Utilizing Conflict to Create a Positive School Culture

by Nic Cooper
Cooper, McCoy & Associates
e-mail: NCooper617@aol.com

(Click here for a print friendly version.)

(A photo from our 2006 Summer Leadership Institute.)

   Charged with developing teams and professional learning communities, principals find themselves often facing the debilitating obstacle of resolving conflicts that threaten the culture needed to make this happen. Teachers are passionate about what they do. They developed their own style and approach. They are accustomed to working alone.

   In addition, there are the day-to-day issues that create tension and hard feelings among staff and weaken the desire to work together. Issues like following an agreed-upon rule (e.g., no eating in the classroom), not following through on responsibilities, and acquiescing to a student or parent too easily, take on a heightened significance when teachers are charged with working together more intimately or making themselves more vulnerable by discussing how they approach their work.

Conflicts in organizations

  There is a dynamic that occurs in any organization when conflicts occur. It is described as referred pain. Much as someone who develops a heart condition feels the symptoms as a pain in their arm or chin and not necessarily in their chest, organizations like schools feel the pain of an unresolved conflict not just in the attitude and performance of those primarily involved but in others who become involved by taking sides in the conflict. The following illustration shows in simple terms how this occurs.

   This diagram shows how originally person X and person Y had a conflict. In this case instead of resolving the conflict, they each went to a friend or colleague (x_ or y_) and shared this perspective on the issue. This creates another dynamic where often those friends or colleagues share the issue with others, as indicated in the two squares, creating conflict clones or other individuals who feel like they have a conflict with the original X or Y depending on whose perspective they heard. Unfortunately, no x_ or y_ can resolve this conflict. It can only be resolved by the original parties (X and Y). A further unfortunate byproduct of this dynamic is that each of the x_’s and y_’s feel as though they have a conflict with each other too, further reflecting the pain to individuals who cannot resolve the issue since it is not their issue.

   It is this dynamic that divides the professional staff of a school, creating a negative culture where collaboration cannot be accomplished. Any collaboration that occurs becomes of the “coblaboration” variety described by Rick DuFour at a recent conference where no real vulnerability or growth occurs. Instead what happens is gossip, or sharing issues with no thought of developing or listening to different perspectives.

A different perspective on conflict

  In order to change this dynamic, conflict needs to be viewed from a different perspective. In lieu of the conventional view of conflict as being something to avoid or fear, organizations that learn to embrace conflict make these issues work for them to build a closer and more collaborative staff. In this manner, the issue becomes not so much conflict resolution but conflict utilization. Underlying this difference is the recognition that conflicts happen and are normal, natural and healthy. In addition,
conflicts are critical to growth and change. In fact, collaboration without conflict is accommodation and is fundamentally dishonest.

  A second perspective that is critical to the effective use of conflicts to help an organization grow is recognizing that the individual with whom a person has a conflict is not the enemy but the best asset in resolving the conflict. Another aspect in the dynamic diagrammed earlier, is that each of the individuals involved in sharing this conflict develops a view of those who are primarily involved in the conflict, assigning attributes such as “he’s a jerk”, “insensitive”, “stupid”, “uncaring”, etc. These descriptors serve to distance that individual, making him/her less available to assist in resolving the conflict. Who wants to consult a “jerk” to figure out what needs are in conflict? The resulting dynamic becomes one where a “win-lose” perspective is taken with no desire to understand the other’s point of view.

  In place of the perspective of the other person as enemy, healthy organizations recognize that the other person in a conflict is the best asset for resolving the issue. If it is understood that conflicts result from what is perceived as mutually exclusive needs, then the only way for resolution to occur is to talk about those needs and hear what is being said. For that to happen, the counterintuitive approach is to embrace the person who has the conflicting perspective. This requires abandoning an oppositional ethic and replacing it with an ethic of collaboration where each person focuses their energy on addressing the problem and not the other party. Seeing the other party as an asset causes those in a conflict to reach out to those with whom they have an issue, instead of avoiding them and deepening and spreading the pain.

