CONFLICT…either you hate it and avoid it at all costs, or you thrive on it by pushing to get your point across to the detriment of others. How we recognize potential conflict or respond to ongoing conflict is a choice. It is a learned skill that challenges your thinking, taps into your emotions, and requires you to make strategic behavioral choices. These choices help build courage, confidence and competence to handle difficult, tension-filled situations.

What is conflict avoidance, and how can it create unintended damage to relationships and escalate situations? More often than not, it is used as a default defense mechanism which often leads to a much bigger problem. You will learn behavioral cues and underlying motivating factors that drive us to react in damaging ways. More importantly, you can make different choices and learn strategies to help you take courageous steps to address conflict confidently.

Patricia Porter is Founder and President of Conflict Connections® Inc. and is known as the Texas Conflict Coach®. Patricia is a subject-matter expert in the field of conflict resolution since 1994. Her experience includes working as a senior mediator, team facilitator, senior trainer, and conflict management and abrasive leader coach. Her primary emphasis is in supporting employees, teams and senior leadership in organizations to work through conflict and change productively. She is the author of Stop the Dreaded Drama: 55 tips for Ending Destructive Conflict.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Repairing the Hidden Damage of Conflict Avoidance

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