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Revised (Nov 20 2008)
Ways to prevent conflict from building
When someone expresses a concern, listen carefully. If the problem seems legitimate, refer the person to the proper authority in the school district. Under no circumstances should you say anything critical about schools because your comments will be magnified and spread as gossip.
If a friend is angry about something that has happened in a school but wrong in their perception, you must be tactful in firmly explaining your disagreement.
When presentations are clear and straightforward, people tend to discuss them clearly and intelligently. When they are laced with jargon, or delivered with a sense of superiority, people are simply put off.
Back up your ideas with well thought-out arguments, but don’t overload people with too much information or expect them to accept all your points.
Work to understand what others believe and the reasons for it. Help them understand what you believe and why. Try to look for fundamental values on which you can agree.
If things stray into the personal, bring them back quickly! But be warned, even when people are scrupulous in their attempts to focus on issues, people can still feel threatened or hurt and lash out in response. People cannot always separate themselves from an issue, especially when an issue has grown out of a personally painful experience or is associated with a deeply held value. If either of these conditions are present, someone’s assault on an issue can feel like a personal attack. Be sensitive to this possibility.
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Group dynamics and conflict