  For individuals to effectively utilize conflict for growth, the parties need to remember to focus on the needs that they feel are not being met. Again, this means a change in perspective from “it’s their fault” to “this is what I need.” This adjustment in perspective changes the focus of the discussion from a defensive struggle where each person’s defenses are triggered, to one where each is involved in problem solving, focusing on conflicting needs and looking for ways in which the needs can be met.

  To summarize the difference in perspective, it involves 1) valuing conflict, 2) valuing the other person, 3) mutually defining the problem, and 4) collaborating to resolve it. When principals inculcate these principles in their staff members, they create the underpinnings of a positive culture that will promote growth and creativity. But how can this be done specifically?

Building a staff that heals itself

  When working with schools where this dynamic has become toxic, we use an approach that includes four steps. They are:

• De-shame conflict
• Re-frame conflict
• Name the conflict
• Claim the conflict

  Although these principles are used to guide intervention, they also form the basis for preventing conflicts from becoming debilitating in a school or organization.

Step 1: De-shame conflict

  Shame is a growth inhibitor whether it occurs in our personal or professional lives. Shame conveys the image of a person as being fundamentally flawed or bad, rather than portraying a specific action or behavior as problematic. Similarly, individuals in organizations that have become overwhelmed and disabled by conflict often feel ashamed. It is not uncommon to hear those involved in such an organization saying, “you can’t help us.” They feel that they are beyond hope and are fundamentally flawed. When such despair is present, intervention is needed.

   Whether it is working with a school where such a negative belief exists or trying to prevent such a circumstance, principals must present conflict as being normal, natural and healthy (Crum, 1987). Conflict needs to be understood as a critical part of the growth process. However, it is appropriate to work with a staff to learn how to more effectively handle conflict, and to create a “safe” setting for dealing with the contentious and difficult issues that are the hallmark of conflict.

  One activity that can be used with a staff to understand that conflict is part of the natural growth of groups is to ask the staff to reflect on times in their lives when they made changes and to describe the role of conflict in those changes. This reflection inevitably results in the realization that some degree of conflict is almost always present when changes occur, thus it is fundamental to growth. Conflict creates the energy that makes a new direction necessary and provides the insight to make that direction a better one.

  A second approach is to present the diagram used earlier as a model for how conflict can happen in organizations. The diagram is illuminating and can help a staff see how critical it is to deal with those who have conflicting needs rather than spread the pain beyond the original participants. The following diagram offers an alternative approach and illustrates how to empower direct communication as a tool to avoid conflicts becoming destructive. In this diagram, the person shares a concern with a friend or colleague. This action can be positive if it helps clarify the concern and if the colleague refers the person back to the individual with whom there is a conflict to find resolution.

  Principals are typically central to conflicts in the organization. They make decisions that cannot always be popular. So for this perspective to work, principals must be equipped and ready to listen and not be defensive when they are confronted with an issue. Principals must model effective communication and constructive conflict resolution.

  Establishing and maintaining communication processes that invite dialogue and are maintained even when a crisis does not exist is also fundamental to utilizing conflicts effectively. If dialogue only happens when conflicts are broadly felt in the school, the issue has been alive too long. In contrast, if there are regular meetings between union representatives, team leaders, department heads and support staff and the administration, issues will be addressed more quickly and before the “pain can be referred.”

Step 2: Re-frame conflict

  The re-framing process begins with some of the approaches already discussed. These approaches create a different perspective on conflict. Another fundamental aspect of reframing conflict, one that is often difficult to embrace, is to view the other party as an asset in its resolution and not as the enemy. Therefore, the re-framing process needs to provide opportunities to see the other members of the staff differently.

  A specific activity that principals can use to create a more complete perception of faculty’s qualities and interests involves having each person fill out a 3x5 card with a statement of “something that has happened in their lives, of which they are proud, that no one in the room knows and that they are open to sharing.” Participants should also put their name on the card. These cards are passed to the facilitator of the exercise. (Note: Administrators should participate in this exercise even if they are the ones facilitating). When all of the cards are collected, the facilitator reads them, one at a time, to the group. After reading them, it is the group’s task to identify whom they think had that experience.

