Intern joins The Texas Conflict Coach Blog Talk Radio Show

Please join me in welcoming Andrea Williams, graduate student from the University of Baltimore in the Negotiations and Conflict Management graduate program. I am so excited to have her join my team this semester.

Read more about Andrea…

My entire life has been devoted to helping people and how to make a world a better place.  I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, where I attended one of the top public high school in the nations called Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. I graduated from there in the year 2001.

While attending high school I was involved in numerous activities within my church and my community, which taught me leadership and discipline skills. The most prominent activity I participated in was singing in a community choir called the Los Angeles Inner City Choir, where we as choir members would help the Los Angeles Community through songs and volunteering our time. While participating in this choir I earned numerous awards as a singer in competitions for three years. This choir helped developed my maturity level, established my ability to travel, and taught me how to handle pressure.  I also gained high energy, and pride in accomplishments.

In the year of 2006 I graduated from Morgan State University where I majored in political science and minored in pre-law, with a concentration in international business.  I took numerous classes at this university that helped carve out my niche into society.  Courses like Constitutional Law, Philosophy of Law, Scopes and Methods, Public Policy, Global Studies, International Relations, Economics 201 and 202, and Business 101, which helped develop my analytical, communication, and research skills.  These courses also help me gain an understanding of domestic and international laws.

In 2009, I was accepted into the M.S. program at the University of Baltimore in their Negotiations and Conflict Management department.  This is the place where I discovered my passion to work with families and children within the court system. Within this program I have taken courses like, Negotiations and Assessing Conflict which has given me the stepping stone on how to analyze and handle conflict.

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October Show Line Up – The Texas Conflict Coach

The Texas Conflict Coach™ blog talk radio show announces its October show lineup. We hope you can join us. We appreciate you spreading the word.

The Texas Conflict Coach blog talk radio show will host a number of special guests.

When: Every Tuesday evening

Time: 5:00-5:30 pm PST/ 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST

How: Call in live at 347-324-3591

Listen live and join the chat at www.blogtalkradio.com/texas-conflict-coach

- OR-

Listen to archive shows and learn more at www.texasconflictcoach.com

October 4 – How to SOLVE Your Conflicts

Eileen Dowse, an international consultant and an award-winning author of “The Naked Manager-How to Build Open Relationships at Work” will introduce her SOLVE model as a way to address issues and build long-lasting solutions.

October 11 – The Top 10 List – Strategies for Constructive Conflict Engagement

Pattie Porter, host of the Texas Conflict Coach, will share her top 10 strategies for dealing with conflict constructively.

October 18 – Workplace Mediation Involving People with Disabilities: Collaborating to Make it Accessible

This special program honors Disability Employment Awareness month in October. Special guest, Judy Cohen and Project Coordinator for the ADA Mediation Guidelines, talks about steps employers and employees should take to make sure that employees with disabilities can fully participate in the process.

October 25 – Understanding the Benefits of Online Dispute Resolution – Cyberweek 2011

As part of Cyberweek 2011 hosted by the Werner Institute at Creighton University via ADRHub.com, we will talk LIVE with Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) experts Noam Ebner, Colin Rule and Dan Rainey. This show focuses on how online dispute resolution processes are used to deal with disputes, the various forms of ODR processes, and the benefits and challenges to using virtual communications.

Back to Conflict Basics – September Series

The Texas Conflict Coach™ blog talk radio show announces its Back to Conflict Basics series for September. This series is intended to educate consumers and the public with the basics to managing conflict.

We appreciate you spreading the word.

The Texas Conflict Coach blog talk radio show will host a number of special guests.

When: Every Tuesday evening

Time: 5:00-5:30 pm PST/ 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST

How: Call in live at 347-324-3591

Listen live and join the chat at www.blogtalkradio.com/texas-conflict-coach

Listen to archive shows or learn more at www.texasconflictcoach.com

September 6 – What Gives Conflict a Bad Name?

