directions. Bernie Mayer discussed the importance of speaking up in Episode 6 of the On Conflict Podcast. Referring to himself, Bernie elevated the importance of speaking up: “The
#89 The Importance of Speaking Up Keep Reading »
I find the notion of differences helpful in generating a universal understanding of what conflict is. In a marriage, one person might like to shop for vegetables, and the other for general groceries. One may prefer vacuuming and the other doing laundry. And so, shopping and household chores become divided by inclination and interest. We
#86 Differences: A Way to Understand Conflict Keep Reading »
Reporting false information is not always a lie. It is frequently due to errors of perception and memory that are described in the previous blog. Therefore, the statement “He’s a liar” is often factually incorrect. As often as not, people unknowingly rather than knowingly report false information. There is a rich irony here. To say
#85 “He’s A Liar” – Why People Say It When It’s Not True Keep Reading »
He said something false… Others told us what he says is not true. We have documentation. We were there at the time and it didn’t happen that way. He’s trying to hide something, avoid responsibility, or unfairly advance his interests. It’s clear because what he is saying is not true, so he’s a liar. Right?
#84 “He’s a Liar” – Why That’s Often Not True Keep Reading »
We negotiate because we want certain tangible interests satisfied. We may also need to talk through past events, or build a stronger working relationship. Additionally, there is another type of benefit to negotiation that can be a potential goldmine. It is the possibility of creating value that is not evident before negotiators meet. Creating value
#67 Creating Value in Negotiation Keep Reading »
In this blog I am suggesting that there may be two general pathways to compatibility in dispute resolution. Consciously choosing one or the other can assist you to be more effective at addressing differences. Additionally, since the first pathway is the one that is normally taken, I am going to focus more on the characteristics
#48 Two Pathways To Compatibility Keep Reading »
The watershed moments in which disputes are resolved are many and varied. Recently, the participants late in a mediation, deviated from my suggested way of proceeding. They expressed their frank and full dissatisfaction and dislike of each other. I was surprised by how such expressions late in the mediation seemed to facilitate settlement. This was a
#25 Highlighted Differences Result In Mediation Settlement Keep Reading »
Thank you to those who made comments about my previous blog. Your remarks have given rise to some points of clarification and further exploration. I am not suggesting that differences and conflict are the same thing. Rather, conflict seems to depend upon how we respond to difference; whether we find our perception of a difference
#24 Differences And Creativity Keep Reading »
