Conflict Resolution Program:
Thinking Like Einstein—Conflict in a New Light

By Kathy Stroh, MSS

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

“When people tell me there are six steps to manage conflict, I realize they aren’t aware that those they are dealing with probably want to shoot them on the first step.” – Kathy Stroh

When faced with a conflict situation, our natural tendency is to want to change “it”; when faced with a difficult person, we desire to change him or her. What we usually don’t consider is changing our habitual ways of dealing with conflict--changing our patterns of behavior that have not resulted in positive outcomes. We keep doing more of the same. Even new, seemingly positive skills, that we try to use to deal with conflict are often attached to old ways of thinking and, therefore, probably will not work.

You know that Einstein was a genius. What you might not be aware of is how he was a genius. He didn’t think in normal ways. In fact, he knew that to get to new levels of thinking, he had to detach from old familiar patterns of thinking. In this conflict resolution program, participants will learn different ways to think about conflict and their approach to conflict resolution. Because their thinking about conflict will change, the skills learned will work.

Benefits:

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify their old thinking patterns around conflict that are not effective, and how thinking affects outcomes
• Define and recognize self-imposed “rules,” such as “When I’m angry, I don’t talk,” that prevent new, more positive behavior
• Create better outcomes by changing the rules and behavior
• Improve a team’s ability to work through conflict
• Manage conflict to insure more positive outcomes for all parties
• Have a new respect for Einstein’s thinking and apply it to other areas of their professional and personal lives

Sample Agenda:

• Conflict, Thinking, and Rules

• The relationship between beliefs, behavior, and conflict
• Beliefs create rules
• What are “rules”?
• Rules that keep conflict alive
• Change the rules, change the “game,” change the outcome

• Purpose of Conflict

• Conflict as a teacher
• Identifies unmet needs that are sources of conflict
• Provides useful information that can be instrumental in creating positive change
• Putting conflicts’ lessons into effect to prevent repetition of similar conflicts

• Dealing With Conflict

• Identifying roots of conflict
• Dealing with self first
• Clarifying the needs of an individual versus the needs of the situation
• Negotiating needs
• How to deal with differences between people, power, and objectives
• “Stop,” “Drop (old patterns),” and “Roll” (with another plan)
• Identifying options that provide flexibility to deal with conflict

This conflict resolution workshop can take a specific focus, such as conflict and power, women’s issues with conflict, communication and conflict, problem ownership, negotiating, processes to deal with conflict in business, and stress and transition.

Time Frame: One to two days.

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