Laurie will be interviewed on Barbara Dixon’s Spirit Speaks blog radio talk show. Her topic is "How to Nurture Your Relationship During These Changing Times." Tune in at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, March 16. by clicking the Play button in the box below: You will be taken directly to the online player for the interview. If you would like to comment or ask questions during the interview, you can call in at (646) 727-3956.
Coaching as a profession that is practiced by a variety of individuals, with no standardized training or regulation. They may or may not have studied at a variety of different coaching schools, and may or may not be certified. Coaches may be certified by their own schools or by the International Coach Federation. Professional coach come from a variety of different backgrounds, and can assist you to identify and reach different objectives.
If you are going to help people resolve conflict, you should be aware of potential pitfalls that can undermine the entire process. The most dangerous pitfall is that your clients may expect you to single-handedly design and implement a solution that will fix everything. The next most dangerous pitfall is for you to try to meet those expectations. Successful conflict intervention professionals do not fix things for their clients. Instead, they lead clients through the process of resolving their own issues in a supportive and effective manner. Avoid the Traps You will have to avoid many traps to successfully help others to resolve conflict. The first trap is often an invitation to accept at face value the clients definition of the problem and what is needed to solve it, for instance, the clients belief that more training is needed in cases where the real issue is suppressed or unidentified conflict. You will need to look behind the explanation you are offered. You’ll need to discover the needs, issues and values the explanation represents, if you are to assist clients in finding creative, appropriate options for solving their problems. Another trap may be your eagerness to assist your clients without first determining whether they really want to solve their problems. Help your client explore the implications and risks, as well as the benefits, of dealing with potentially painful issues. This helps your client make a solid commitment to working with fundamental issues and letting go of problems that may have provided secret benefits. A third trap you may face is the invitation to take sides and judge the rightness or wrongness of someone’s position in a conflict situation. It is important to stay impartial and help clarify possible effects of various actions. Be particularly wary of attempts to get rid of troublemakers in various ways. Often the troublemaker has a great deal of energy available to help resolve the problem. A person who cares enough to make trouble really cares about the prob1em and needs to be included in the resolution process. Another pitfall is the possibility that you will move too quickly into areas that clients consider risky. If you scare your client, even accidentally, you may get hostility instead of cooperation Your ability to be of value in the conflict situation depends upon your not being thrown out by an angry client. If you stay sensitive to your clients fears, you may be able to avoid this hazard. Stay Focused: Avoid the Drama Getting involved in the drama of a conflict situation can also be a trap. All drama involves victims, persecutors and rescuers. You may be greatly tempted to rescue your clients by proposing solutions prematurely, before they have brought their own information and resources to bear on the problem. Rescues usually lead to dramatic role switches in which the consultant more often than not winds up in the victim position, criticized or even fired. You will be a far more effective helper if you look for the needs, interests and values behind the roles and clarify them for everyone involved. Stimulate a search for options, instead of giving in to the temptation to reach a dramatic solution. Accepting your role as a conflict intervention professional is a challenge. Your larger challenge as an executive, manager or HRD professional may be to change the perception of conflict from an unpleasant problem to an opportunity for change and growth. Many of the lessons in The Integrity Course discuss practical ways to identify and resolve conflict.
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