Title: An Appreciative Approach to Reframing Conflict
1An Appreciative Approach toReframing Conflict
2 Reframe conflict as an opportunity for
creating an ideal working relationship What
are the components of an ideal working
relationship?
3IntroductionConflict
4Foundational Paradigms
- Often, conflict is a result of miscommunication
(misunderstanding) - View conflict as an opportunity for personal
and/or professional development - Improve work relationships and productivity
- To resolve conflict, need to communicate in an
effective manner
5How Do You Knowit isConflict?
- People involved are
- Interdependent,
- Blaming each other,
- Emotionally upset, (angry, crying, etc.)
- Affecting work relationships
- and productivity
6How Individuals Address Conflict
CAUTION Dont always follow your initial
instinct. Your first reaction may be wrong. The
fight or flight response is a physiological
response to danger. It focuses on whats wrong
in a situation - it is likely to hurt work
relationships - and create more situations
perceived as danger.
7Positive Things that Come Out of Conflict?
- Increased motivation and energy available to
apply to required tasks. - Increased innovativeness of individuals and the
system -because of greater diversity of
viewpoints and a heightened sense of necessity. - Development of an increased understanding of
individuals own position - because the conflict
forces them to articulate their views and to
bring forth supporting agreements. - Each party may achieve greater awareness of their
own identity. - Participants learn methods to manage their own
internal conflicts.
8Appreciative ApproachtoReframing Conflict
using theAppreciative Inquiry Process
94 Dimensions
of Appreciative Inquiry
Life-Giving Process
10Appreciative Inquiryvs.Problem Solving
- Problem Solving
- Identifies
- problem
- Conducts
- analysis of cause
- Brainstorms
- solutions
- Develops
- action plans
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Appreciates
- what gives life?
- Imagines
- what might be?
- Determines
- what should be?
- Creates
- what will be?
111st DimensionDiscovery
Affirmative Topic Effective Communication
12Effective Communication
1st Dimension Discovery
- Deal with the Emotions first
- Feelings as Data
- Listen First to Understand - until you are able
to experience the other side - Gather the facts
- Hear each persons side of the story
- Decide if you need additional help from Employee
Relations
131st Dimension Discovery
- Examine the Positive
- Factors in the Relationship
- What is working in the relationship?
- What are the benefits of the relationship?
- Tell me about a time when you successfully worked
together? - What do we agree on?
- What are our individual/team strengths?
142nd DimensionDream What it might
be?Envision It!
15Envision the IdealCommunication Relationship
2nd Dimension Dream
- What does it feel like?
- What does it sound like?
- What does it look/sound like to others?
- What do you really want?
162nd Dimension Dream
Examine Possible Positive Factors in
the Communication Relationship
- Rapid Generation of Ideas without clarification
or evaluation - Quantity - not Quality
- Be as Creative as possible
173rd DimensionDesign
- What should be the Ideal
- of
- Effective Communication?
183 Types of Outcomes
3rd Dimension Design
- Win-Lose
- Lose-Lose
- Win-Win
19Look for Win-Win Resolution
3rd Dimension Design
- Fundamental Paradigms
- Effective, long-term relationships require mutual
benefit - Reconciliation collaboration is not weak its
smart ! - Win-Lose or Lose-Lose outcomes are
counterproductive in the long run
20Stay Focused on the Ideal
3rd Dimension Design
- Conflict tends to divert our attention from our
real interests by creating another interest
surviving, or winning - Basic, instinctive interest (surviving/winning)
may cloud our interests make it harder to
resolve conflict - Step away from the conflict, anybody involved
in the conflict, to gain perspective - Think about what you would want if you could have
a wish thats your true interest
21Conciliatory Gestures
3rd Dimension Design
- Verbal statements or parts of statements
made during conflict resolution that expose the
speakers vulnerability to exploitation by the
other (s)
Kinds of Conciliatory Gestures
- Apologizing
- Owning responsibility
- Conceding
- Self-disclosing
- Expressing positive feelings/thoughts for the
other - Initiating a Win-Win approach to the situation
22Accentuate the Positive,Ignore the Negative
3rd Dimension Design
Conciliatory gestures are often mixed with some
sort of hostile comments. Its best to disregard
the aggressive words tone and focus instead on
the conciliatory.
How? Acknowledge the conciliatory gesture by
showing your appreciation of it, and
reciprocate.
23Partner on Design
3rd Dimension Design
- Collaboration
- One-sided solutions not
- imposed no power plays
- No walk-aways
- Need buy-in
24Good DealTo effect real change
3rd Dimension Design
- Good Deal ? An agreement describing how the
parties will interact in the future
- Balanced
- Behaviorally specific
- Written
254th DimensionDestiny
- What should we do
- to sustain the change?
26Sustaining Change
4th Dimension Destiny
- Nurture the new relationship
- Reward improved performance
- Develop renew resources on a regular basis
- Be proactive
27Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle Revisited
- Discovery - The best of what is
- Deal with Emotions and Feelings
- Listen First to Understand
- Gather the Facts
- Need help?
- Dream - What might be? Envision it!
- Design - What should be the ideal?
- Win-Win
- Stay Focused
- Conciliatory Gestures
- Partner on a Good Deal
- Destiny Sustain the Change
- Prevent More Challenges
- Dont Back Out