FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is Conflict Coaching? Conflict coaching is a new form of alternative dispute resolution and a desired new addition to mediation. Conflict coaching partners a conflict resolution professional with a client in a one-on-one process that integrates coaching and conflict management principles. The purpose is to gain awareness of one’s conflict behavioral patterns, skills and competencies. With increased awareness and understanding, the client is then free to embrace a new perspective, rebuild damaged relationships and transform interpersonal conflicts into conversations. With new conflict skills, the client becomes a more constructive force in any type of disagreement. Transformation is often the result of coaching. What is the difference between coaching and therapy? In a therapy or counseling session the counselor focuses on healing of unresolved psychological issues of the past. Coaching is a future oriented process. A coach starts with an assessment of the present situation and helps the client define clear and specific goals they want to accomplish in the future. Sometimes in a coaching session the past is addressed, however always in a context to identify any obstacles to reaching the client's goals. The process of coaching can be more flexible than counseling. Coaching can happen over the phone, by e-mail, on the Internet or face to face. What is the difference between conflict coaching and mediation? Both processes are a type of alternative dispute resolution. While conflict coaching is a goal oriented process in which the coach is working one on one with a client to untangle a conflict and develop effective conflict behaviors and skills, mediation is a confidential forum where multiple parties in a dispute share their concerns, perspectives and interests with each other. A trained mediator is the neutral and impartial third party who helps participants (either individuals or teams) discussing difficult issues and negotiating mutually agreeable solutions to a conflict. How does your process work? After a free consultation in which we determine if working with me serves you best and which of my services or products would fit your needs, I send you a welcome packet. If you choose to use my coaching services we set an appointment for our first session. In this first session we will go over the information you provided, we will work on goal setting and conduct an in depth analysis of the conflict you want to be coached on. From there on we plan weekly session of about 45 minutes. While I coach you through the process by asking you questions we look at the situation from different perspectives, explore and determine a strategy how to approach the conflict and make a plan of action. Usually I give you fieldwork to do between our sessions and there is time set aside to reflect on your experience of the fieldwork. Sometimes we’ll do an assessment of your conflict behavior, depending on which service packet you choose. I usually coach by phone, in 45-minute weekly sessions. The amount of sessions depends on which packet you choose. How can you determine if conflict coaching is right for you? To determine if you could benefit from conflict coaching, start by summarizing what you would expect to accomplish in coaching. When someone has a fairly clear idea of the desired outcome, a coaching partnership can be a useful tool for developing a strategy for how to achieve that outcome with greater ease. Since coaching is a partnership, also ask yourself if you find it valuable to collaborate, to have another viewpoint and to be asked to consider new perspectives. Also, ask yourself if you are ready to devote the time and the energy to making real changes in your conflict behavior at work or at home. If the answer to these questions is yes, then coaching may be a beneficial way for you to help you resolve a conflict, learn new conflict behavior skills and build dynamic and harmonious relationships with the people you care about. CONTACT