Conflict Resolution in Community Planning

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Conflict Resolution in Community Planning

• Delaware Blueprint Communities
• April 17, 2008
• Presented by Kathy Wian, UD

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Conflict is

• what happens when people disagree
• a perceived divergence of interests
• an opportunity for positive change

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Teams and Conflict

• Dont ask if you will experience ask when?
• All teams, like individuals,
• experience conflict.
• It is how you respond to conflict that will
  determine the success of the resolution and
  ultimately the success of your team.

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Causes of Conflict

• Cultural Differences
• Beliefs
• Values
• Assumptions
• Expectations

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Preventing Internal Team Conflict

• Clarify expectations of the team and its members
  
• Create Groundrules/ Norms
• Discuss Roles Responsibilities
• Dont assume ask tell
• Establish a Decision Rule

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Preventing External Team Conflict

• Teams Must Be
• Fair
• Consistent
• Transparent

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Successful Teams

• Foster an environment for all to fully
  participate and feel valued. They are
  Participatory Teams

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Participatory Teams Have

• Clear Goals
• Defined Roles
• Open and Clear Communication
• Effective Decision Making Rule
• Value Diversity
• Manage Conflict

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The ACBDS of Collaborative Problem Solving

• Air All Viewpoints
• Listen to others
• Tell your side
• Clarify the Problem
• Combine everyone's basic needs
• Agree on a joint problem
• Brainstorm Solutions
• Generate ideas, relax and don't criticize
• Eliminate weak solutions
• Develop an Agreement
• Choose one or a combination that meets
• basic needs of all
• Specify who-what-when-how

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Air All Viewpoints
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What is Communication?

• Communication occurs when a listener hears and
  understands
• a speakers essential thoughts and feelings.
• Often, conflicts continue because of poor
• communication between people.

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Active Listening

• a way to find-out if you correctly understand
  the other person's point of view
• Active Listening Guidelines
• 1. Listen attentively without interrupting.
• 2. Try to understand
• how the other person feels
• what they want and
• why they want it.
• 3. Tell the other person what you heard.

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Active Listening Questions

• Active Listening Guidelines
• 1. Listen attentively without interrupting.
• 2. Try to understand
• how the other person feels
• what they want and
• why they want it.
• 3. Tell the other person what you heard.
• 4. Ask a clarifying question if necessary.

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Clarify the Problem
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Refocusing Attention

• What we WANT is only the tip
• about 20 of the issue
• and is really a
• solution to a problem

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Refocusing Attention

• What we
• NEED
• is the
• rest of
• the iceberg
• the other
• 80

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Wants Vs. Needs
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WANTS
NEEDS
80
Beliefs
Fears
Values
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Example
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Want to send children to private school
80 Needs
FEAR public schools are not safe or children will
get in with the wrong crowd
BELIEVE children will get individual attention
Place a high VALUE on education
BELIEVE it is better academically
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Example
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Want to send children to public school
80 Needs
BELIEVE public schools are good
BELIEVE children benefit from diverse populations
Believe private schools are for the elite
Place a high VALUE on education
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Reframe all Needs into a Joint Problem

• Restate the problem in terms of all parties needs
  and begin with common ground.
• 2. Pose a problem statement so that
• everyone agrees on the problem to be solved
• the problem becomes a joint concern and
• action can be taken by all parties.

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Restate Agree on the Joint Problem

• Where can we send our kids to school that they
  will be safe, get individual attention, receive
  an academically challenging program with a
  diverse group of students?

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Next Steps

• Brainstorm Solutions
• Develop an Agreement

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Brainstorming

• Brainstorming is a process for thinking of many
  different solutions for resolving a dispute by
  creating an atmosphere that promotes creativity.
• Ground rules for a brainstorming session
• Set a time limit.
• Offer any idea that comes to mind, no matter how
  crazy.
• Do not criticize any idea.
• When the allotted time is over, evaluate each
  idea against the parties' needs

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Developing Agreements

• Based on the options generated through
  brainstorming, discuss which option or
  combination of options best meets the needs of
  all parties.
• MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERYONE CLEARLY AND FULLY
  UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY ARE AGREEING TO DO.
• write it down
• ask for it to be repeated
• Include plans to re-evaluate the agreement after
  a stated period of time.

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Common Decision Rules

• Unanimous Agreement
• Person-in-Charge Decides
• (without discussion or after discussion)
• Majority Vote
• Flip a Coin
• Consensus (100 support)

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Final Thought

• There is
• no such thing as a problem
• without a gift for you
• in its hands.
• Challenge yourself
• to find those gifts.

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Thank You!

• Kathy Wian
• University of Delaware
• 177 Graham Hall, Academy Street
• Newark, DE 19716
• 302-831-8158 office phone
• kwian_at_udel.edu