Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a conflict and you wish the other person would do more? Do you want them to be more of a “partner” than an “antagonist?” Conflict in the workplace can become toxic quickly. Rather than letting it fester, create an opportunity to emerge stronger as individuals and as a team. Take a step back, drop those assumptions, and join us for this 60-minute webcast as we work through five common scenarios, such as “The Ghost Conflict” and “The Grudge Holder,” and show you how you can effectively lead yourself, and others, through to the other side.
The Chronicle notes that one fourth of private institutions do business with their trustees’ companies. Further emphasizing the extent of possible conflicts of interest involving high-ranking officials at private institutions, another study (login required) notes that many presidents at US institutions with the largest endowments supplement their salaries with lucrative posts on corporate boards. We asked Lucie Lapovsky, president of Lapovsky Consulting and past president of Mercy College, for her advice on how institutional presidents can best manage institution/board relationships to either prevent a conflict of interest or minimize the negative impact if there are already existing conflicts. If Possible, Avoid the Conflict in the First Place “You’re far better off not having business relationships with your board members.”Lucie Lapovsky, Lapovsky Consulting Even if the relationship is entered into with the best of intentions, it is very difficult to terminate it if needed. Lapovsky cites the example of a construction contract with a board member’s company. It is rare in any case for a major capital project to stay on time and on budget. When the time comes for your institution to engage in difficult mid-project negotiations with the contractor, the decision of how hard to push the contractor will […]
According to the Chronicle, one-fourth of private institutions do business with their trustees’ companies. Potential conflicts of interest involving board members or high-ranking officials certainly are not limited to private colleges, however; North Carolina State University’s termination of Mary Easley and the uncovering of the University of Illinois’ previous board’s interference in the admissions process each represent highly publicized examples. We asked Cindy Lawson, media relations expert and vice president for public relations and communications at DePaul University, for practical tips on what and how to communicate to the public when a conflict of interest involves a member of the board, in order to manage the impact on the institution’s reputation. Be Forthright and Specific “From my experience, the chances of an institution’s reputation remaining intact are far better when that institution is forthright and admits the conflict, shares as much information as it possibly can, and most importantly, describes the measures it is taking to ensure it doesn’t happen again, as opposed to trying to hide it, hoping that no one finds out, or worse — trying to deny it or cover it up once it is exposed.”Cindy Lawson, DePaul University In a case involving an unintentional conflict of […]
In this workshop, you will learn strategies to help you manage and resolve various conflicts within your department or institution. You will be introduced to practical tools that address conflict in its earliest stages before it becomes a formal dispute. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to resolving conflicts. That’s why our expert instructor will present numerous scenarios and discuss the use of framing, facilitation, and other dispute-resolution tools to help you:
Join us for this optional pre-conference workshop for Practical Conflict Resolution for Leaders.
For many, conflict has negative connotations and is something to be feared or avoided. This reaction may arise because conflict often results from differences in values, culture, and bias. Knowing how to respectfully navigate those differences can be difficult, especially when important relationships are at stake. As a leader, there are ways you can foster an environment and create a team culture that embraces differences and resolves conflict in a positive and productive manner. Join us online to learn how to shift your team’s attitudes and culture around conflict from negative to positive. The process begins with team-building activities that provide your team an opportunity to better assess, understand and respect each other’s styles, attitudes and behaviors around conflict resolution. But the true culture shift happens when you follow through and incorporate those insights into your team’s daily operations and leadership practice. This training is designed to be highly interactive and will allow you to brainstorm and share ways you can help your team be more productive in their own work and with each other.
Effective communication will make or break a department chair. Get a primer on the essential communication and conflict management skills that every department chair needs.
Every department chair on your campus should have this handbook. Get a $15 discount on each copy when you buy 10+ copies.
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Faculty in the STEM disciplines can often feel unprepared to address identity-based conflict in the classroom because the themes are not embedded in the course content. Even those who want to have tough conversations regarding identity, bias, and privilege can feel inadequately equipped to facilitate a conversation when a conflict arises. You may be asking yourself: What if I say something wrong? What if I make things worse? No matter the discipline, these crucial conversations are coming up in every learning space across higher ed and avoiding them is not an option. Every instructor can prepare to notice identity-based conflict and intervene to reduce harm. Join us for a highly interactive virtual workshop that provides a supportive space to learn about the types of conflict that can arise, and how to facilitate microinterventions to confront bias and create more equitable learning environments.
A separate training in this educational series on racial inequity dialogue explored why conversations about racial inequity and bias can be so challenging, and now this session will help you to identify the root source of your discomfort and understand why a wide range of emotions in such moments is natural. In this workshop series, we will therefore examine historic and current roadblocks to true connection, barriers that can lead to distrust, and how we engage unconsciously with individuals based on their visible or assumed social identities. We will also explore how racial power dynamics influence everyday interactions and identify ways to challenge entrenched norms that influence how we choose to communicate and engage with each other.
Melissa is engaged in a range of civility strategies related to conflict prevention, education, coaching, problem-solving, facilitation, and mediation. In her role as assistant director, Melissa works closely with students, faculty, and university staff to aid parties in resolving conflicts at the lowest level possible. Melissa received her undergraduate degree from Montana State University in sociology/justice studies and later received her M.S. from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She began working at Colorado State University in 2005 as the university’s community liaison and in 2010 transitioned to the Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services office. Her background and training in conflict resolution, mediation, and law enforcement are instrumental in facilitating educational programming and the university’s restorative justice program.
