Conflict Prevention
Click on any title below to read or download for free
In this tip Craig explains how accountability done right is helpful, but done wrong causes resentment, and he offers practical advice for managing accountability in your group.
In this tip about team emotional intelligence Craig explains how admitting mistakes is a freeing act of empowerment, for ourselves and for our group.
In this video Craig analyzes why it is so important to align words with deeds to build trust, and offers solutions to help avoid conflict.
In this tip Craig reviews three ways of knowing and offers practical advice to avoid damage from false assumptions.
In this tip Craig encourages us to each take personal responsibility for collaborative decision making - whether at home, in families, in communities, or at work - and gives examples of what this looks like.
In this tip about collaboration Craig explains why it's so inefficient to ask groups to change before first examining our own attitudes and roles.
In this video Craig explains why we make categorical judgments and warns us about how they can impede good group decision making.
In this tip Craig describes three causes of conflict - misunderstanding, differing values, and outside issues - and outlines ways to resolve each.
In the tip Craig offers a practical step-by-step approach to resolve conflict by deciding what to change and what to accept.
In this video, inspired by roadside signs he's passing by, Craig explains why broad participation helps community groups reach peaceful solutions.
In this one-page handout Craig provides a quick overview of the conditions for successful mediation and the role of the mediator.
In this five-page handout Craig discusses three types of disagreement and outlines a six-step process for addressing conflict.
In this tip about team emotional intelligence Craig outlines six specific steps to resolve tension or conflict in a group.
In this tip Craig describes how to prevent conflict in team dynamics by being careful where to direct disagreements.
In this video Craig demonstrates a script for introducing ground rules at the start of a meeting. If you've ever wondered how to set the tone for good group process, this video is for you.
I fly this flag because, well, I love how it looks on this old New England farmhouse. And, to show that I believe in our country more than I believe in my party or other ideals. Political parties and politicians represent thought trends; popular thinking. Yet strong countries and constitutions weather such trends and hold ...read more
In my world, “how to bridge divides” is the question of the day. One answer: don’t even try. Go around. Bridge closed; seek alternate route. Find other ways to connect. In her book High Conflict, Amanda Ripley explains “the magic ratio” of 5:1. It takes five positive interactions to prevent or overcome one bad interaction. ...read more
In this tip Craig encourages individuals and groups to resist the impulse to act quickly, if it's not absolutely necessary. Craig explains why in the tip.
Since 9/11 – 25 years ago today – I’ve noticed a trend in the United States and I don’t know what to make of it. The trend is that we are increasingly scared of enemies within; people right here in our homeland whom we’re encouraged to fear and think of as enemies. In addition to ...read more
In this tip about group process and practice, Craig describes the hazards of decisions without enforcement and offers three practical steps to take when someone in your group is breaking rules.
In this video Craig invites his friend Charlotte to tell a story about conflict management. It's a small conflict with a big lesson for groups of all sizes. Craig - and Charlotte! - explain in the video.
In this video Craig shows an audience how to convert confrontational statements into invitations for productive discussions. The magic words are "Here's what I heard". Craig explains in the video.
In this video Craig explains what to consider when you see someone break a rule, and the choices you have.
When someone walks out of a meeting, upset, what is your responsibility if you are the meeting leader? Craig offers one perspective in this video about group process and practice.
In this video about team emotional intelligence Craig advises that “expectations are planned resentments” and explains how to build shared understanding in order to prevent conflict.
In this one-page handout Craig provides five principles for talking with adversaries, including how to speak, how to listen, and what to do when stuck, angry, or dejected.
In this video Craig explains a useful analogy to help groups untangle conflicts. Bonus: A glimpse of Craig's bear bag at a campsite in Northern Maine! What's a bear bag? Find out in the video.
In this tip Craig cautions about superficial participation by those without significant stakes in the outcome and how it can cause huge inefficiency.