Susan Shearouse, author of Conflict 101: A Manager’s Guide to Resolving Problems So Everyone Can Get Back to Work will discuss the stumbling blocks to resolving conflict effectively and the strategies for addressing conflict at various escalation points.

September 13 – The Science and Fun of Nonverbal Communication

Jeff Thompson, a New York Police Detective and mediator, will address the nonverbal cues in body language and gestures that impact our communications. Learn about some fun facts and his METTA acronym to nonverbal cues.

September 20 – Beyond Fight or Flight: Making Different Choices to How We Approach Conflict

Zena Zumeta, special guest host of the Texas Conflict Coach and I (Pattie Porter-Host) will go beyond the instinctual fight or flight responses to when we feel threatened and examine other choices we can make.

September 27 – How to Have Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Randy Mayes, Executive Coach, addresses crucial conversations and how It approaches the issue in a very human way that stimulates our desire to relate to others while feeling good about us. There are real and concrete methods for getting control of yourself and staying focused through those challenging moments that pop up in everyone’s life.

Coexistence and Conflict June Radio Show Series

Coexistence and Conflict Radio Show Series

What happens when we are faced with a situation when our values and belief systems are so polarized it motivates us to hide or to fight vehemently?  Our so-called conflict becomes a protracted dispute for years to come. And yet, how do we begin to acknowledge these differences, embrace our diversity and learn how to coexist in these challenging situations.

The Texas Conflict Coach blog talk radio show will host a number of special guests.

When: Every Tuesday evening in June

Time: 5:00-5:30 pm PST/ 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST

How: Call in live at 347-324-3591

Listen live and join the chat at www.blogtalkradio.com/texas-conflict-coach

Listen to archive shows or learn more at www.texasconflictcoach.com

June 7 – Coexistence and Conflict with Mari Fitzduff

Professor Fitzduff is the Program Director of the Coexistence and Conflict program at The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She will discuss her personal experiences living near the Killing Fields of Northern Ireland and how this motivated her to start the Coexistence and Conflict Program.

June 14 – I Shall Not Hate with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish

Dr. Abuelaish will talk about his education as a Palestinian becoming a doctor, his work at an Israeli hospital delivering babies and going back and forth over the border to Gaza, and the night that 3 of his daughters were killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza.  Despite this tragedy, Dr. Abuelaish, who now lives in Toronto, Canada, still speaks out for peace.

June 21 – Mediating with True Believers with Beth Padgett and Xan Skinner

People often firmly hold onto beliefs about religion, sexuality/gender concepts, and even family traditions and child-rearing practices. Xan and Beth will identify and discuss barriers to transformation in conflicts related to firmly held beliefs and values. They will share successes they have experienced in their work with individuals and groups who came to mediation entrenched in fixed beliefs. They will also discuss what they learned about mediation, and about their roles as mediators, from mistakes, mis-steps and mishaps along the way.

June 28 – A Look Back at Hurricane Katrina – A Radical New Role for Conflict Management Professionals with Cindy Mazur

Cindy Mazur, a Director for Alternative Dispute Resolution at a federal agency that delivers emergency management services, will use Hurricane Katrina as a model  to discuss the phenomenology of disasters in America. Various deleterious factors can be forecast that impede effective emergency response. These factors can be better managed when one person is placed in a role to oversee and manage the crisis phase of a disaster. A Conflict Management Professional can unify the ad hoc crisis management team and ensure its accountability and engagement. Provision of a structural solution of this nature would signify a commitment by our government to mitigate human misery in disasters.

Tune In to the Business Conflict Series in May

Whether you own a business or are a consumer, we have a series of shows for you starting May 10th. The Texas Conflict Coach Blog Talk Radio show will focus on business conflicts and the strategies, tools and resources to manage the typical conflicts one might experience.

