WHAT IS CONFLICT COACHING?
Conflict coaching is a confidential, one-on-one meeting, typically scheduled for 2 hours, between you and a trained conflict coach. Coaching is designed to help you gain perspective on your conflict, make decisions about next steps, and learn key communication skills. Through the guided process you will have the opportunity to explore your; thoughts, feelings, and identity as it pertains to the conflict as well as be challenged to try and see the conflict from other involved parties’ perspective(s). Coaching also provides an opportunity to strategize the best plan for you, reality test that plan and optimize for the best possible outcome and reduce the chance of unnecessary escalation of the conflict.
WHY TRY IT?
Coaching improves your ability to work through conflicts for a specific dispute or in other aspects of your life. It can be used to help resolve conflicts such as; workplace issues, family concerns, tenant/landlord disagreements, and conflicts with organizations.
Coaching can also be used a preparatory process if parties are hoping to use the mediation process in the future.
WHAT DOES A COACH DO?
Coaches use a guided process and outline to help the client process and gain better understanding of the conflict they are in. They will ask specifically designed questions to help the client explore a variety of aspects in the conflict such as how they feel, what they are thinking, and how they want to be seen. Coaches will also challenge the client using perspective taking to try and view the conflict through the eyes of the opposing party/parties in order to help the client gain a more holistic understanding of the conflict. It is the coach’s responsibility to help the client in envision their best outcome as well as explore alternate options and make informed choices about how they can manage the conflict.
In conjunction with the above goals, coaches will also listen actively in order to help the client explore new ideas. They will provide support, emotional guidance, and both encourage and challenge clients to optimize their potential, consider and overcome any possible challenge to reaching their goals, and prevent any unnecessary escalation of a conflictual situation.