We at Alternative Resolutions have spent many years working with businesses, non-profits, professional associations and educational institutions helping them turn conflict into consensus. Whatever the specific issue, it is clear that when conflicts are not remediated, the outcomes the organization works tirelessly to achieve are at risk. There are ways that leadership can reduce challenges before…

Your voice is a powerful instrument for communicating with the world. However, the human voice communicates much more than the literal content of its linguistic message. In fact, a great deal of meaning would generally be lost from a message if you removed the vocal component.  The non-linguistic part of vocal communication is called paralanguage…

In Managing Conflict Through Communication, Ruth Abigail and Dudley Cahn take a process view of conflict that sees the conflict as dynamic and changeable and moving through various stages. In the destructive conflict model, people get stuck in one phase while successfully resolved conflict moves through the five distinct steps or phases. There are two…

Giving and receiving feedback are integral to effective workplace communication. Effective feedback helps to foster positive learning and growth amongst all employees. Feedback can be given either daily or in the moment. Sheila Heen, author of “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well,” specifies three types of feedback based upon their…

Since 2015, stress levels among U.S. adults have climbed steadily. In a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, TIME Magazine reports that 24 percent of adults feel “extreme stress.” This stress stems from issues regarding money, work, family responsibilities, the economy, and health.   With so much stress in our country, especially now with…

When you think of conflict, what comes to mind? Many of us are accustomed to thinking of conflict as a negative occurrence with bad outcomes. We are conditioned to think that all arguments are to be avoided. However, not all conflict is unhealthy – healthy conflict does exist. In fact, participation in a productive debate…