Communication and Conflict

2094 Words9 Pages
P. Williams CM310-02 May 10, 2010 Final Project: Communication and Conflict 1 Discuss the relationship between communication and destructive and constructive conflict. Specifically, address the role communication plays in each type of conflict. Conflict in any relationship is inevitable. The conflict itself is not a problem because conflict is a natural part of life. How an individual deals with the conflict is what determines whether individuals will resolve the conflict or be torn apart. Poor communication skills, disagreements and misunderstandings can lead to the breakdown of constructive communication. A few things I must try to remember when my goal in a conflict is to resolve the conflict constructively, are: to stay focused on the issues at hand, listen carefully in order to grasp the full issues of the conflict, try to see the other individual’s point of view, be able to admit mistakes made by self, try compromising solutions, take a time-out when needed and most of all- ask for help when needed. These are a few things that I have learned in this communication and conflict class that I will remember to use to communicate constructively in a conflict. Wilmot and Hocker, 2007 states important practices that will enhance constructive conflict are: the dialogue process- one constructively confronts the other so that the answer to a conflict emerges between the conflicting parties; fractionation- conflicts can be broken down into smaller more manageable ones; reframing-look for constructive ways to describe or frame whatever is going on, with the goal of changing Communication and Conflict 2 perceptions and positions from negative and fixed to positive and flexible (Wilmot & Hocker, 2007). An example of when I used constructive communication in a conflict involved the very first time my husband and I sat down as husband and wife, and attempted
Open Document