All shows are on Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm CST/ 8:00 pm EST. Learn more about the shows at Texas Conflict Coach

May 10th        Addressing Chaos and Conflict in Business Partnerships with Zena Zumeta

You might be thinking „my best friend and I want to go into business together offering the best cupcakes in town.‰ But what does it really mean to enter into a business relationship together? Or maybe, you have been in business with your partner for some time now and the relationship is having it‚s problems. Even good partnerships have periods of conflict and issues. We will explore where relationships can go
wrong, discuss how to prevent these partnership problems, and how to approach fixing them once they appear.

May 17th        Cooling Down Conflict in Your Family Business with Jim Lea

Being in business with your family can bring lots of rewards, including financial security and personal pleasure in working with people you know well and love. But it can also be the source of misunderstanding, antagonism and painful conflict. The show looks at common causes of conflict in family businesses and how that conflict can be resolved and even prevented.

May 24th        How Businesses Can Engage in SMART Conflict Resolution with Dick Hurford

As a business are you engaging in SMART conflict management and dispute resolution? Embrace conflict on the road to greater profitability and improve relationships with employees, customers and vendors. Let‚s explore how intelligently managing conflicts with these three stakeholders can improve your bottom line and performance. We will look at strategic examples employed at a large manufacturing corporation MASCO.

May 31st        When Consumers and Businesses Collide with Erin Dufner

When consumers find themselves in a dispute with a business, where can they go to get the dispute resolved? We will speak with Erin Dufner, VP of Communications at the Better Business Bureau.

April is National Stress Awareness Month

Join me this month for National Stress Awareness month as we focus on managing emotions.

We have Sheri Callahan doing a 2-part show on Emotional Intelligence followed by Anna Tyrell who will teach us about how the brain plays a crucial role in how we show up emotionally. She will share techniques to shift us from that intense emotional place we often go when under extreme stress and conflict to a more centered and intellectual place which helps us slow down and respond constructively. Finally, we end our month with Brady Mikusko who will guide us by reducing our stress throug a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Change the Status Quo by Negotiating for What You Want

How many of you consider negotiation to be a critical skill set as a business owner or solo-preneur? The ability to negotiate effectively and manage the potential conflict that can arise from a negotiation is critical to the success of any business. And yet, many of us will avoid or simply not recognize the opportunities to negotiate. This is especially true for women because of the anxiety we experience when we feel that by asking for what we want we will somehow negatively impact the relationship of the person we are asking.

Often situations will go unaddressed or remain status quo unless we recognize the need, ask for what we want, and be willing to negotiate with the other side. Simply stated negotiation is a collaborative discussion that is needed with another person to change the status quo. Do you recognize any of these potential conversations that need further negotiation?

• Needing a contractor to follow through with a commitment or provide quality work
• Asking for more money or time from a client whose project grew by leaps and bounds
• Requesting fixes in a timely manner from an office landlord
• Giving feedback to a business partner and requesting s/he to change their behavior
• Asking employees to put in extra long hours to meet a project deadline during the holidays
• Establishing fees based on our market value and asking for it
• Trying to meet a client’s high expectations and failing

You don’t have to accept the status quo; but before you jump into a conversation you need to be prepared. The first step is to assess the situation. Here 3 questions to start you off:

1) How many parties or sides are involved in this conversation?

a.    A party to the negotiation is someone who has a stake or key decision in the outcome.

b.    The more sides involved, the more complex the discussions. It is important to make sure to have the right parties…those who make the decisions and those who are impacted by the decisions.

2) How many issues need to be addressed?

a.    A single issue might be trading an employee’s day off. Simple.

b.    Multiple issues might be involved when working with a web designer. The project is underway and a price agreed upon but now there have been numerous delays, additional design elements to consider and the launch date has long passed. Your website has been held captive and you need something to happen NOW!

c.    Multiple issues could mean numerous interests on both sides are not being met. This gives leverage to both sides to creatively problem-solve. The key here is to identify all your potential issues and anticipate theirs.

