• Services
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Articles
  • Resources/Recursos
  • Contact
Michelle Helman Consulting, LLC
  • Services
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Articles
  • Resources/Recursos
  • Contact

Creative Approaches for Conflict Resolution

4/14/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo of multi colored lightbulbs on a flat surface - by Dstudio Bcn on Unsplash

​Conflict and communication issues often arise when we are doing meaningful change work. I recently facilitated a session with Oregon Mediation Association addressing one of the most common questions I hear from clients:

How can we respond and navigate these challenges?


Creative activities can help us build the essential skills to repair and foster relationships, connection and belonging.
  • Our learned beliefs often influence our protective behaviors to get our needs met for safety, connection and belonging.
  • This is challenging when operating within a white supremacy culture focused on disconnection, blaming, avoidance, right to comfort, entitlement, to name a few.
  • Some antidotes include curiosity and play, engaging in discomfort and ongoing learning.
  • Note there is a difference between feeling UNsafe and UNcomfortable.

3 tools for your conflict resolution toolkit:
  1. Name something that’s true for you right now.
  2. Brainstorm what works, what gets in the way?
  3. Draw what success means to you.

Brainstorm ideas from the group:

What gets in the way?

  • FEAR: rejection, abandonment, retribution, physical and psychological safety
  • Discomfort, Uncertainty
  • Concern about perception and reputation
  • Feeling hurt, old wounds
  • Risk of losing status and connection
  • Worried about outcome
  • Triggers, trauma, amygdala hijack

What makes it work?

  • Hope, Curiosity
  • Desire for change and connection
  • Safe(r) space, being seen and heard
  • Opportunity to understand another person and selves on a deeper level
  • Confidence in our communication skills
  • Emotional self-regulation and awareness

Try it on for size, keep what works, and leave the rest!
Have questions? Please contact me.

Originally published on LinkedIn on February 28, 2023
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creative-approaches-conflict-resolution-michelle-helman/
0 Comments

    Author

    Hi, I'm Michelle, a Researcher & Facilitator playing in the nexus of health, justice, and peacebuilding.

    Picture

    Archives

    September 2023
    April 2023
    November 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    June 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

You have the answers - we help you find them!
​
Contact us to schedule your free discovery call today.
Let's Connect!
© COPYRIGHT 2023.
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
  • Services
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Articles
  • Resources/Recursos
  • Contact