Excerpt From The Art Of Managing: Conflict Behavior Styles

Conflict occurs in situations in which people are interdependent, seek different outcomes, favor different methods to the same end, or perceive others are interfering with their ability for rewards or resources. A person’s behavior in conflict situations can be described by two basic dimensions—assertiveness and cooperation. Assertiveness is the extent to which the team member attempts to satisfy his own concerns. Cooperation is the team members attempt to satisfy the other p…

Five Smooth Tactics To Neutralize Conflicts & Enhance Communication

Using active listening through a spat is the first move you can take to mitigate the situation and crack whatever problems have surfaced. Realize, nonetheless, that when people feel strongly about an issue, their emotions will impact their ability to correspond and listen. It is imperative therefore to utilize a blend of active and reflective listening skills. Here are five methods you can use to defuse conflicts and enhance effective communication.

1. Condemn the issue or…

Keeping Conflict in Perspective

A surprise attack is one of the hardest conflicts to handle. It’s a shock to the system. Often the first reaction (after your heartbeat returns to normal) is to blame the other person or to blame yourself and to get caught in endless internal dialogue about who’s at fault and what to do next.

Breathing: The Way Back to Balance

How are you inventing your life today? How does the way you think affect your actions? And how might you become more aware of the process?

Holiday “Ki” Moments: Choosing Your Best Self

The Holidays are filled with key moments — and Ki Moments. Are you ready for them? Gift decisions, company parties, Holiday dinners with friends and family — they’re loaded with opportunities, aren’t they? Will the pressure of the moment help you reach peak performance or will you look back later wondering why you did what you did — again!

The Greatest Gift

Mimi and I had gone on an aunt-niece shopping adventure, and at age 15, I became the proud owner of my first mini-skirt. Upon seeing it, my dad hit the roof, and as usual, I was angry, scared, and tongue-tied. Years of admonitions to not “talk back,” had my voice stopped in my throat.

Advocate Respectfully

This is one of a series of brief articles on holding difficult conversations. In earlier issues of Ki Moments, I suggested ways to open communications that create mutual respect; we talked about the importance of knowing your purpose for the conversation; and we added Inquiry and Curiosity to our conversational toolbox. Here the topic is Advocacy.