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How to Manage Conflict in Stressful Times

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How to Manage Conflict in Stressful Times

This article was published during the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after the count of globally-documented cases surpassed one million. I felt it was necessary to write this as much for you, dear reader, as for myself. At this point, we don’t really know what the world will look like when the pandemic is over. What I do know is that uncertainty breeds anxiety. Stress clouds our ability to focus on much of anything, let alone resolving conflicts between adversaries. It would be easy to just tell everyone to forgive and forget, but in reality, conflicts only escalate if left to fester indefinitely. After 25 years as a mediator, I assure you, it’s possible to manage conflict in stressful times. In this article, I offer a few options.

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More Blocks to Effective Listening and How to Avoid Them (Part 2)

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More Blocks to Effective Listening and How to Avoid Them (Part 2)

Listening problems are at the heart of most communication-related conflicts.   My first article on this topic covered four blocks to listening: distractions, unsolicited advice, assumptions and toxic positivity.  In this piece, the second in a series, I discuss six more blocks to effective listening: rehearsing, filtering, derailing, defensiveness, judging and comparing.  While most of us have used blocks identified in this series, I offer strategies for avoiding each one.

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Blocks to Effective Listening and How to Avoid Them (Part 1)

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Blocks to Effective Listening and How to Avoid Them (Part 1)

Most people engage our mediation services for conflicts involving communication problems.  Poor listening is often at the epicenter of communication-related conflicts.  After 25 years as a practicing mediator, I have compiled a list of “blocks” that get in the way of our ability to listen effectively.  When I began diving into this subject, I realized there is more than one article’s worth of information share, so I’ve divided this subject into three articles.  Here’s the good news: I have seen people build their listening skills and learn how to overcome these pitfalls. Under each listening block, I provide helpful tips on how to avoid them.

 

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