Crafting Solutions to Conflict

An ombuds helps individuals and groups to resolve conflicts and concerns. Chuck explains how the term ombudsman comes originally from the Swedish and means “representative”. Today you may hear ombuds, ombudsman, or ombudsperson.  According to the International Ombudsman Association: “Ombudsmen work in all types of organizations, including government agencies, colleges and universities, corporation...

Considering what we’re missing can clarify why someone disagrees with us. When we are in conflict and can’t understand how someone can hold the position they do, we can consider if we are missing something. Do we have partial information? Or outdated information? Does the other person have a perspective we don’t grasp? We ask ourselves what we’re missing. We can also ask the other person – with ge...

Nonviolent Communication: communicating with clarity and empathy. Dr. Marshall Rosenberg developed the concept of Nonviolent Communication – or NVC – and founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC). Very generally, the NVC approach can be broken down into four parts: observing a situation -- without evaluation or judgment; noticing the feelings the situation brings to the surface; under...

Motivational Interviewing helps people resolve inner conflicts and make changes that help them reach goals. Joseph discussed his work as a financial and life planner and how he uses Motivational Interviewing to help his clients better understand how to match their behaviors to the goals they identify for themselves. Motivational Interviewing was developed by clinical psychologists William R. Mille...

In mediation, a trained neutral helps with conflict resolution; in facilitation, there is less or no focus on conflict. Unlike facilitation, in mediation there is always an active dispute. In facilitation, there may be one brewing, one resolved but the resolution not yet implemented, or no dispute at all – just an interest in considering a topic or topics with care. You can learn more at the Ameri...

William Ury’s idea of going to the balcony helps in a challenging conversation. In his book Getting Past No he sets out the idea of Going to the Balcony. Trying that strategy can help you three ways: 1) you avoid a knee-jerk reaction; 2) you can a wider perspective; 3) you take a pause – of whatever length is best – in engaging in the conflict.    Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic...

Better recognition of our body’s role in emotions will help us to use them as an asset. Paula talked with me about how she came to learn about the importance of addressing our body – and not just our mind – when dealing with emotions and stress. You can learn more and reach Paula at paula@brainupgrade.biz , phone: 646.554.346, or  https://www.naturalintelligencesystems.com/ . Do you have comments...

The Serenity Prayer provides insights on both personal and interpersonal conflict.  Many know the poem credited to the American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, and that’s how we hear about the inner conflict in trying to follow its hopes. A different challenge lies in the interpersonal conflicts of different perspectives about what is impossible to change, and the courage to change what can be chang...

We’re all in a global pandemic, but we aren’t all in the same situation. Damian Barr’s poem is full of wisdom: I heard that we are in the same boat.  But it's not that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship can be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa. For some, quarantine in optimal: a moment of reflection, or reconnection. Easy, in flip flops, with a whiskey or...

Seeing People Through describes how business and organization leaders can profit from the Process Communication Model®. The Process Communication Model® (PCM) is a behavioral communication model that teaches people how to assess, connect, motivate, and resolve conflict by understanding the personality types that make up a person’s whole self, which is the key to leveraging personality diversity. ...

When we build on positives, we can deal more effectively with conflict. In the midst of conflict in an ongoing relationship, it’s easy to focus on the points of disagreement. Instead, an effort to focus on the areas of agreement, even a number of small ones, can help us handle the negative part more effectively. Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about...

A positive inner conflict can be the catalyst for a purposeful pivot. If you have outgrown your role, achieved a goal, or experienced a significant shift in circumstances or priorities, you may feel an inner conflict that leads you to choose to make a major change.  Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about conflict management or conflict resolution? Let...

Courage in giving and receiving feedback can prevent negative conflict. Bill Treasurer, Chief Encouragement Officer, joins me to talk about courage in giving necessary and valuable feedback and having the courage to accept it without being defensive. Understanding how feedback will work best in a relationship, especially in the workplace, is best done before it goes south – and it is an ongoing pr...

  Template for Show Notes:   Title:  What to do about microaggressions   Episode Summary: Helping ourselves and others to avoid microaggressions reduces negative conflict.   Episode Notes: Helping ourselves and others to avoid microaggressions reduces negative conflict. Microaggressions, everyday slights that are based on stereotypes, can create unnecessary conflict. Comments, gestures, and other...

Microaggressions, everyday slights that are based on stereotypes, can create unnecessary conflict. Comments, gestures, and other expressions, whether intentional or unintentional, can feel like insults to the person on the receiving end. The first step is to be aware of what we are saying – and, especially, how it might be received.  Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An i...

Selling a business is not just a transaction, but a transition; support in that journey can help. In fact, the involvement of someone who works with the seller to address the emotional impact of a potential sale can help get the deal over the finish line. That person can also help the seller move forward without seller’s remorse. You can learn more about Denise and buy her book, The Seller’s Journ...

We can work to prevent pressure cookers when possible and to have personal pressure valves ready when we need them. Pressure cookers can easily create or aggravate negative conflict for ourselves and others. Some pressure cookers are inevitable and beyond our control. Other times, we can prevent them or minimize how severe they are. Either way, we can prepare to deal with pressure cookers by havin...

Silence can be as powerful as words. We usually think about words we use and how we say them when we consider conflict. Silence, too, matters. It can be damaging, hesitant, or a vehicle for acknowledgement and learning. We should think through what motivates our silence and how it can affect another person. Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about confl...

Approaching conflict with respect and humility allows people to engage with each other productively, not defensively. We discuss Jeremy’s involvement in martial arts, coaching, and how confidence can eliminate the desire to act with aggression.  I talked with Jeremy in February 2020. We didn’t know what the next few months would bring. This episode, Number 75, is published on June 3 (in the U.S.)...

Choosing the best location, including a neutral playing field, can help the odds of a challenging conversation being productive.  Considering where –home? a certain spot in the home? – to have a tough conversation can help as part of a recipe for success. If one person is especially unenthusiastic about the discussion and/or especially important (and they easily may be the same person), picking th...

The location for a challenging conversation can affect how productive that conversation will be. Consider where a tough workplace conversation might best take place: in a private place, off-site, somewhere else? It’s one factor in setting up for success. Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about conflict management or conflict resolution? Let me know at ...

Families that successfully pass on family businesses also handle conflict successfully. Dennis explains that enterprising families that succeed over generations accept that conflict will happen and take steps, in advance, to manage it effectively. Policies, codes of conduct, and plans to allow individuals and family branches to leave the family are among the tools families can adopt. His most rece...

Practicing what you will say in a difficult conversation can lead to a better outcome. When you know that a difficult conversation is coming, you can prepare for it by practicing – out loud – how you will start your part of it. And if the words don’t roll off your tongue, try some others! Then try out what you might say as the conversation continues.   Do you have comments or suggestions about a t...

CINERGY ® Conflict Management Coaching includes a smart idea: think about what you know about past conflict experiences with another person.  If you can think, in advance of a difficult conversation, how you can avoid the pushing the hot buttons of someone you know, you will set yourself up for a more productive conversation. Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or q...

CINERGY ® Coaching builds conflict intelligence and makes conflict an opportunity for strengthening relationships. The CINERGY ® Model combines executive coaching, neuroscience, and conflict management principles. Cinnie described the seven stages of the CINERGY® Model of Conflict Management Coaching: C, Clarify the goal; I, Inquire about the situation; N, Name the elements; E, Explore choices; R,...