Different communication styles, behavior styles, and leadership styles all contribute to misunderstandings. When we learn to speak the “language” of other people, we learn to communicate clearly. Read more…

Good questions create a foundation for higher level thinking and for building a cooperative, participatory environment. Read more…

You have probably seen or been involved in confrontation discussions that got off track. I know that I have. Maybe you were speaking with one of your co-workers about cleaning the coffee pot in the break room and you found yourself in a heated discussion about your desire to “boss everyone around.” Maybe you attempted to confront someone who reports to you about missing a deadline and you wound up discussing their sick family pet and the trouble they were having trying to get the issue resolved. Or maybe you mentioned taking out the garbage to your teenage son and, the next thing you knew, you were in the middle of a discussion about your tendency to yell at him “all the time.” Remember to address one issue at a time for better conflict resolution.

Conflict conversations often go wrong when the two parties disengage too soon. As Daniel Dana, author of Conflict Resolution, says; people often don’t “argue” long enough because of a hard-wired behavioral approach commonly known as the “fight-or-flight” response…Following a simple process to control these inappropriate responses can help you to effectively self-mediate many interpersonal conflicts.