Moving Beyond Conflict Workshop 2015

• Lobo: la la la la la.... la la la... la la laaaaa....
• Gogo: Hey Lobo.... I am trying to write down my proposal for the upcoming meeting. Would you mind if I ask you to SHUT UP!!!!
• Lobo: la la la la..... (Louder than the previous note)
• Gogo: Arrrgh!!!

Conflicts are natural at workplaces. It is up to us to respond to such strenuous situations in a positive way rather than blowing them out of proportion and magnifying the issue. For the purpose of enlightening the sense of mutual understanding and cooperation at our working environment, the Host Parasite and Interaction group organized a workshop on February 10, 2015 titled ”Moving beyond Conflicts”. It was facilitated by Ann Laverty, Psychologist at the University's counselling centre; Shawna Bava , Student Support and Management Case Coordinator as well as Dave Hansen, Assistant Dean, Supervisory Development, in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The workshop allowed us to ponder building healthy relationships with our colleagues and bosses by making use of constructive conflict resolution strategies to deal with day-to-day challenging situations. The workshop emphasized learning assertive communication skills that included expressing yourself and your rights without violating the rights of others through appropriate, direct, open, and honest communication. In conclusion, usage of: empathize, describe, express, specify, and consequence (E-DESC) scripting was also considered important for effective communication.

During the workshop some of the trainees were asked to share their past experiences in which they might have faced tensions in managing their work alongside their bosses. It actually sparked out a valuable conversation of how to break the ice between you and your employer. The presenters articulated that to attain the objectives, it is necessary to acknowledge that a difficult situation exists and the individuals should express their feelings, determine underlying needs, and find common areas of accordance. In addition to that, regular follow-ups are needed to be scheduled to monitor the actions taken into account for conflict resolution.

These were some of the really helpful tips that we received during the workshop. Overall, the workshop was well structured, providing further insight on the skills needed to develop better ethics. Last but not least:

• “Peace is not absence of conflict – it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” -By Ronald Regan