Turning a Disagreement into Collaborative Dialogues

Presentation Format

Interactive Workshop

Intended Audience

All Audiences

Program Abstract

Differences are common between campus and community partners involved in service-learning or community engaged research. Yet, the way the dialogue between partners proceeds can either spell disaster or can create a turning point which infuses new vitality into the relationship and their joint work. This workshop highlights specific ways to foster positive dialogues that can help turn disagreements or conflicts into collaborative communication that supports the partners and the work they do together.

Presentation Description

Rationale

Partners representing campuses and communities face inherent difference because of their distinct cultures, assumptions, practices and constituencies (Dumlao & Janke, 2012). In addition, people representing varied backgrounds or points of view can readily differ when addressing something the care care. Still, they may find it difficult to carry out needed challenging conversations. Even so, unaddressed differences can harm relationship spelling trouble for the qualities of trust, mutual respect and sharing of resources that are essential to community-based work (Dumlao & Janke, 2012).

Bringing previously undiscovered information to light proves to be a vital step in solving problems or, alternately, to dealing with differences that will be an on-going part of the relationship (Baxter and Montgomery, 1996). Holding learning conversations (Stone, Patton, and Heen, 2000) can help partners understand underlying issues and perceptions so they can work better together. Further, building a repertoire of supportive communication practices and establishing nurture norms (Janke, 2009) can create a positive relational climate, a great foundation for future collaborative work.

Workshop Goals

  • Review boundary-spanning issues that can create tension in community-campus partnerships.
  • Explore long-term nature of supportive communication and nurture norms and effects on partnerships
  • Share information about proximal and distal influences on conflict in relationships (Cupach & Canary, 2000: Shearman & Dumlao, 2008).
  • Talk briefly about tensions that are on-going in relationships and never fully gone (Dumlao & Janke, 2012; Baxter & Montgomery, 1997).
  • Explain how learning conversations (Stone, Patton, & Heen, 2000) and Principles of Productive Conflict (Dumlao, forthcoming) can build a solid foundation for partnerships.
  • Identify specific ways to deal with reticence and/or fear about engaging fully in challenging conversations.
  • Highlight examples of conflicts addressed successfully and benefits achieved.
  • Encourage participants to offer experiences, suggestions and questions.
  • Offer additional resources for productive dialogues that help, not hurt, the partnership and the partners work together.

Participant Engagement

Time will be set aside for attendees to work in pairs to address questions like those below. These will be used to generate further discussion.

  • Think of a tension or conflict you've experienced with a partner and can share with us. What was it like?
  • How as communication handled ahead of time? When the conflict occurred? Was it resolved? What happened to communication later?
  • What thoughts do you have as you think about information presented?
  • What questions or concerns do you have?

In sum, the workshop session would offer information about collaborative communication that participants can readily use as they go about their community engagement work.

Location

Room - 218/220

Start Date

4-14-2016 10:30 AM

End Date

4-14-2016 12:00 PM

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Apr 14th, 10:30 AM Apr 14th, 12:00 PM

Turning a Disagreement into Collaborative Dialogues

Room - 218/220

Rationale

Partners representing campuses and communities face inherent difference because of their distinct cultures, assumptions, practices and constituencies (Dumlao & Janke, 2012). In addition, people representing varied backgrounds or points of view can readily differ when addressing something the care care. Still, they may find it difficult to carry out needed challenging conversations. Even so, unaddressed differences can harm relationship spelling trouble for the qualities of trust, mutual respect and sharing of resources that are essential to community-based work (Dumlao & Janke, 2012).

Bringing previously undiscovered information to light proves to be a vital step in solving problems or, alternately, to dealing with differences that will be an on-going part of the relationship (Baxter and Montgomery, 1996). Holding learning conversations (Stone, Patton, and Heen, 2000) can help partners understand underlying issues and perceptions so they can work better together. Further, building a repertoire of supportive communication practices and establishing nurture norms (Janke, 2009) can create a positive relational climate, a great foundation for future collaborative work.

Workshop Goals

  • Review boundary-spanning issues that can create tension in community-campus partnerships.
  • Explore long-term nature of supportive communication and nurture norms and effects on partnerships
  • Share information about proximal and distal influences on conflict in relationships (Cupach & Canary, 2000: Shearman & Dumlao, 2008).
  • Talk briefly about tensions that are on-going in relationships and never fully gone (Dumlao & Janke, 2012; Baxter & Montgomery, 1997).
  • Explain how learning conversations (Stone, Patton, & Heen, 2000) and Principles of Productive Conflict (Dumlao, forthcoming) can build a solid foundation for partnerships.
  • Identify specific ways to deal with reticence and/or fear about engaging fully in challenging conversations.
  • Highlight examples of conflicts addressed successfully and benefits achieved.
  • Encourage participants to offer experiences, suggestions and questions.
  • Offer additional resources for productive dialogues that help, not hurt, the partnership and the partners work together.

Participant Engagement

Time will be set aside for attendees to work in pairs to address questions like those below. These will be used to generate further discussion.

  • Think of a tension or conflict you've experienced with a partner and can share with us. What was it like?
  • How as communication handled ahead of time? When the conflict occurred? Was it resolved? What happened to communication later?
  • What thoughts do you have as you think about information presented?
  • What questions or concerns do you have?

In sum, the workshop session would offer information about collaborative communication that participants can readily use as they go about their community engagement work.