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In this week’s episode Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss more about Dr. Schwanke’s new book, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management.
Jen asked leaders to consider a circle to anticipate, analyze and act as an ongoing movement – a way to visualize how approaching conflict.
Anticipate
Anticipate the adult, student, parent and self conflict that comes at different seasons, times, or throughout the processes of a school day. What did you not see coming? How can this experience prepare for anticipating when something similar may happen again because it likely will.
Analyze
Analyze behavior to understand the why behind conflict. Leaders exist because conflicts exist. What ways can you rely on others to help move through conflict? Everyone deserves due process, and how we manage behavior must be based in fact, not just feeling.
Act
Act and make a decision since atrophy is not optional. This means understanding the various options that exist in responding, mediating, waiting, embracing, or enforcing. Conflict resolution requires intentionality.
Will wraps up the conversation with an analogy about “the other side of the moon.” No matter where you are on planet Earth, you can only see one side of the moon as it orbits our planet. Sometimes people become upset with a person, decision or rule because people may only be seeing “one side of the moon” in their experiences. In a way, leadership allows you to see more of the moon than others in your community. How are you leveraging this responsibility and privilege to allow others to know as much information as you can share while also protecting confidentiality? You’ll never perfectly resolve conflict, but when you’ve taken time to give others as much feedback as possible, then move forward and accept that not everyone will understand or agree.
If you’re interested in exploring a possible Mastermind Study Group over Jen’s book The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management, email will@williamdparker.com to learn more.
