Resolving Conflict

               Until recently I never really thought about what went into the process of communication. I spoke when I needed to and listened when it was appropriate but I never thought about the type of words being used and whether or not my speaking and listening skills were showing respect to the others involved in the communication process. I recently had a conflict or altercation with one of my staff members that resulted in unnecessary yelling by both myself and my staff member.

            One of my teachers was not happy with a decision that I made and voiced her opinion. I have always been okay with hearing what my employees have to say and this time was no different until the teacher started talking about things that she was not informed about. When she started doing this she was saying things that were not accurate and instead of calmly explaining the situation I tried to just shut her down and end the conversation. This did not go over well and she started yelling at me which caused me to become angry and yell back at her. Ultimately I shut the conversation down by saying something to the effect of, “that is my final decision regardless of anyone else’s opinion.” This was not the best way to handle the situation but I was frustrated and needed it to end before things got worse. There are a lot of things that I could have and should have done differently and after a few days both of us discussed things in a more rational matter but I realize now that the situation could have been handled very differently.

            One way that things could have been handled differently would be to respectfully listen to the teachers concerns instead of trying to shut her down. Because she was uninformed I tried to end the conversation when I should have quietly listened to her and then respectfully explained to her the ways in which she was incorrect. This would have let her know that I value her as a person and am interested in what she has to say. By doing this I would be able to build a conversation and help her to become more knowledgeable about the situation at hand.

            Another way that I could handle the situation would be to have been more smoothing and accommodating. This would have helped to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. We could have discussed things later when we had both calmed down some and were able to talk in a more appropriate manner. This technique of conflict resolution could have helped to save those few strenuous days when my coworker and I did not speak to each other at all. It made for a very stressful work environment for both if us. Accommodating her would have made her feel more comfortable and saved us both the trouble of arguing.