Conflict is hard
26 Feb 2019This is an introduction to a series of posts I’ll be writing on conflict resolution
Conflict is really hard.
Most of the time it’s not fun, eliciting reactions ranging from mild discomfort to downright terror.
Conflict is also an inevitable part of communication.
Given the importance of communication in software development, and the inevitability of conflict in communication, I’ve sometimes wondered why there isn’t more training in tech for skills like conflict resolution.
Driven by curiosity and a determination to fill a knowledge gap in the industry (at least within my circle of influence: my team), I signed up to a Coursera course on Conflict Transformation in 2018.
In addition to the Conflict Transformation course, I read material on conflict resolution, human psychology, and interpersonal communication.
The next few posts will capture what I learned both on the course and the supplemental reading:
I. Intro to conflict: what is it?
II. Conflict styles
II.v Conflict styles in context
III. Analysing conflict: tools and frameworks
IV. Approaches to mediation
V. How to respond to conflict