These articles and posts cover many Conflict Competencies. Since everyone experiences conflict sometime, conflict competence is a great life skill.
I use examples of conflicts in popular culture, fiction, nonfiction, and others’ imagination. My own experience of using conflict competence allowed me to deal with the wretchedness of quadruple (yes, four) mastectomies after I was diagnosed with a rare, potentially deadly breast cancer.
I teach Theory, demonstrate how theory is Implemented, and give Practice time. My answers are grounded in solid theory, have real life applications, and you can practice the strategies immediately. TIPs are my responses to your questions about conflicts, such as, how to prevent a conflict, manage your current conflict, or be prepared for your next conflict. Most are posed during workshops I teach, or that clients ask, or are submitted online.
In these posts I take a stand and analyze conflicts without my usual professional impartiality.
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If you prefer the list sorted into the four categories I write about, click here.
Don’t you hate it when the computer eats your posts? I sure do. The list below is posts I wrote before upgrades to my site downgraded them into oblivion. I can recreate some of them and would happily try if you ask.
| Personal Decisions Create Peace | Apr 4, 2008 |
| Dissent is okay | Apr 6, 2008 |
| Conflict Life Cycles | Jun 16, 2008 |
| Travel for dialogue while we still can | Jul 1, 2008 |
| Conflict Mental Maps 1 | Jul 25, 2008 |
| Managing Conflict Reduces Stress | Aug 2, 2008 |
| Problem solving for success | Aug 8, 2008 |
| Interpretation and Conflict Competence | Sep 21, 2008 |
| SideTaker.com = conflict incompetence | Sep 22, 2008 |
| Deliberative Democracy – talking about difficult public issues | Sep 29, 2008 |
| Conflict Patterns | Oct 19, 2008 |
| Interconnecting Peace, Environment, Safety Health | Oct 19, 2008 |
| Talking with the enemy | Nov 16, 2008 |
| Perfect Storm, Perfect Opportunity | Nov 25, 2008 |
The mediator was Deborah Sword. She conducted an exemplary mediation conducted with dignity and professionalism. This case was perhaps more difficult than most. At first, I did not have high hopes for resolving this file at the mediation stage. However, Ms. Sword brought the participants to a point where we reached common ground and we were able to settle it fairly.
A lawyer at mediation
Deborah, we can’t thank you enough for your patient, gentle and professional instruction and for sharing your incredible knowledge and insight on how to deal with conflict and have difficult conversations. We learned a great deal over the course of a few days and have already made changes in our office. Thank you so much.
Consultation Client
Deborah went above and beyond with our client. She provided a full day workshop (instead the half day we quoted) to the team to help the client fully understand the dynamics of their conflict. Deborah’s depth and breadth of knowledge on the topic visibly reassured our client on several occasions. As well her expertise gave them considerable ideas and suggestions for future work they could do for themselves.
Consultation Client
Deborah Sword 