Maria Arpa MBE introduces the second series of All Things Conflict, focusing on the critical role of leadership in navigating workplace dynamics. Building on insights from the first series, which explored various perspectives within workplaces, this new series aims to delve into the experiences of directors, senior leadership teams, and entrepreneurs. The host emphasizes the importance of open conversations about potential challenges and conflicts that may arise as businesses evolve, highlighting the need for proactive communication strategies. By addressing the often-ignored "unsaid conversations," the episode sets the stage for discussions on how to manage conflict creatively and constructively. Listeners can look forward to insights from a diverse lineup of guests, including a family business managing director, a seasoned trainer for non-executive directors, and a well-known workplace mediator, all sharing their experiences and strategies for effective leadership in the face of conflict.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Focus on Leadership: The new series will explore leadership dynamics, including the roles of directors, senior leadership teams, and entrepreneurs, emphasizing how leadership sets the tone for organizational culture and conflict.

2. Importance of Open Conversations: It is crucial to have open discussions about potential challenges and conflicts that may arise in a business setting, rather than avoiding difficult conversations that can lead to resentment and eventual breakdowns in communication.

3. Navigating Messiness: The journey of achieving business goals is often messy, and it is important to establish how team members will communicate and support each other during challenging times, including coping with personal traumas that may surface.

4. Proactive Conflict Management: Planning for unsaid conversations and establishing policies or procedures for addressing conflicts can help organizations manage issues before they escalate, likened to "putting in the plumbing" to ensure effective communication channels.

5. Conflict as a Resource: Embracing conflict as a natural part of organizational life can lead to creativity and innovation, rather than viewing it solely as a negative force that needs to be avoided.

BEST MOMENTS

1. "In this series, I really want to look at leadership... because the leadership sets the tone."

2. "What happens if it doesn't progress in the way we'd like to? How will we talk to each other about that?"

3. "Are we just going to let our fears and resentments just build up very quietly... and then wait for the inevitable explosion to happen?"

4. "The chances are there are things about each other that we haven't yet examined or explored."

5. "What I've learned by rejecting the adversarial approach to conflict... is that actually it is the biggest free resource that we have for becoming creative."

SOCIAL LINKS

www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org

www.peacefulsolutions.org.uk

www.workplacehuddle.com

HOST BIO

Maria founded the Centre for Peaceful Solutions in response to the fatal shooting of a 7 year old in her neighbourhood. She developed a model of conflict resolution for violent crime using her brainchild, the Dialogue Road Map (DRM).

Over 30 years she has mediated everything from threat to life gang disputes to high stakes business deals gone wrong, Maria empowers people to resolve conflict without reliance on experts. So she trains violent prisoners to be facilitators, leaders to be effective communicators, teenagers to be peer mediators and neighbours to be tenant listeners within their respective communities.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Learn More About Us: https://www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org/