Better Skills - Better Lives

Using Your Head To Manage Conflict Helpcard

Stop letting conflict control you. Make conscious, correct decisions about how to deal with conflict.

We all have conflict at home and at work. What counts is how we choose to handle it. When conflict happens, what determines the outcome? It's how people handle it. You can react in a knee-jerk fashion which almost always escalates the disagreement, or you can stop, think, and choose the best way to deal with that conflict.

Most people believe conflict situations need to be handled using a "one size fits all" approach, or they fall into a pattern of using only one way of managing and resolving conflict in their lives. The problem is that "one size fits all" doesn't work. For example, you should manage an insignificant conflict situation differently than a "life or death" conflict. Or, you should handle a disagreement with your child differently than you would an argument with your boss.

Using Your Head to Manage Conflict explains what choices you have, and when to use which ones. This is necessary since each conflict situation is different from any other.

You will learn:

• when you shouldn't waste time arguing
• when it's the right time to give a little, to preserve an important relationship
• when it's time to stop "being nice" and fight to win

...and more

Content
Written by conflict expert author Robert Bacal, Using Your Head To Manage Conflict Helpcard maps out the basics of managing conflict in an intelligent way, explains the steps of rational conflict management and explains the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to conflict management.

Here are a few questions answered:

• How can you make conflict work for you?
• What are the major steps in rational conflict management?
• What are the pro's and con's of conflict avoidance and denial?
• What are the pro's and con's of accommodation/giving in?
• What are the pro's and con's of compromise?
• When the use of power and competition is appropriate?
• What are the pro's and con's of collaboration?

"I keep a copy on my desk where I can see it. It reminds me I have choices when conflict occurs. The methods are great, and so is learning how to analyze situations, but the best is I now feel I can control conflict situations and not act impulsively (well, most of the time)."

You can preview this LearnBytes on Using Your Head To Manage Conflict by clicking on the picture.

Suggestions For Use:

This card is suitable for anyone and applicable to conflict situations at work, or in one's personal life.

Managers can use this for themselves, of course, to prepare for, and think through conflict situations they might be encountering, but they may also choose to share copies of this card with their staff, and indicate preferred conflict management styles and approaches..

Trainers, group facilitators A superb takeaway for any courses touching on conflict management, conflict resolution, general relationships, etc. Can also be used to base an entire training module upon on this topic.

And of course, it's great for anyone to have handy, ready for easy reference to remind you to start consciously thinking about how to handle conflicts in your life.