Communicating Through Conflict
By Ronnie Moore

Where there are people, there is conflict. It affects us all. The failure to communicate effectively, or to communicate at all, is a leading cause of conflict’s existence and escalation. If not confronted early and well, conflicts will escalate, negatively affecting entire families, groups and organizations.

We can’t banish conflict from our lives, but we can communicate more effectively through it. It’s a topic that can fill volumes, but you can get a handle on it by using these five tips:

1. Distinguish between true conflicts and false conflicts.
Before you can think about how to communicate through a conflict, decide whether you need to communicate at all. Not all conflicts need to be resolved. Before you do or say anything, ask yourself: “Is this a true conflict or a false conflict?” A true conflict has to be resolved. If not resolved, it will get bigger and result in a negative consequence.

Your child has a drug problem. You and the child’s other parent have a conflict about how to intervene. No intervention happens, and the child is not being helped. This is a true conflict. (To read the full article, check out the January/February 2008 issue of Dance San Diego!)

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