Learn to Reframe Conflict

In the Center for Conflict Management community we value learning and reinforcing the skills we all need to transform, prevent, resolve, or reduce the harms associated with the conflicts in our lives.  These are also problem solving skills used by social entreprenuers.

Among these skills is learning to reframe conflicts. The first video to the right of this message is a powerful and insightful presentation from the founder of Priceline.com, Jeff Hoffman, when he spoke at UA about the importance of reframing our own internal mission statements to focus on the problem, rather than the paycheck. When we focus on solving problems, paychecks will follow.  Take a moment and learn from Jeff...watch the video.  You will be glad you did.

The second video next to this message provides a powerful three-minute introduction to reframing racial conflict that we enthusiastically recommend...Or this one...

You might also consider the Implicit Association Test by clicking here. Or this video...

Or, check out the wide variety of materials provided in our Food for Thought section.

You can also read papers written by CCM students published in our Transdisciplinary Journal of Conflict Management.

Consider an idea that is central to JS Mill's argument in On Liberty, as articulated in a TED talk called 'Dare to Disagree.'  Margaret Hefferman argues in this talk that we need to rethink our approaches to the everyday collaborations that sparks innovation and progress. 

Rather than fear conflict, we need to learn to (1) see conflict as thinking, (2) see conflict as thinking in relationships with those who hold alternative or opposing views, and (3) to be prepared to change our minds. 

These are skills we need to learn, so we can find ways to raise our concerns, discover others who share these concerns, deliberate and be creative together in solving problems, becoming leaders, to 'change the divide.'  Hefferman concludes that openness and learning to challenge authority are two essential first step skills to learn.

Consider the idea of 'emotional correctness' and how our political discourse might improve if we focused on this instead of political correctness. 

In this second TED talk, also to the right, the speaker argues that 'political persuasion does not begin with ideas and facts or data.  It begins with being emotionally correct.  We cannot get anyone to agree with us if we can't get them to listen.' 

We need to learn to 'talk through our disagreements,' by putting ourselves in our opponent's shoes to see if we might be able to (as Getting to Yes puts it) invent options for mutual gain.

Jesus calls this learning to 'love our neighbors as ourselves.' Gandhi calls it honoring our opponents perspective and when the Dalia Lama says 'my religion is kindness' he is reinforcing the same idea.