3) What is the kind of relationship you have with the parties involved?

a. Are you negotiating with a car salesman, someone you will not see again or with a close colleague or friend who you expect to have a continuing relationship?

b. The nature of your relationship can have a significant impact on your negotiations. On a relationship continuum, the closer you are to the other party increases the likelihood that you have more information about the other party, that there is a level of trust between both parties, that there are more common interests, and that there is potential for collaboration. It also means that the success or failure of the negotiated outcome can have the biggest influence on the future of your relationship. The slightest hint that by asking for what we want will create conflict or negatively impact the relationship will have most women running the other way.

c. The key here is to establish a set of norms, guidelines or ground rules before your negotiation. For example,

“Let’s agree not to interrupt each other even when we disagree with what each other are saying. And, that we commit to listen to each other with respect no matter how hard the conversation gets.”

Once you decide to take the plunge, change the status quo and ask for what you want, then assess, prepare, and negotiate. What other challenges do you face when negotiating for yourself? I would love to hear back from you.

Pattie Porter is a conflict and negotiation coach, mediator, team facilitator and corporate trainer. She is the founder and President of Conflict Connections, Inc. and is passionate about helping people and businesses move through conflict constructively. She leads the Women and Negotiation workshop for women business owners and leaders.

Originally posted to NAWBO San Antonio on March 29, 2011

Upcoming Workshop- Women and Negotiation: Addressing Conflict and Building Competence

When:

Workshop Description: Opportunities to negotiate for the things we want….a promotion, a new client, a business relationship, home responsibilities, a keynote presentation, a challenging and rewarding job, and the list goes on…exist every day. And yet, women often fail to recognize opportunities and ask for what they want. When women are faced with navigating difficult conversations and solving problems, it often requires an effective negotiation or cooperative approach. However, women are plagued by anxiety when it comes to the thought of negotiating for what they want especially when it might impact a relationship or that a conflict might occur. This 2-day workshop is for women who make decisions every day in their personal lives, small businesses, or their work. They want to learn how to recognize opportunities, cross barriers and negotiate effectively for the things they want and to address the potential conflict that might arise from these conversations.

Workshop Objectives:

• Learn the specific barriers women face in negotiating and how to overcome them
• Raise self-awareness to your specific negotiation challenges
• Understand your conflict management choices and how they impact a potential negotiation
• Learn how to assess your negotiation environment
• Use planning tools to prepare for a negotiated conversation
• Learn an interest-based cooperative process to bargaining
• Practice skills using participant’s real-life negotiation opportunities

Registration Options: Early Bird Rate (before May 13, 2011) $552.50  Regular Rate (after May 13, 2011) $650.00

Costs include full hot breakfast, afternoon snacks and drinks, participant manual and an online assessment. Lunch is on your own.

Cancellation Policy: Any cancellation within 14 days of the first day of training (June 2) will be refunded less $150 administrative fee; or registrant can replace their slot with another individual. Any cancellation outside the 14 days will be given a refund less $25 for administrative fees.

For more information, email Pattie Porter at pmporter@conflictconnections.com or call 210-880-4440

International Women’s Day-March 8

Today is International Women’s Day celebrating 100 years of women’s achievements. Tonight, we will have a show dedicated to women and peace. We would love to hear from you. Call in at: (347) 324-3591 any time from 7:00-7:30 pm tonight, March 8th and share your story of the women who have inspired you.

Meanwhile, check out these links.

International Women’s Day

Top 10 Wins for Women’s Movements

Quotes about Womanhood

Welcome

Welcome to the Texas Conflict Coach blog site. This site is the new home for all of the archived Blog Talk Radio shows for the Texas Conflict Coach.

Browse the categories for past shows, post comments and share with your friends. You can also view upcoming shows and participate live on Tuesdays from 7:00-7:30 pm CST.

Every week, you will see the latest show posted at the top of this site along with any Assignments for the Week. We encourage you to take the challenges and post your experiences or simply leave your comments or questions.

You can also view our conflict resolution services by clicking on the Conflict Connections, Inc. link.

Thank you for visiting our site.

Pattie Porter, President

Host of The Texas Conflict Coach