Common goals override individual interests

By Joan Richardson
TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS - December 1998

The school improvement team is tussling - again - over the issue of how to create more time for teachers to meet together.

One of the teachers on the team is hunkered down in one corner, quietly ignoring the discussion; other teachers are arguing for a variety of options. A parent on the team complains loudly - again - that students are being deprived of instructional time. The principal argues that one meeting day every three months is plenty of time for teachers.

How would you resolve these conflicts?

Although physical violence makes newspaper headlines, most of the conflicts in schools involve neither guns nor other weapons. Instead, the conflicts tend to swirl around values and beliefs, perceptions of who's in charge, and disagreements over how to reach decisions. Sometimes, the battles between adults are teacher versus teacher, or teachers versus principals, or educators versus the community.

What is conflict? Conflict is any disagreement between two or more parties in which one party believes his, her, or their rights are deprived, suggests Joellen Killion, a staff developer with the Adams Twelve Five Star district in Northglenn, Colorado, who frequently teaches conflict resolution workshops.

Conflict occurs when "two or more parties discover that what each wants is incompatible with what the other wants. A want that is incompatible with another is one that interferes with or in some manner hinders the achievement of, the second," writes Thomas Kayser in Building Team Power.

The first step in effectively resolving disputes is recognizing that conflict is a natural part of the change process, say experts in the subject. It is neither good nor bad, they say.

"Conflict is an ordinary occurrence in life. That's the number one thing that people don't understand. They think that if they're having conflicts that something is wrong. Conflict is actually a pretty good way to grow," says Judith Warner, a trainer with Aiki Works.

Kayser agrees. "If all members' approaches, perspectives, and values were the same, there would be little need for group decisions at all," he writes.

Since all groups can be expected to experience conflict at one time or another, developing a strategy for dealing with disputes can guide a group through the rough patches, say the experts.

The following process is adapted from the work of Thomas Kayser, Joellen Killion, and Cindy Harrison.

Identify the situation/question/problem as a group.

When the group defines the problem, there is a greater likelihood the entire group will understand the problem thoroughly.

With the facilitator writing on a flip chart, write down the issue. In the example above, the issue might be explained as "Establishing weekly time for teachers to meet together without sacrificing instructional time."

If the group is large, break into smaller groups and report back.

List interests of the individuals involved.

"Interests define the problem. The basic problem lies not in conflicting positions, but in the conflict between each side's needs, desires, concerns, and fearsÖSuch desires and needs are interests. Interests motivate people; they are the silent movers behind the hubbub of positions. Your interests are what caused you to so decide," write Roger Fisher and William Ury in Getting to Yes.

In the example above, what are the interests of the various parties? Assume that the teachers who are searching for more time to meet together are doing so because they're eager to discover new ways to teach. The quiet teacher may feel inadequate, even fearful, about talking with colleagues about his teaching. The parent could be concerned that increasing time for teachers to meet will mean that children will have a shorter school day and her schedule at home will be disrupted. The principal may fear loss of influence if teachers are allowed to meet more often.

Define the common interests and the common areas of difference.

Look for the interests that are in common and circle them. Ask those whose interests are not in agreement with anyone else to explain the reason for their interests. Sometimes, by talking through the interests, it's possible to identify other interests behind the stated ones and find interests that align with others that have already been identified.

Generate possible resolutions to the problems/questions/situation.

Use a flip chart to generate a list of resolutions that will address the common interests of this group. Or have the group list each possible resolution on a strip of paper.

Identifying possible resolutions should be a creative process and can be done in smaller groups. Individuals should be encouraged to think "outside the box." At this stage, no solutions should be rejected. Report out to the larger group if small groups are used.

Combine or collapse items that overlap or connect in obvious ways.

When the full group is assembled, the list of ideas or the strips with ideas should be posted at the front of the room.

Then, the facilitator should read through each suggested resolution and ensure that all participants understand what is being proposed.

If the strips of paper are used, participants should then group together the strips with overlapping ideas. If the flip chart is used, the facilitator should guide the discussion and create a new, shorter list of potential resolutions.

Test the acceptability of resolutions.

Rate the items generated using a criteria matrix of the interests that are in common with others. Each individual should rate the resolutions individually then, as a small group and, finally, as a large group. The facilitator can take all responses and calculate a grand total to identify resolutions that merit further consideration.

It's best not to take the single best resolution at this point without some discussion. Typically, a new resolution - one that is a modified version of one previously identified or a combination of several - will emerge from the discussion which is given far more value by the entire group.

Resolving conflicts is really about how to get people to recognize that their interest alone is not good for the whole school, says Killion. "What makes a school a wonderful, democratic environment is that you have people who bring their individual interests and can work collaboratively to reflect what the whole community wants. It's really about self-interest versus the good of the community," she said.

Warner agrees. "Conflict resolution is not about two people walking into the sunset holding hands. It's about de-escalating the problems and having everyone feel respected and honored for their contributions."

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