Sunday, December 2, 2012

Conflict Resolution


When reflecting on the conflicts I have experienced in my personal and professional lives there are many instances where I wish I handled the situations better. Two strategies that will help me in future conflicts are:

·         Taking personal responsibility for my actions and the choices I make when I respond to others. And be responsible for my contributions and collaborations in relationships.

This strategy is important in conflict resolution because it is important to control my feelings and emotions during conflicts to ensure I get my point across as well as listen to others without judgment or criticism.

·         When faced with a statement that has potential to create conflict, I will explore the difficulties and then re-direct discussion to focus on positive solutions.

 Asking open questions to clarify details of a disagreement and finding options to identify issues instead of jumping to conclusions will be more successful in communicating with others. Discerning potentially negative situations by redirecting disagreements to positive solutions will focus on the needs and help in any conflict resolution.

This week I have enhanced my understanding on the concept, “think before you speak”. I learned conflicts are ignited when there are errors of perception. Before responding to what a person said or did, pause and think about how to react, before engaging the person. This strategy may change the course of any conflict.

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3 comments:

  1. Hi Katara,
    I agree with you about thinking before you speak and I also believe that a lot of that has to do with being able to understand how to manage our emotions. In general we tend to lead with our emotions and in this weeks readings I have been made aware that emotions can take over if you are not aware of how you really feel about the situation.

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  2. Katara,

    The well-known saying, "think before speak," is always said but rarely implemented. It is difficult when faced with conflict to think quickly and analyze effectively before responding. However, if people really did think before they spoke, there would probably be less conflict. By thinking we are able to analyze the situation and the problem, instead of the person speaking. Most people attack the person and not the problem, when it should be the other way around.

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  3. Hi Katara,
    I love your bold declaration about learning to take responsibility for your actions when faced with a conflict situation. It is always desirable but I think it is a challenge to face such situations boldly. I am learning to redirect situations and seek out the positives and turn it around for good. It is good to always think before we speak but I doubt if we practice this often because of the tension of the moment. I hope we can all put this skill into effective use to increase peaceful coexistence and management of differences.

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