Informal Conflict Transformation Procedure
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Use the below steps first when addressing a conflict with someone. However, if using these tools does not see satisfactory change within 4 weeks, refer the matter to People Operations.
Think through what happened. Take time and space to process and clarify your thinking if you feel confused, overwhelmed, or are experiencing strong emotions
Use these to help you improve your clarity and self-awareness, connect with your feelings and needs, and choose next steps
Ask yourself what part you played/are playing in the situation, what you could have done differently, and what your needs are to improve the situation
Note uncertainties and possible misunderstandings in your interactions, including cultural differences
Distinguish disagreement from personal hostility. We're allowed to disagree, dissent and discuss
Ask yourself if any new ideas, insights or possibilities have emerged to meet your needs
Review our
If you require external support, move to Step 2.
Talk to a trusted friend, colleague or your steward to work through your own perspective, feelings and experience
If you need it, ask your steward for empathy to help you self-connect or for silent listening
Ask your steward to check your assumptions, e.g. using the or other similar tool/process
If you still feel a charge around the issue, ask your steward for support in going through this together
If you feel you need to go beyond individual work to resolve the problem, move to Step 3a if the tension is with an individual or Step 3b if it is a wider group issue.
As long as you feel safe and the power balance and tone is conducive to constructive discussion, approach the person in question and talk it out. Be mindful of picking a good time and place (privacy, lack of time pressure, mutually agreed location).
Make sure you are as emotionally prepared as possible before the one-to-one:
You may also like to practise what you might say and dealing with challenging ways the other person might respond with your steward or through journaling beforehand
If you don’t feel like you can work it out one-on-one, or if a one-to-one conversation does not resolve the issue or help find a mutually agreeable solution, move to Step 3(b) or Step 4.
If you don’t feel like this has resolved the issue or that any of these spaces are appropriate, move to Step 5.
Bring in a trusted peer or your steward to host a conversation with the people involved. The other party might want to bring their steward, too. The peer/steward can act as mediator but they can’t impose a resolution
If using these tools does not see satisfactory change within 4 weeks, refer the matter to People Ops.
You may like to use these and/or review these to help you prepare what you’d like to say. These resources will help you to make a clear request (as opposed to a judgment or a demand) and increase the chances the other person will hear it and respond with a yes, no or counterproposal
You may like to use this to help you say what you need to say during the conversation
If you still feel an emotional charge around the issue or person, go through another ‘Transforming Enemy Image Process’ (a simple process can be found ).
Depending on the nature of the issue you may decide to raise it in a group space or .
Additional resources on conflict transformation and communication to promote shared understanding can be found .
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