Can’t We All Just Get Along? Conflict Resolution Strategies

Can’t We All Just Get Along? Conflict Resolution Strategies Counseling and Mental Health

Copyright Copyright and Terms of Service Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. These materials are copyrighted and trademarked as the property of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of tea, except under the following conditions: 1) Texas public school districts, charter schools, and education service centers may reproduce and use copies of the materials and related materials for the districts’ and schools’ educational use without obtaining permission from TEA. 2) Residents of the state of Texas may reproduce and use copies of the materials and related materials for individual personal use only, without obtaining written permission of TEA. 3) Any portion reproduced must be reproduced in its entirety and remain unedited, unaltered and unchanged in any way. 4) No monetary charge can be made for the reproduced materials or any document containing them; however, a reasonable charge to cover only the cost of reproduction and distribution may be charged. Private entities or persons located in Texas that are not Texas public school districts, Texas education service centers, or Texas charter schools or any entity, whether public or private, educational or noneducational, located outside the state of Texas must obtain written approval from tea and will be required to enter into a license agreement that may involve the payment of a licensing fee or a royalty. Contact TEA copyrights with any questions you may have. Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 2

What are conflicts? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 3

Who is responsible for effective communication? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 4

Responsible Effective Communication Both the sender and receiver share equal responsibility. Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 5

The Communication Process Receiver Sender Encoding Message Decoding 6 Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 6

Interpersonal Communication Occurs when people involved talk and listen Message must be understood by both parties This type of communication takes more time than impersonal communication Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 7

Interpersonal Communication 8 (click on picture) Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 8

Improving Personal Communication Develop listening skills Send clear messages Use appropriate timing Use repetition Use words carefully Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 9

Influences on Effective Communication Body language Culture Environment Feelings Location Past experiences Perception Situations Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 10 10

11 I-Statements versus You-Statements AVOID YouStatements I-Statements Focus on your point of view I see You shouldn’t say that I feel You just need to get over that I think You never do anything right I wonder You are so gullible I wish You always bring up old issues I plan You need to be more responsible I believe I can You just need to forget what happened You don’t know what you are saying I want Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 11

Develop Listening Skills The amount of time people spend on the different parts of communication process: listening—45% speaking—30% reading—16% writing—9% Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 12

What is conflict resolution? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 13

What are some positive constructive methods to resolve conflict? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 14

Constructive Conflict Resolutions Accommodation Compromise Concession Consensus Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 1

Steps in Conflict Resolution Brainstorm Seek mediation Evaluate a solution Compromise Define the problem Suggest a solution Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 1

Conflict Resolutions Respect each other Listen to various points Work towards mutual decisions Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 17

Practicing Constructive Conflict Resolution Be accepting of compromise Be flexible and willing to bend Be honest about your needs and wants Cooperate by working together toward a solution Do not change the subject Face the conflict without fear (Do not avoid it.) Put yourself in the other person’s shoes Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 18

Practicing Constructive Conflict Resolution (click on picture) Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 19

Conflict Resolution Strategies Altering the group structure Appealing to a higher belief or value Avoidance Communication Compromise Democratic vote Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 20

Conflict Resolution Strategies Direct order Expanding or developing new resources “I Need You and You Need Me” Outside intervention Seeking additional information Using conciliatory gestures Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 21

What are some negative methods to resolve conflict? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 22

Destructive Conflict Resolution Attempting to prove who is right Bagging Blowing up Deceiving Lying Personal attacking Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 23

Peer Mediation, Problem Solving and Negotiation Peer mediation is a process to resolve disputes between two people or small groups of people by a person or people of the same age group to facilitate the resolution. Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 24

Peer Mediation (click on picture) Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 25

Questions? Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 26

References and Resources Images: Microsoft Clip Art: Used with permission from Microsoft. Textbook: Sasse, C.R. (2004). Families today. New York: Glencoe/McGraw Hill. Websites: About.com Communicate: Improve Your Relationships With Effective Communication Skills. http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/ht/healthycomm.htm About.com How To Handle Unresolved Conflict in Your Family. http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/qt/unresolved.htm YouTube : In the Mix: Peer Mediation — A Process of Respect (Excerpt) We visit a diverse small city school that has a variety of pro-active student centered programs in place. When a fight breaks out in the cafeteria, two boys choose to participate in peer mediation rather than face the administration. http://youtu.be/4gQ0ZLdHlHM 10 Hot Tips – Managing Conflict 10 Hot Leadership Tips Series – Managing Conflict http://youtu.be/mqkm788-Jk8 Copyright Texas Education Agency, 2014. All rights reserved. 27