Who doesn't have conflict in their lives? Whether at work, at home or somewhere out in the world we are all affected by conflict even when it is indirect. The impact of poorly managed conflict can devastate lives. With 30 years’ experience mediating conflict and training peacemakers, Maria has held people’s hearts through everything from workplace hostility, board room battles, belligerent teenagers, separated parents at loggerheads to neighbours at war, street gang rivalries, threats to life and business deals gone wrong. In this podcast Maria lifts the lid on why we fight and how we can resolve conflict and design it out of our lives. Maria’s mission is to reduce unnecessary human suffering through conscious awareness, facilitated dialogue and trauma healing, using her communications tool, the Dialogue Road Map.
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Who doesn't have conflict in their lives? Whether at work, at home or somewhere out in the world we are all affected by conflict even when it is indirect. The impact of poorly managed conflict can devastate lives. With 30 years’ experience mediating conflict and training peacemakers, Maria has held people’s hearts through everything from workplace hostility, board room battles, belligerent teenagers, separated parents at loggerheads to neighbours at war, street gang rivalries, threats to life and business deals gone wrong. In this podcast Maria lifts the lid on why we fight and how we can resolve conflict and design it out of our lives. Maria’s mission is to reduce unnecessary human suffering through conscious awareness, facilitated dialogue and trauma healing, using her communications tool, the Dialogue Road Map.
Transforming Tension into Collaboration: A Chair's Approach to Boardroom Harmony
All Things Conflict
38 minutes
2 months ago
Transforming Tension into Collaboration: A Chair's Approach to Boardroom Harmony
In this case study episode, Maria, facilitates a pre-meeting discussion between two board members, Sean, an executive director, and Mark, a non-executive director, to address the underlying tensions affecting their board meetings. The conversation reveals a fundamental disagreement regarding the hiring process for a new team member, with Sean advocating for an internal candidate and Mark pushing for an external hire to drive radical change. As the dialogue unfolds, Maria emphasises the importance of communication and mutual understanding, encouraging both directors to explore their differing perspectives while acknowledging their shared goal of advancing the company. The episode highlights the complexities of boardroom dynamics and the necessity of fostering a collaborative environment to ensure effective decision-making.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Identifying Core Issues: The conversation highlights the importance of identifying and addressing the core issues causing tension between board members, rather than getting lost in peripheral disagreements.
Communication Style Matters: Effective communication is crucial in board discussions. The need for clarity and a respectful discourse is emphasized, as combative or dismissive language can hinder productive conversations.
Understanding Different Perspectives: Both board members express their views on the hiring process, showcasing the necessity of understanding and valuing different perspectives to foster collaboration and decision-making.
Building Relationships: The discussion underscores that while the primary focus is on business outcomes, building positive relationships among board members can enhance the overall effectiveness of the board and make meetings more enjoyable.
Openness to Dialogue: There is a recognition that being open to dialogue and willing to listen can lead to breakthroughs in understanding and cooperation, even when disagreements exist.
BEST MOMENTS
"I think the tensions are caused by one particular fundamental issue. I don't think there's a variety of different things." - Sean
"I think there is also a fundamental difficulty with finding the common, and if I may say so, courteous form of discourse." - Mark
"I feel like this is completely overblown... I think there is one issue that needs to be discussed." - Sean
"Complacency is death to a company... I think that there will need to be radical change." - Mark
"I want to get the issue solved. It's not about personalities." - Sean
SOCIAL LINKS
www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org
www.peacefulsolutions.org.uk
www.workplacehuddle.com
HOST BIO
Maria founded the Centre for Peaceful Solutions in response to the fatal shooting of a 7 year old in her neighbourhood. She developed a model of conflict resolution for violent crime using her brainchild, the Dialogue Road Map (DRM).
Over 30 years she has mediated everything from threat to life gang disputes to high stakes business deals gone wrong, Maria empowers people to resolve conflict without reliance on experts. So she trains violent prisoners to be facilitators, leaders to be effective communicators, teenagers to be peer mediators and neighbours to be tenant listeners within their respective communities.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
All Things Conflict
Who doesn't have conflict in their lives? Whether at work, at home or somewhere out in the world we are all affected by conflict even when it is indirect. The impact of poorly managed conflict can devastate lives. With 30 years’ experience mediating conflict and training peacemakers, Maria has held people’s hearts through everything from workplace hostility, board room battles, belligerent teenagers, separated parents at loggerheads to neighbours at war, street gang rivalries, threats to life and business deals gone wrong. In this podcast Maria lifts the lid on why we fight and how we can resolve conflict and design it out of our lives. Maria’s mission is to reduce unnecessary human suffering through conscious awareness, facilitated dialogue and trauma healing, using her communications tool, the Dialogue Road Map.
