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Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts

Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts (Developing Communication and Conflict Management Skills to Save Time and Enhance Productivity). 2014 BRET Career Symposium Exploring Avenues to Careers in Academia. Bruce Damon, Ph.D. Associate Professor

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Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts

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  1. Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts (Developing Communication and Conflict Management Skills to Save Time and Enhance Productivity) 2014 BRET Career Symposium Exploring Avenues to Careers in Academia Bruce Damon, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Director of Graduate Studies, Chemical Physical Biology Program E. Brian Welch, Ph.D., M.B.A. Assistant Professor Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences May 30, 2014 1:50p-2:45p Light Hall Room 439

  2. Attribution • Representatives from Michigan State University visited Vanderbilt’s Center for Teaching in March 2014 • Program developed and implemented by Dr. Karen Klomparens and John Beck, Michigan State University • Funded, in part, by grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (1997-1999) and US Department of Education - Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) (1997-2000) • Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts in Graduate Education. 2008. Klomparens, Beck, Brockman, Nunez. http://grad.msu.edu/conflictresolution/

  3. Basic Assumptions • Many issues in graduate education are not negotiable (laws, contracts, degree requirements) • The power differential between graduate students and faculty will always exist • Conflict itself is neither good nor bad – it’s how conflict is handled that is good or bad

  4. Explicit Expectations • Clearly Stated (verbally or in written form) • Checked for understanding • Unilaterally or jointly set

  5. Implicit Expectations Not stated and rarely understood • “What didn’t you understand about what I didn’t tell you?” • “What part of my silence didn’t you understand?”

  6. Setting Explicit Expectations The “Givens” • Graduate Program Handbook • Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities Individual Faculty Mentoring • Group Meetings • Individual Advising • Statements of expectation, individual contracts, meeting summary memos, annual evaluations

  7. Window of “Negotiable” Expectations Explicit Joint Implicit Unilateral

  8. The Cost of Conflict Productivity Time Relationship

  9. Avoidance Strategy Accommodating Strategy Positional Bargaining Strategy Interest-based Strategy Strategies to Resolve Conflict

  10. The Interest Based Approach…. • Focuses on the underlying interests and concerns of individuals • Emphasizes finding options which satisfy multiple people and their interests • Aims to retain and strengthen relationships • Context Issue Interests Options Solutions

  11. The Importance of “Context” Relationships Departmental Regulations Expectations Environment/ Culture Context Assumptions History Social

  12. Identify the Issue An issue is the immediate question for which you need an answer (it may not be the only basis of conflict but it is the question needing attention now) - Who should be on my committee? - When will I defend my dissertation? Both parties must agree on what the issue is. ? What’s the Question?

  13. Conflicts are resolved by examining, in this order: Options Interests Solution Context Issue

  14. Expectations are made jointly explicit by examining, in this order, Decision Options Interests Context Issue and then checking for mutual understanding

  15. Communication strategies that foster the use of an interest-based approach • Word choice • Perspective-taking • Body language • Vocal delivery • Timing and setting • Self-reflection and constructive evaluation

  16. Avoidance/Accommodation Anger Action Anger and Action The trigger event

  17. Anger • Predisposes one to use a positional strategy • Impairs one’s ability to identify interests • Compromises one’s rational decision-making abilities

  18. “Easy to understand, hard to practice”…WHY? • Trained to be solution-oriented • Rewarded for defending our solutions well • Against our “nature”? • Strong emotions are triggered • Can seem faster - immediate resolution

  19. The Interest-Based Approach Issue Options Interests 1 A F A C Evaluation 2 B A D F 3 C F A D C 4 D A 5 E F D 6 F D F 7 G C F

  20. Options Over Time A B C D E F B C D E F Options C D E D E E now Time

  21. Evaluate the options! CONFLICT RESOLUTION • Is it relevant to the issues? • Does it meet the interests?

  22. Case Study “A Jump on the Journals”

  23. Evaluate the options! SETTING EXPECTATIONS • Does it meet the interests? • Is it relevant to the issues?

  24. FACULTY/STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

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