Analyze Changes in Personal Definition of Conflict and Conflict Resolution Style

  Please see attached document for the FULL assignment

For your final assignment, utilize the scholarly resources and the knowledge garnered through completing this course concerning the conflict resolution process and your role in it. Identify and evaluate your (perhaps renewed) approach in handling conflict with respect to communication skills, interaction style, and group interaction skill sets by completing the activities and addressing the questions outlined below. Include areas where your thoughts on conflict have been changed due to new knowledge. Prepare for your assignment completing the “Measuring Your Conflict Style” application in Chapter 5 of the Wilmot and Hocker (2013) text.

Be sure to answer the following questions in your paper:

1. In a conflict situation, do you tend to avoid, compete, compromise, accommodate, or collaborate?

2. Does your approach differ depending on if the conflict occurs in a personal situation/encounter at home or in a professional setting while at work?

3. Do you feel confident when you enter conflict situations, or do you feel that your behavior leaves something to be desired?

o Use examples of your behavior to support your claims.

4. What behaviors and/or skill sets do you desire to further enhance in conflict situations?

o Use examples of your behavior to support your claims.

Week 8 – Assignment: Analyze Changes in Personal Definition of Conflict and Conflict Resolution Style –

For your final assignment, utilize the scholarly resources and the knowledge garnered through completing this course concerning the conflict resolution process and your role in it. Identify and evaluate your (perhaps renewed) approach in handling conflict with respect to communication skills, interaction style, and group interaction skill sets by completing the activities and addressing the questions outlined below. Include areas where your thoughts on conflict have been changed due to new knowledge. Prepare for your assignment completing the “Measuring Your Conflict Style” application in Chapter 5 of the Wilmot and Hocker (2013) text.

Be sure to answer the following questions in your paper:

1.     In a conflict situation, do you tend to avoid, compete, compromise, accommodate, or collaborate?

2.     Does your approach differ depending on if the conflict occurs in a personal situation/encounter at home or in a professional setting while at work?

3.     Do you feel confident when you enter conflict situations, or do you feel that your behavior leaves something to be desired?

o    Use examples of your behavior to support your claims.

4.     What behaviors and/or skill sets do you desire to further enhance in conflict situations?

o    Use examples of your behavior to support your claims.

In a worksheet as depicted in the example provided below, (a) identify the specific leadership behaviors you wish to change, (b) explain what you will do to effect change in these areas, and (c) explain how you will know whether you have achieved your leadership goals. Suggestions are as follows:

a.      Gaining a sense of responsibility for one’s own feelings.

b.     Increasing perspective-taking skills, so that the other person’s perception of the situation can be better understood.

c.      Learning how to determine whether a conflict should be confronted or avoided.

d.     Avoiding destructive conflict patterns.

e.      Recognizing motives in conflict situations.

f.       Understanding how relationships affect conflict behavior.

g.     Recognizing the variables that affect conflict (like power and trust) and how to respond to them.

h.     Analyzing conflicts so that a wider array of choices becomes available.

i.       Increasing anger management skills.

j.       Learning to control verbal aggressiveness.

k.     Learning how to ask others for change.

l.       Increasing empathic listening skills.

m.   Learning to de-escalate destructive conflict.

n.     Learning how to let go of grudges (forgiveness skills).

Example Worksheet:

Specific Skill for Enhancement	Steps to be Taken to Improve It	Means of Assessing
1. I want to control my anger better in conflict situations.	1. I will take a deep breath and let it out before I say anything. 2. I will count to 10 before saying anything. 3. I will use I-statements to express my feelings because shouting, “I feel really angry about this!” at the top of my lungs sounds dopey.	1. Is my accountability partner noticing fewer outbursts on my part? 2. Have I felt more in control in conflict situations? 3. Has my score changed on the Novato anger scale?
2. I want to improve my ability to deal with a difficult person in my living area.	1. I will find a way to “reframe” this person’s actions so that I can find something positive about them rather than thinking of them negatively. 2. I will purposely think of an optimistic way to explain this person’s behavior when I don’t understand it rather than finding a pessimistic reason for thinking she/he has acted a particular way.	1. Am I able to remain patient with this person more easily than before? 2. Am I finding ways not to be irritated by this person? 3. Am I recording fewer conflicts with this person?
3. I want to work on the habit of seeking to understand others	1. I will not say things like, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” 2. I will ask the other person why he or she feels the way he/she does. 3. I will make sure the other person is finished talking before I explain how I see the situation.	1. Do my journal entries reflect a tendency to hear the other out before talking? 2. Do others think I am becoming a better listener? 3. Am I utilizing the habits of good listening outlined by Nichols and avoiding the habits of bad listening he identifies?

This paper must demonstrate comprehension, application, analysis, assessment, and integration of the research.

Paper Length: 8–12 pages, not including title and reference pages.

Worksheet Length: One worksheet with a minimum of three skills identified for enhancement.

References: A minimum of seven scholarly resources required.

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts that are presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.