The Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution

 The book that I chose to read for my book review was, The Eight Essential Steps To

Conflict Resolution by Dr. Dudley Weeks. The reason I chose to read a book on conflict resolution was to further improve my skills at avoiding and dealing with problems. Because I feel that a person truly shows their character not when things are going well but when things begin to go bad. And having the ability to deal with those problems strengthens one as a person.

Dudley Weeks, PH.D. is widely commended as one of the world’s leaders in conflict resolution. He lives in Washington, D.C., has worked in over sixty countries and has counseled thousands of businesses, families, and communities in the United States. Dr. Weeks has twice been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. Dr. Weeks is now teaching conflict resolution at the

American University School of International Service and gives workshops throughout the world.

Dr. Weeks basically tears conflict resolution into eight steps. The first step is to create an effective atmosphere. The second step is to clarify perceptions. Third is focus on individual and shared needs. Fourth is build shared positive power. Fifth is look to the future, then learn from the past. Sixth is generate options. Seventh is develop “Doables.” And the last step is make mutual benefit agreements. Dr. Weeks also touches on topics such as handling anger, dealing with people who only want things their way, and dealing with conflicts that involve an injustice.

The first step is about Creating an Effective Atmosphere. Creating an effective atmosphere is a very important step in the conflict resolution process. It is more likely for mutual agreements be reached when the atmosphere is given careful consideration. When thinking about atmosphere remember these ideas; personal preparation, timing, location, and lastly opening statements. Personal preparation is doing all you can to ready yourself in positive ways to approach issues honestly and openly. Timing means that choosing a time that is best for all parties involved, a time in which no one is feeling pressed to move on or pressured in other ways.

Location suggests that where you meet is as important as when you meet, it is best to pick a place where all parties can feel com...

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...esolution. I found it extremely helpful incertain areas, I also found that I actually do some of the steps when I am dealing with a conflict. For example, when a conflict occurs I try to understand what happened with past conflicts and avoid repeating the same mistakes over again.

Also when we are trying to find a solution I look for a solution that will be both beneficial to me and them. I did learn some good ways to organize our thoughts and solutions. I also learned to get to the heart of the conflict and focus on only that, and avoid all side issues.

As for my opinion of the author, I think he may be a better counselor and doctor than a writer. I found some of the reading sort of confusing and complicated, and had to read several sections over a few times to totally understand his point. Some of the vocabulary he uses is a bit technical, many words I needed look up to understand Dr. Weeks’ point. So basically what I am saying is that I found the reading to be a bit difficult but I really enjoyed the informational aspect of the book and that I learned a lot on how we should work through conflict and come to a resolution that benefits both parties.