Resolving Professional Conflict
1. Think about any disagreements, or conflicts, you have recently experienced or are currently experiencing at work with a supervisor or colleague, or someone in your personal life. Share at least two strategies you have learned about that might help you manage or resolve the conflict more productively, and why these strategies might be effective. For example, could you suggest a compromise? Could you look for a broader range of solutions to your disagreement? Could you use some of the principles of nonviolent communication or the 3 R’s to better help you resolve this conflict?
One of my current challenges in my professional work is coming to a consensus on how to move forward with an administrative directive. The situation involves colleagues and myself incorporating specific programming into our classrooms in order to create unity and consistency between classrooms and grade levels. Since we are in a situation in which this change in programming is an administrative directive, we are in a situation in which this programming is an expectation. We do not have a choice of opting out. The decision for this programming has been made out of good intentions of doing what is best for children. However, input for this initiative included only some of the teaching staff and this has resulted in other colleagues having difficulties with embracing this new programming. As a result, discussions surrounding the implementation of this program include a wide range of opinions as well as emotional blocks to moving forward completely within each classroom.
As we move to reviewing our first year with this program, I believe that one of our first tasks should be readdressing our goal to ensure that each one of us understands the expectations placed upon us. Secondly, I believe that one of the reasons we are experiencing these blocks in moving forward is that we haven’t addressed the emotional reactions to this initiative and the anxiety and fears that this change is causing. Therefore, giving each person support by addressing these emotions can give everyone an opportunity to share their feelings and what they need in order to move forward with this initiative. By understanding the perspectives and realities of our colleagues, we can have empathy for their current struggles with this process and be conscientious of this as we move on to finding ways to support each one of them as they take on this challenge. By finding solutions that address everyone’s needs, we can be hopeful in successfully adapting our classrooms to this new program and achieve our ultimate goal in providing consistent programming for our students.
2. Also, if appropriate, ask your colleagues for their input and advice regarding, if not specific problems, how they have learned to be more effective communicators as it relates to conflict resolution skills.
As a Mentor Teacher, I have had one teacher who is fairly new to teaching come to me several times for advice in working with some of her colleagues. She is very eager to try new things, take on new initiatives, and incorporate new teaching practices into her classroom. However, her colleagues don’t always feel that same way and she feels limited in what she can do because of their responses. It doesn’t matter whether I agree with her opinions or not, my most common piece of advice usually comes in the form of a question in order to guide her in thinking outside of her perspective. “Why do they feel that way?” I find that as she is gaining more experiences with these communication experiences, she is learning to consider other perspectives without my reminder to do so.