The goal of today’s meeting was to learn about conflict resolution! We did this by exploring and acting about various scenarios. But first, there’s some important rules of conflict to know before we jump into those!
The Rules
To better understand the rules, let’s first define what conflict is. Conflict is when two or more people refuse to compromise on a position/attitude/point of view. Conflict, if not properly handled, can be very dangerous, potentially resulting in emotional or physical harm. Because of this, it is very important to understand how to handle conflict in any group scenario. Especially in a group like our Mock Studio, conflict will be inevitable. We’ll have many hands on deck, and they might not agree on how to run the ship. Most conflicts will likely not be too serious, just differences in opinion, which is what we’ll be focusing on. With that out of the way, let’s get into the first rule!
1. Do Not Escalate
Escalation is when you either strongly pick one side over the other or you use an overly hostile tone. While doing either of these two things may seem like a good idea in the moment, they have a good chance of making the situation worse. If you feel driven to one of these two options because a conversation is upsetting or distressing you in some way, please walk away and talk to an officer. You might be wondering, “If you aren’t supposed to directly engage in the conflict like this, what should you do?”. Well, that’s what rule 2 is for!
2. Eliminate the Source of Conflict
Rather than contribute directly to the conflict, see if you can divert the discussion away from conflict. There are many ways to do this, but here’s a few:
- Change the Subject. Sometimes, it is best to move the discussion to a different time.
- Separating people in conflict
- Make sure all opinions heard! If there is one person dominating the conversation, that can make it difficult to resolve conflict.
3. Get Help!
Conflict is not easy to resolve, especially alone. Make sure to speak up if you notice something wrong! Also, try to get others involved in stopping the conflict.
0. Contact an Officer
If a conflict is particularly stressful and you do not want to deal with it, that’s okay! While these three rules are important, you do not need to always apply these yourself if you are uncomfortable with the situation. We are always available to handle the situation, whatever it may be. Please, do not be afraid to ask!
The Scenarios!
Equipped with these rules for resolving conflict, you are now GDA certified to resolve conflicts! Our slideshow has many examples of various different conflict scenarios. I highly recommend looking through them and thinking about what you would do to resolve the conflict in these scenarios! Make sure to remember the three rules! With that, we conclude this week’s meeting. Next week is Pitch Night, the night where we see all the games being pitched for this year’s Mock Studio! Can’t wait to see you there!