Rebecca Smith, Ph.D. Louisiana Tech University

1. Pauline Leonard, Ph.D. Louisiana Tech University Rebecca Smith, Ph.D. Louisiana Tech University Collaboration and Diverse Styles of Interaction

2. Workshop Goals • Examine the concept of collaboration and its critical characteristics • Explore notions of conflict and consider five major response styles to conflict (or styles of interaction) Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

3. Collaboration and Conflict • Increasing expectations to collaborate • Democratic leadership • Shared decision making • Teacher empowerment • Increasing expectations to collaborate lead to increased interactions of teachers, students, parents, and administrators • Increasing diversity in society • Is conflict inevitable? How do you respond to conflict? Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

4. Conflict-Management Style Survey • Survey designed to help you become more aware of your characteristic approach, or style, in managing conflict • Survey identifies 12 situations that you are likely to encounter in your professional lives. • Study each situation and the five possible behavioral Reponses or attitudes and allocate 10 points among them to indicate your typical behavior, with the highest point indicating your strongest choice. • Any response can be assigned 0-10 points, as long as all five responses add up to 10 Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

5. In responding to a request from another to help with a problem, you would: 1 ___ A. Clearly instruct him or her how to proceed. ___ B. Enjoy the strategizing and the challenge. ___ C. Help him or her to take responsibility for the problem. ___ D. Find it unnerving, but agree to help. ___ E. Avoid the invitation at all costs. ___ TOTAL 4 4 1 0 10 Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

6. Complete the survey • Make sure your name is on your survey • Do not score • Put it aside when completed and use your jot notes sheet to record your definitions of collaboration and conflict Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

7. Sharing definitions • Share your definitions of collaboration and conflict with your small group • Come to a decision about a definition for each and write it on the chart • Share with whole group Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

8. “Collaboration is a style of interaction between at least two co-equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal. -- Friend & Cook, 2003 Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

9. Conflict • A struggle that occurs when individuals, interdependent with others, perceive that those others are interfering with their goal attainment • Interpersonal Conflict • Conflict between individuals with different goals • Conflict between individuals with same goals • Intrapersonal Conflict • Conflict within individuals Conflict is neither good nor bad. You determine whether it will have positive or negative outcomes. Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

10. Conflict response styles • Not everyone reacts to conflict the same way • Some people withdraw, others engage • Context can influence response Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

11. Five styles of response to conflict: • Competitive (or Controlling) • Avoidance • Accommodative • Compromising • Collaborative Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

12. Small-Group Task • Using the handouts: • Personal Conflict Response Styles Chart • Dimensions of Conflict Styles • Discuss: • How do you react to conflict? • How do you feel when conflict arises? Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

13. Highly Assertive Competing Collaborating Highly Cooperative Uncooperative Compromising Accommodating Avoiding Unassertive Styles for Resolving Conflict: Assertive-Cooperative Dimension

14. High Concern For Self Competing Collaborating High Concern For Others Low Concern For Others Compromising Accommodating Avoiding Low Concern For Self Styles for Resolving Conflict: Concerns for Self-Concerns for Others Dimensions

15. Magnetic Words • Go to the style that most strongly draws you toward it – that you feel reflects your dominant style • Go to the style that most strongly repels you – that reflects your least dominant style Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

16. Score your survey • Finally, go back to your table and score your survey • Surprises? • Insights? Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

17. Cultural Competence in Difficult Interactions • Important to be aware of cultural differences and respecting others’ value orientations and response styles in times of conflict Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop

18. Final Questions • Have you noticed that all the styles have “appropriate” situations in which they can be used? • Do you have flexibility? • Can you choose different styles for different situations? • Are you stuck with one style for all situations? Leonard & Smith Collaboration Workshop