Navigate Conflict

Why This Module?

“The ability to deal with conflict constructively is one of the most important life skills we can have.” - Douglas Stone

Conflict is inevitable. How you handle it determines:

• Quality of relationships
• Team effectiveness
• Leadership success
• Personal well-being

Connection from Phase 3: You can lead and communicate. Now learn to navigate the hard moments.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

• Handle difficult conversations with skill and confidence
• Resolve conflicts constructively
• Apply Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
• Give and receive feedback effectively
• Negotiate win-win outcomes

Week 1-2: The Art of Difficult Conversations

Difficult Conversations - Stone, Patton, Heen

Rating: Essential | Harvard Negotiation Project | Classic | 2010

The Core Idea:

Every difficult conversation is actually THREE conversations happening at once.

The Three Conversations:

The “What Happened” Conversation:

Mistake: Arguing about who’s right Better: Map the contribution system

• Stop arguing about who’s to blame
• Ask: “What did each person contribute to this situation?”
• Contribution does not equal Blame

The Feelings Conversation:

• “Tell me more about why this is frustrating”
• “I’m feeling [emotion] because [reason]”
• Unexpressed emotions leak out anyway

The Identity Conversation:

Three core identities threatened:

1. Am I competent?
2. Am I a good person?
3. Am I worthy of love?

The Shift:

• From certainty to curiosity
• From blame to contribution
• From defending to learning

Crucial Conversations - Patterson et al.

Rating: Essential | Practical | 2021 Edition

The Core Idea:

A crucial conversation = High stakes + Strong emotions + Differing opinions

STATE My Path:

• Share your facts
• Tell your story
• Ask for others’ paths
• Talk tentatively
• Encourage testing

The Pool of Shared Meaning:

• The more information in the pool, the better decisions
• Silence and violence drain the pool
• Your job: keep adding to the pool

Available: CZ “Klicove rozhovory”

Week 3-4: Conflict Resolution Frameworks

Getting to Yes - Roger Fisher & William Ury

Rating: Essential | Harvard Negotiation Project | Classic

The Core Idea:

Negotiate based on principles, not positions.

The 4 Principles:

1. Separate People from Problems

• Be hard on the problem, soft on the person

2. Focus on Interests, Not Positions

• Position: What they SAY they want
• Interest: WHY they want it

3. Invent Options for Mutual Gain

• Brainstorm before deciding
• Expand the pie before dividing it

4. Insist on Objective Criteria

• Use fair standards
• “What’s a fair way to decide this?”

BATNA: Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement

• Know your BATNA before any negotiation
• The better your BATNA, the more power you have

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) - Marshall Rosenberg

Rating: Essential | Life-changing | 2015

The 4 Components of NVC:

Observations vs. Evaluations:

Feelings vs. Thoughts:

Available: CZ “Nenasilna komunikace”

Week 5-6: Feedback & Practice

Thanks for the Feedback - Stone & Heen

Rating: Essential | Practical | 2014

Three Types of Feedback:

Three Triggers That Block Feedback:

Questions to Pull Feedback:

• “What’s one thing I could do better?”
• “What am I not seeing?”

Getting Past No - William Ury

Rating: Recommended | Practical | Quick read

When They Won’t Cooperate:

1. Go to the Balcony - Step back, regain perspective
2. Step to Their Side - Disarm them, acknowledge their points
3. Reframe - Redirect the conversation
4. Build a Golden Bridge - Make it easy to say yes
5. Use Power to Educate - Show consequences (without threatening)

TED Talks

Interactive Tools

Conflict Style Assessment

Negotiation Simulations

NVC & Communication Practice

Documentaries & Video Content

YouTube Deep Dives

Netflix / Streaming

Case Study Videos

Newsletters

Recommended Podcasts

AI Learning Integration

For NVC Practice

"Give me a conflict scenario.
I'll respond using the 4 components of NVC:
Observation, Feeling, Need, Request.
Evaluate my response and suggest improvements."

For Negotiation Practice

"Role-play a negotiation where I need to apply the 4 principles of Getting to Yes.
Challenge me with positional bargaining.
I'll practice focusing on interests, not positions."

Phase 4 Checklist

Week 1-2

• Read “Difficult Conversations”
• Identified 3 conversations you need to have
• Read “Crucial Conversations”
• Practiced STATE My Path

Week 3-4

• Read “Getting to Yes”
• Identified your BATNA for one negotiation
• Read “Nonviolent Communication”
• Practiced NVC for 2 weeks daily

Week 5-6

• Read “Thanks for the Feedback”
• Asked for specific feedback from 3 people
• Completed 5 role-play scenarios
• Watched William Ury and Marshall Rosenberg videos

Reflection Questions

1. What’s your default conflict style? (Avoid / Accommodate / Compete / Collaborate)

2. Using NVC, reframe a recent argument:

   • Observation:
   • Feeling:
   • Need:
   • Request:

3. What’s your BATNA in a current negotiation?

4. How do you typically react to feedback? Which trigger affects you most?

Connection to Phase 5

Phase 4 taught you to navigate conflict. Phase 5 moves from managing to BUILDING:

• 5A: Strategic thinking
• 5B: Entrepreneurship

I'm studying Navigate Conflict (Phase 04 of my MBA program).

Act as a Socratic tutor - don't give me direct answers. Instead, ask me questions to help me discover insights about these concepts: Difficult Conversations, Principled Negotiation, Nonviolent Communication, Receiving Feedback.

Start by asking what I already know about one of these topics, then guide me deeper with follow-up questions. Challenge my assumptions when appropriate.

After each of my responses, either:
1. Ask a deeper follow-up question
2. Point out a gap in my reasoning
3. Connect my answer to another concept

Let's begin.

Quiz me on Navigate Conflict. Ask 10 questions covering: Difficult Conversations, Principled Negotiation, Nonviolent Communication, Receiving Feedback.

Rules:
- Mix question types (multiple choice, short answer, scenario-based)
- Start easier, get progressively harder
- After each answer, tell me if I'm right or wrong and explain why
- Keep a running score
- At the end, summarize what I know well vs. need to review

Ask the first question now.

Help me apply Three Conversations Model (Difficult Conversations), STATE My Path (Crucial Conversations), Getting to Yes 4 Principles, NVC 4 Components, BATNA Analysis to a real situation in my life or work.

First, ask me to describe a recent challenge or decision I faced.

Then guide me through analyzing it using these frameworks:
- Which framework applies best?
- What would each framework reveal about the situation?
- What would I do differently knowing this?

Don't lecture - ask questions that help me discover the insights myself.

I want to practice case analysis for Navigate Conflict.

Give me a short business scenario (2-3 paragraphs) involving Difficult Conversations, Principled Negotiation, Nonviolent Communication, Receiving Feedback.

Then ask me:
1. What's the core problem?
2. Which frameworks from Navigate Conflict apply?
3. What biases might cloud judgment here?
4. What would you recommend?

After each answer, push back on my reasoning before moving to the next question.

I'm studying Navigate Conflict and need to understand these concepts deeply: Difficult Conversations, Principled Negotiation, Nonviolent Communication, Receiving Feedback.

For each concept, ask me to explain it in simple terms (as if to a child).

If my explanation is unclear or wrong, don't correct me directly. Instead:
1. Ask clarifying questions
2. Give me a scenario that tests my understanding
3. Help me refine my explanation

The Feynman technique says if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.