Thanks very much,
Kristin Marguerite Doidge, MA
Hi Kristin,
Sorry I am a bit slow here in responding to your mail. For your question, I am not sure if there is any expert on board here, but I will ask around to see you can connect with someone.
Thanks for your patience.
ts
May we add our thanks for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your important question. We have contacted you separately about a possible phone conversation, but in addition perhaps we can offer one or two very general observations.
A great deal has been written about conflict resolution, and literature on the topic is not hard to find. You might benefit from looking at our own contribution, which you can find in Chapter 20, Section 6 of the Community Tool Box.
Beyond that, one of our favorite sources on the topic is a book called Getting to Yes!, by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. It’s a classic, written several decades ago, but it’s simple and very much to the point – emphasizing such principles as placing a focus on the problem rather than the person, inventing options for mutual gain, and insisting on verifiable standards. We recommend it highly.
Conflict is a natural part of human existence, affecting both women and men; it is not always unhealthy, since it can lead to creative solutions and to personal growth. Certainly, however, it can have negative impacts; but psychological techniques, such as those we refer to, are available to lessen them.
We hope these brief observations might be helpful. Thanks again for writing, and best wishes for finding what you need,