May 5th, 2011 by Robin Green

Conflict. We see it on the news, from Bin Laden’s death to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We see it in our daily lives, personal and professional. At work, we might see it on refrigerator doors or in the tense dynamic between coworkers.

Conflict is the very fabric of existence. Without it there would be no war, no fights, but there would also be no revolution or democracy—there would just be world-wide sameness and complacency. There would also be no great novels or any great works of art to speak of.

Given the all-encompassing nature of conflict, we could say it’s a neutral force, neither positive nor negative. It’s putty; it simply asks to be transformed into something else.

So once we accept that conflict is not only inevitable, but a necessary catalyst for change, then we can ask the question: why isn’t conflict resolution a topic taught extensively in schools? Lots of companies offer conflict management and team-building courses, but by the time adults are part of these professional environments, too often, bad conflict resolution habits have already been developed.

But it’s never too late to learn how to manage, resolve, and benefit from conflicts. Even though some things might have been more easily absorbed when we were children, the things we missed in grammar school we eventually pick up along the way.

Unresolved conflicts in the workplace

Unresolved conflicts are like untreated infections. The longer they are left alone, the more difficult they become to eliminate, and the nastier manifestations they produce. Everything from passive aggressive notes left on refrigerator doors to icy interactions between employees which create divisions and make everyone feel uncomfortable create an unhealthy work environment.

Unpleasant work environments are the number one source of poor employee morale. And as everyone knows, employee morale is a tremendous factor in the success of any organization.

We like to poke fun at complaintive, often snarky notes posted on refrigerator doors at work. They’re often written in anger, with gratuitous exclamation points, and later can be read for a laugh. But basically they point to a kind of pathetic communication failure. And if we’re totally honest, how many of us are guilty of leaving notes when we could have spoken in person to someone instead?

The different faces of conflict

There are many different kinds of conflict, and many different ways to resolve them. LMS conflict management training can cover all the bases of conflict—which are sure to arise—so that employees have the tools required to resolve them before they fester.

Conflict management training: Assertive, not aggressive

Conflict management training can teach employees the communicative tools required to resolve conflict when it arises. One important distinction employees will learn is the difference between being assertive and being aggressive. When people are assertive, they are able to voice their perspective without the negative consequences that come with aggression. They learn to be firm and stand their ground to reach a solution without losing their tempers.

Online tools for conflict management

One common cause of conflict is the unclear delegation of responsibilities. One way in which team projects can be made clear as to who does what is with the use of discussion forums, video conferencing, and other web 2.0 tools. The goal, remember, is to enhance communication, since conflicts are best resolved quickly and openly. Organizing information regarding employee achievements and team objectives is another way to squash conflict in a timely manner.

When left untreated, conflicts are an expensive wastes of time. An untreated infection after a while weakens the entire immune system, leading to other problems. The health of an organization’s body depends on its staff and staff relations. Conflicts are always going to arise. But what comes out of them—positive or negative—will be the defining element in the long life of an organization.

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December 16th, 2008 by Robin Green

Student and staff responses to conflict resolution learning systems have been overwhelmingly positive. As schools open dialogue between students and provide processes for conflict resolution, teachers report fewer fights and more caring student behavior.

Another positive effect is improved attendance. Teachers are able to concentrate more on their class learning systems, and students experience a safer and less distracting learning environment. Administrators, noticing less absenteeism and decline in the number of student suspensions, also find they spend less time on disciplinary issues.

But the long-term benefit of conflict resolution learning systems is that students, teachers and parents can change their attitude toward conflict; it changes from a natural spark of confrontation, to a process to be worked through. Energies are redirected, and often the best student mediators are those who were previously considered troublemakers.

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December 15th, 2008 by Robin Green

As with any learning system, there are a variety of styles out there for conflict management. G.H. Varney’s negotiation process is just one of many that trainees in a conflict management learning system may employ.

