communication & conflict management jan. 23, 2014

Communication & Conflict Management

Jan. 23, 2014

Upcoming “events”

• Grades on J1 will be back by the weekend (I hope!)

• J2-4 not due until Feb 17—BUT…– Each one relates to the content from each week,

SO– It is much easier to do them once a week, rather

than all at the end!

New approach to groups

• Everyone has a CLASS ID # -- It’s on the roster. Write it down, remember it, put it on all your group notes that you turn in!!

• Starting today, groups will be facilitated and facilitators will get points for doing so.

• Recorders will also get extra points—if the records are good.

Comments/Questions about Tues

???

My comments

• These techniques DO NOT feel normal.• Neither does snowboarding—the first few

times you do it.• It takes practice!!• And there are bad ways to do it!!• Example!

• And bad times to do it!!

My comments

• If you like what is happening, don’t worry about these.

• If you don’t like it, what’s to lose?!

Tuesday foreshadows much of the semester…as they influence your• Conflict style• Emotions• Sources of Power and Power Strategies• Negotiation strategies• Mediation strategies• Approaches to dialogue….

So Tuesday was a “foundational” lecture.

• So is today!

• Today’s topic: FACILITATION

How many of you attend (or have attended) meetings?

Who LIKES them?

Why?Why not?

PowerPoint Summary of: Facilitation

Meetings

What makes meetings bad?


Meetings

So why not skip them?

Why do we need meetings?


Meetings

What makes meetings good?


One way to make meetings good:

Facilitation!


Facilitation

Facilitation is a process wherein a neutral party helps a group work together more effectively

Choosing a Facilitator

• May be internal or external

• Must be acceptable to all members of the group

• Remember: Facilitators are process leaders only -- they generally don’t contribute to the substance of the discussion


Role of the Facilitator

Helps the group • Set an agenda for the meeting• Establish ground rules• Get to know each other• Focus energy and thoughts of members• Keep the conversation “on track”• Keep conversation moving forward


Ground Rules

Ground rules may cover

• the behavior of the disputants,

• the role or behavior of any third party

(e.g., facilitator or mediator), • the methods or process to be used

• the substance of the discussions.



Slide 5:

Key Facilitation Skills Include:

• Active Listening:• Probing (using open-ended questions)without provoking defensiveness

• Paraphrasing, summarizing

• Reframing (especially from positions to interests)

• Highlighting areas of agreement/disagreement


Slide 5:

Other Facilitation Skills Include:

• Including all members

• Dealing with domineering participants

• Using non-verbal cues suggesting cooperation

• Reading/analyzing/responding to group dynamics

• Recording techniques which include all parties

Benefits of Facilitation

Benefits of Facilitation Include• Increased motivation to support decisions

- Due to investment in the process

• Improved/more inclusive results- Due to increased innovation/participation

• Everyone feels like an integral part of the “team”

• People are encouraged to think and act for overall group benefit

• A forum for constructively resolving conflicts is developed


Steps of Facilitation

• Greetings/introductions• Review purpose of meeting• Review/discussion of agenda

• Sequencing• Discussion of ground rules

• behavior of participants• behavior/responsibilities of the facilitator• procedural• substantive



• For each issue:•Identify key issues, facts, interests, commonalities and differences• brainstorm options• evaluate options• make a decision• move on to next topic

• At end of meeting• Review progress• Review agreements made •Discuss next steps• Assign tasks (as needed) before next meeting

• After meeting•Write up minutes/report/agreements•Plan next meeting (if necessary)



• At end of meeting• Review progress• Review agreements made •Discuss next steps• Assign tasks (as needed) before next meeting

• After meeting•Write up minutes/report/agreements•Plan next meeting (if necessary)


Facilitation Exercise – Form 3 LARGE GROUPS.• Each group should form a circle• Choose a facilitator & a recorder.• Facilitator does introductions – recorder records

names and ID#s (for credit)


Facilitation Exercise

• Facilitator thanks everyone for coming and describes the agenda.• S/he then facilitates the discussion, while the

recorder records. No need to record who said what, just main ideas!


So, what’s the agenda?

• First item: choose a topic– Suggestions:

• Proposal to require conflict resolution training to get a marriage licence!

• http://m.denverpost.com/denverpost/db_19759/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=D4TuwCAv

– Proposal to make college loans contingent on majors…loans much harder to get for majors that don’t have good job prospects.


http://m.denverpost.com/denverpost/db_19759/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=D4TuwCAv



So, what’s the agenda?

• First item: choose a topic– Third choice: should the US intervene

in Syria to:• Impose a no-fly zone, so Assad can’t bomb

civilians• Stop weapons shipments to Al Qaeda• Protect IDP camps


Then facilitate a discussion and record key ideas.

Do this as “professionally” as possible!!!


communication & conflict management jan. 23, 2014

Documents

facilitation slide

facilitation facilitation

discussion powerpoint

key facilitation skills

meetings good

meetings bad

ground rules ground

group dynamics