Transcript May 15 Observed Conflict Conversations 2006

Observed Conflict
Conversations
Observed Conflict Conversations
• Business relationships, like all interactions
between people, can be extremely
complicated and delicate
• Add pressure from trying to get along with
managers and co-workers (so as to stay
employed) or competing with other
companies to find and maintain clients,
and the potential for conflict is high
Observed Conflict Conversations
• What employees need are superior
communication skills—and most
importantly—listening skills. These
include:
– attentiveness
– empathy
– cultural awareness, and the
– tools of active listening (reflecting,
paraphrasing, clarifying, etc.)
Observed Conflict Conversations
• Great communication also requires the
desire to connect with other people—even
those who present difficult situations and
circumstances
Observed Conflict Conversations
Conflict =
Danger
&
Opportunity
Observed Conflict Conversations
• Instructions
• Sixty minutes are provided for this activity
• Each team will participate in two of the potential
conflict scenarios provided
• Decide who on your team will play the roles
provided
– Those not involved as managers/team
leaders/clients and employees/team
members/account reps will serve as conversation
observers
Observed Conflict Conversations
•
Each scenario will take 30 minutes,
including:
– 5 minutes to become familiar with the roles
you’re given
– 15 minutes to play out the scenario
– 10 minutes observers to provide feedback to
the role players
Observed Conflict Conversations
Notes for role players:
• Details regarding your business and role are scant
• Feel free to fill in any information you think is necessary
to bring life to your character
• Remember: who you are and what you do is less
important than how you communicate and deal with
potential conflict
• Role players with the responsibility to manage conflict
should practice excellent communication skills, as noted
on the Conflict Communication Checklist
Observed Conflict Conversations
Notes for observers:
• In many ways, you have the most important job
in these scenarios
• Your role:
– look for evidence that people charged with helping to
manage conflict are using good communication skills
as listed on the Conflict Communication Checklist
– provide specific, detailed feedback to the actors at
the end of each exercise
• Work as individuals, rather than as a team of
observers
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Conflict Communication Checklist
listens attentively to person talking
does not put physical or “status” barriers between self and the person
talking
reflects the person’s feelings back to her/him
paraphrases the person’s concerns
asks clarifying questions
uses open body language
avoids distracting behaviors
makes “I-statements”
avoids blaming or belittling language
displays empathy and compassion
looks for the person’s interest behind the position she/he may be taking in
the conversation
when appropriate, helps person reframe the “problem” or place it in a new
context (e.g., a problem with a client can become an opportunity to receive
and learn from customer feedback)
affirms the speaker’s openness and desire to find resolution
helps person to identify and consider options, and create new strategies
helps person come to his/her own decisions/solutions
helps person consider ways to improve strategy and troubleshoot potential
shortcomings to the strategy