In this tip Craig describes the difference between interests and positions and explains how one enhances collaboration while the other limits it.
In this tip Craig recognizes all the information that good leaders protect - or reveal - in the best interests of the group, and offers practical advice for leaders and followers to help discern the right course of action.
In this video, from on a bike in Hawaii, Craig explains the value of learning from people who have differing perspectives from our own.
In this video about collaboration Craig reminds us that not everyone in the group needs to be involved in solving every disagreement. Watch to learn about alternative ways to resolve group tensions.
In this video about group process and practice, Craig explains why "sticking to the plan" isn't always what's best for the group, and shows how his local library was open to changing plans to meet community needs.
In this video Craig applies the principles of counter-terrorism techniques to the situations we face every day: conflict at work, in communities, in families. What if we listened to our enemies rather than assuming we already know their motivations? Craig discusses in the video.
In this tip about team emotional intelligence Craig offers practical advice to help discern when to fight and when to accept.
In this tip Craig explains how making amends involves actions, not just words, and how it strengthens the group.
In this tip Craig explains how imposing unwelcome morality, or ignoring agreed morality, can be destructive for groups.
In this tip Craig advises that first thoughts often provide a starting place for more refined thoughts, and offers practical advice on when to speak and when to wait.
In this tip about trust and efficiency, Craig explains when to raise issues with a full group and when to save them for one-on-one conversations.
In this tip about group process and practice, Craig explains how to make decisions with multiple interests in mind - and cultivate win-win outcomes.
In this tip Craig explains how outside issues can impact group dynamics, and offers practical steps to help the group move forward.
A few days ago I went to a talk at the University of Southern Maine by Dr. Eboo Patel called Strengthening Democracy Through Pluralism. Here’s what I learned. Eboo Patel is a terrific speaker. And he likes the Grateful Dead. It was super-fun to hear his band analogies; how the Grateful Dead are a model ...read more
In this one-page handout about group process and practice, Craig provides an overview of eight key principles to help address conflict.
In this tip about inclusive conversations Craig explains how the best group decisions are made when we genuinely consider all offerings, not just the ones we like.
In this tip Craig explains the practical benefits for group decision making when we are open to new interpretations of old stories.
In this tip Craig explains about how resentments develop when expectations are not met.
In this tip Craig offers a thought-provoking perspective on the role of revenge in group decision making, and responds to a reader's respectful challenge in the comments section.
In this tip about team emotional intelligence Craig offers a thought-provoking perspective on allowing others (and ourselves) to be "wrong" as we try on ideas and as our thinking evolves.
In this tip about group process and practice, Craig explores the benefits of establishing decision making rules BEFORE you get to the hard decisions.
In this tip Craig explores sources of conflict and outlines a practical step to clarify expectations and minimize conflict.
In this video Craig sites a book called You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation and explains that attributes of both are required for good group decisions.
In this video about collaboration, Craig explains the magic of the phrase "That's the way it looks from here."
In this video about collaboration, Craig explains the value of getting to know each other outside of meetings - including trading recipes! Bonus: illustrative stories about Angus King and about Craig's cohousing community.
In this handout Craig briefly explains seven things that high functioning groups do, and why groups should aspire to be high functioning in the first place.
In this video Craig explains the two conditions that need to be met right from the start if a group wants to address and resolve a conflict.
In this tip Craig explores the difference between understanding a situation and solving a problem, and offers advice to groups to help build understanding first.
Don't develop a great solution to the wrong problem! In this tip Craig offers practical advice and steps to help groups identify problems before discussing solutions.
In this video Craig outlines the choices we have when we are insulted or unfairly criticized.
When should the whole group confront a conflict, and when not to? Craig explains that if it’s truly in the way, then you are going to have to unpack the issue. In this video Craig gives three reasons why, and some practical tips on how.
Many of us are taught to “lose with grace.” In this video Craig tells us it’s just as important to “win with grace” and explains how it builds peace and creativity over the long run.