  This exercise works on several levels. First, by its design, it reveals something that no one knows about the person. Second, it sets the stage for each individual to be affirmed. Third, it creates a dynamic where others can benefit and be affirmed for accomplishing something that others think they could have done. For example, if a person states that they had a “minor league baseball contract,” anyone other than the person for whom this is true who is guessed as being the one who shared that has a moment when they can revel in the thought that others saw them as potentially being a professional athlete. It can create a warm and supportive atmosphere even in the most toxic situations.

  Other approaches such as adventure challenge activities (e.g., ropes courses) can reveal aspects of a person’s character and create supportive situations where individuals must work as allies even though they may not have good feelings about one another. Adventure challenge activities create the greatest growth when the participants reflect on how they are a metaphor for their working relationships. Problem based learning exercises, where groups are given a situation and asked to discuss how it could be addressed can help show different aspects of an individual especially if they are encouraged to view the situation from a different perspective.

    Another way of developing empathy and understanding of others is to introduce a “shadowing” exercise. One approach is to provide a random method of identifying another person on the staff (e.g., cards with their name on them that are circulated and selected blindly). The task then is to observe the person whose card was selected over a period of time (between staff meetings, during a professional development activity, etc.). During the observation, the observer is to identify three positive qualities in this person including evidence of how they demonstrated these qualities. These qualities and the corresponding evidence are to be written down and shared at the next staff meeting. The impact of this strategy is to encourage people to look for the good qualities even in those that they experience as being difficult.

Step 3: Name and claim the conflict

   When conflicts have been longstanding in an organization, it can be destructive to more to this step too quickly. First, safety of individuals must be addressed in order to assure open and honest conversation. By establishing an expectation that conflicts will be handled constructively and teaching staff how to best address them, these resolution processes can become positive, growth-producing events.

   There are several approaches that can be used too resolve conflicts. Whatever the approach, it is essential that it be taught and re-taught. Common attributes include:

•Identifying positive qualities of the other person and reasons why you need to resolve the issue (helps to take the adversary nature out of the conflict and establish the other person as a resource.)

•Describing the issue in specific terms (focusing on specific statements of behavior instead of descriptors like “when you act like a jerk.”)

•Labeling the feelings experienced (helps to establish the impact of this behavior.) The feeling statement must not include “I feel like …” or “I feel that …”. These beginning phrases lead to an expression of thoughts not feelings and are apt to engender more defensiveness.

•Reflecting on what was heard until the first person agrees that the issue is understood correctly. (This helps to establish and understand the competing needs).

•Following the same process with the second person, state a reason why this issue needs to be resolved, and/or a positive quality that was observed in the other person, a specific statement of his/her perception of the situation as well as an expression of the impact it had (a feeling statement).

•Restating what was heard until the second person agrees that the issue is understood correctly.

•Brainstorming possible solutions that will meet the needs of both parties.

•Agreeing upon a solution and agreeing to check with each other at a specific designated time to see if it is working.

   A staff can learn and practice this process. One way to do so is to divide the staff into triads, two parties in conflict with the third person being a facilitator who monitors and makes sure each person stays with the process. Each disputant would be given a card or role that would describe a perspective they have on a common situation. These competing perspectives form the basis for the conflict.

   Establishing some of the processes suggested earlier, including regular meetings with team leaders, department heads, union leaders and other support staff could help assure that conflicts get addressed quickly. Modeling constructive conflict resolution skills is critical in making the effective resolution of conflicts a part of the culture of the school.

    Accepting that change is necessary and a constant, necessitates also accepting that conflicts will occur. Honestly preparing for their occurrence by establishing processes and by educating the teachers and support staff on how to handle them will assure that they will not create a divided and dysfunctional school culture but instead support a healthy culture that utilizes conflicts as an opportunity for growth.

Reference

Crum, T. F. (1987). The magic of conflict: Turning a life of      work into a work of art. New York: Touchstone.

See our Feature Article Archives for past articles!