How can you address conflict when leading a team in facilitation training?

I believe you first need to establish an environment where everyone understands that we are all there for a common goal. Then it’s always easier to drive the communication and resolution towards the common goal and not the individuals objectives!

Opinions differing from one another can coexist. However, understanding one another needs a conscious effort.?Multiple points of view allow us to understand and adjust to the ways that others think.?Rather than dismissing the thoughts of others, we should attempt to comprehend their rational basis.?We can always offer a midway solution to our problems.?Impulsivity is not the solution when there is a disagreement. However, a thoughtful response is.

When addressing conflict while leading a team in facilitation training, I first emphasise open communication and active listening to understand the root causes of the conflict. Drawing upon my experience in stakeholder management and leadership roles, I encourage constructive dialogue among team members to resolve differences and find mutually beneficial solutions. Additionally, I leverage my problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills to facilitate mediating discussions and ensure that all voices are heard and respected. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, we can navigate conflicts effectively and maintain focus on our shared goals in delivering successful facilitation training.

Let’s agree it’s totally fine to disagree! This is very common and healthy, but disagreeing to something not necessarily causing a conflict. We’ll disagree to discuss and then agree on the best way forward! It’s important though to set a ground rule that we disagree yet we still respect eachother! It’s important to align the team on the vision! We need to understand we are all on the same boat, sailing towards the same objective, aligning the teams bring them closer! Understanding the root cause of the conflict and how we can overcome it, engaged altogether in setting up the action plan.

For facilitators, conflict resolution comes with the territory. It's a hard-earned skill to be agile enough to know what is needed in each moment. AND, MOST of the time, you won't know the best way to address a conflict. 1) Own this fact. It is very important to understand that humans are MESSY, and no one has a way of predicting what people will do next. 2) Make it a practice to really listen. Not just look like you're listening. Reflect back what you heard and get buy in that you understood. - maintain eye contact - keep your voice steady and calm - slow down - take deep breaths to model de-escalation 3) Trust that the needed solutions are already in the room. Listen for them instead of trying to 'figure it out' in your head.

This calls for objective, compassionate, active listening with some challenge to balance the support! I often use movement to help people see things from other perspectives - our ‘view’ is different when we physically move position … it can be very helpful in addressing conflict. It is also important to manage time so that it doesn’t takeover the whole session - it may be necessary to continue outside the session

Another important element to consider is the safety of the group. When the conversation/conflict can no longer be productive and is escalating (because you can only help navigate others' emotions so well), that stopping the conversation, introducing a state change (a short break), a new topic, and suggesting a more intentional time to continue the conversation with the parties involved. When there are others in the room that might not be part of that conflict, it can make it very uncomfortable and derail their experience. Knowing when to work through the conflict vs. revisit the conflict is a skill in and of itself.

Conflicts are opportunities for growth for the teams. Yet, a facilitator needs to be very sensitive to the culturally accepted approach to conflict, and when using deeper modalities or techniques, need explicit permission from Team members, as well alignment with leadership and make sure they work with the conflict on the desired and useful depth and with right investment of time and effort, as well come out with the consensually desired outcomes. The role of Facilitator should always be outside the conflict, without being dragged into it in person.

I just abort doing the training, understand the source of conflict, modify the facilitation to get a buy in and then proceed if applicable.

Start the meeting with a round of, 'I feel like saying'. Keep it going. After 5 rounds... Pose the question to the group - What's the tension in the room? Have everyone respond and note responses on the whiteboard. Have the group explore more about naming the tension in the room. Do a round of personal stories in reference to the tension emerging in the room and how it is having impact. Facilitate the group and help them name the tension that causes conflict in this group. Do a round of stories focusing on this named conflict and how it has had impact in the past. Check in again and invite everyone to reframe the conflict in the moment of now. Name it. Do a round thinking about the future and how each person can manage this state better.