Varney recommends bringing disputants together and asking: 1. What is the problem as you perceive it? 2. What does the other person do that contributes to the problem? 3. What do you want or need from the other person? 4. What do you do that contributes to the problem? 5. What first step can you take to resolve the problem?

Trainers should ensure that each person is questioned while the other listens. Then the two parties should discuss a mutual definition and understanding of the problem. These steps require good listening, self-awareness, low-defensiveness, and the ability to remain in a problem-solving mode. In Varney’s conflict resolution learning system, the ultimate goal of mediation is an agreement on what steps will be taken to resolve the problem.

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December 15th, 2008 by Robin Green

Online mediation training courses can greatly enhance conflict management education. Trainers can combine personal, face-to-face training with media such as television and LMS-hosted material. An LMS mediation course should include not only interactive material, quizzes and games, but also videos. Videos can provide trainees with real life conflict managing examples, and professionally acted dramatizations.

An LMS training course can also provide student role plays, trainer role plays, and information on cultural diversity, mediation structures and processes, and communication skills. After an introduction to the tenets of conflict resolution and the strategies for solving different kinds of disputes, trainees should begin practicing the mediation process. As with any social skill, conflict managing is best learned in a cycle of learn, demonstrate, and practice.

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December 15th, 2008 by Robin Green

In addition to the disparity in conflict resolution learning system resources between schools across America, the scope and purpose of each program also varies. Some districts offer only mediation programs, hoping to mitigate school violence. Others begin with mediation programs and create a more comprehensive learning system, adding a conflict resolution curriculum that calls for more active student participation.

Mediation programs often involve training student mediators and facilitating communication between disputants. Curriculum usually involves lessons on intergroup relations, cooperative learning, and dispute resolution techniques. While some districts have attempted to operate these learning systems on a very lean budget, others have received outside support, and have deeply integrated conflict resolution programs and curriculum.

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Coggno.com offers world-class LMS platforms.

December 15th, 2008 by Robin Green

If you’re searching for funding for a conflict resolution learning system, your school district isn’t the only resource available. You can also seek donations and apply for grants. Donations can be the result of school fundraising activities. Donations are given by people who believe they supporting an important cause. For learning systems such as peer mediation training, donations are often rewarded more swiftly and easily than a grant.

Foundations and organizations normally reward grants to schools based on the perceived merits of a proposed project and its expected outcomes. When applying for a grant, it’s critical to understand the values and priorities of the grantmaker, and to reflect them in your grant proposal. When writing grants for a conflict resolution learning system, keep in mind the fact that grantmakers view awards as investments in an improved future.

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Coggno.com offers a wide variety of premier online training courses.

December 15th, 2008 by Robin Green

The need for early conflict resolution education is being addressed, with an increasing number of school districts adopting conflict resolution learning systems. However, the disparity in resources from school to school can create a major barrier for some districts to adopt this kind of learning system.

How can teachers find funding to implement a conflict resolution program? The first place to request funding is your own school district. Most schools districts receive formula grant funds from state departments of education to support certain learning system programs, like local Safe and Drug Free School programs. Talk with school district grant program coordinators and assistant superintendents for curriculum and instruction about your ideas.

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December 12th, 2008 by Robin Green

There are now thousands of school-based programs in the U.S., from rural to inner-city learning systems and from kindergarten to high school. According to ERIC Digest’s Morton Inger, three-fourths of San Francisco’s public schools have conflict managers. In New Mexico, a statewide mediation program involves 30,000 students.

In NYC, more than 100 schools with about 80,000 students have a similar program. One of New York’s conflict resolution learning systems, Resolving Conflict Creatively, is a prime example of a curriculum-based program. It offers a ten-unit curriculum with lessons on intergroup relations, cooperative learning, and dispute resolution techniques.

In Chicago as well, all students experience a dispute resolution learning system in ninth or tenth grade. And in Ann Arbor, a conflict management curriculum reaches all students in the city. With all of these programs running, I believe we can hope to see less aggression and school tragedies in the U.S.

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Coggno.com offers a wide variety of world-class online training courses.