Mediating Conflict

Your Job as a Leader

What is Conflict? It is an emotional reaction to a situation or

interaction that signals disagreement of some kind Conflict emotions can include:

Anger, Bitterness, fear, hopelessness, and sadness The reason for conflict is often to get one’s needs

met Example: You get in trouble by your parents for staying

out past curfew. The need your parents are trying to have met is not worrying about you being out late and getting into trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpDnXYIFjo

Conflict will happen…

Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, at school, in your placement, with friends, and with your family.

Wherever and whenever there is a group of people conflict is always a possibility

As leader you need to know how to recognize and deal with conflict in an effective manner

Can conflict be a good thing? Helpful if… Gets issues to the

table for discussion Encourages the team

to discuss issues and find solutions

Helps people reassess procedures and rules

Harmful if… Diverts energy from

important issues & tasks

Deepens differences in values

Weakens or destroys morale

Polarizes groups

Typical Responses to Conflict Avoid the Person Change the Subject Try to understand the

other persons POV Seek out a judge or

arbitrator Whine and Complain Apologize Give in Play the Martyr

Fight it out Pretend to agree Try to find common

ground Admit you are wrong Turn the conflict into a

joke Work towards a mutually

agreeable solution

Identify how you respond to conflict

Refer to the 4 statements posted around the class “In a conflict I…” Avoid the person Fight it out Whine or Complain Admit you are wrong

Which of the 4 options generally suits you best when involved in a conflict?

Move to that location On a sheet of chart paper, as a group list why you

respond this way and the pros and cons of your choice when responding to conflict

Triggering Conflict In your assigned groups use the chart paper

to identify the causes or “triggers”of conflict within these 3 separate groups

1. You and Friends, Peers, or Acquaintances in School

2. You and other teachers in the school3. You and family/guardians (i.e: Siblings, Parents, or

Legal Guardians)

*****Upon completion post your chart paper at the front of the room

Mediating and Solving Conflicts

Your job as a leader is to ensure that conflicts are dealt with and solved in a timely manner

Allowing conflict to continue or go unrecognized can be detrimental to your goals as a team “The slow burn”. If issues are ongoing it can

eventually explode into major problems

Creating a “How to Solve Conflicts for Dummies” Guide Now that you have identified the triggers

of conflict your task is to create a solution to an assigned conflict scenario

You must clearly create a series of steps in how you would deal with this conflict as a leader

Be sure to organize your thoughts

Solving problems before they can really start… The Pareto Principal states that roughly 80% of

effects come from 20% of the causes Example in leadership: You notice that some of the

students in your placement: Have trouble focusing Talk when they should be working Do not want to complete the assigned work Misbehave

The above actions of a student will usually lead to conflict between you and the student, or the teacher and the student

Using the Pareto Principal Poor leaders will focus on all of the above behaviours

and come up with short term interventions or punishments, but this will not solve the problem and is very inefficient as these issues are likely to resurface

On the other hand, if you can get to the source of the problem (i.e finding a subject, or way of teaching the material that interests the student) you can correct all of the behaviours with one step (This is the 20% cause - lack of interest)

Good leaders never chase the 80% instead will focus on solving the 20% causes, this is very efficient

Solving problems after they have happened…Suggestions

There is no cut and dry way to deal with conflict simply because all conflicts are different, as are the people who are involved

Here are a few best practices you might want to implement when attempting to deal with conflict

Solving Conflict Suggestions Ensure everyone involved in the conflict is

involved in the resolution process Identify why a solution is necessary Help each party see the problem from the

other’s point of view Identify the key issues and concerns. Determine what would constitute an acceptable

solution. Agree to the resolution and a follow-up meeting.