Engaging Conflict Across Cultures & Power Differences Series

Have you followed advice on how you “should” handle conflict and still things break down? Or perhaps the advice is so uncomfortable you can’t bring yourself to try it? It can be easy to overlook how our ways of engaging conflict are deeply rooted and drastically different.

This course dives into specific communication differences that contribute to conflict and bias at work and at home. Together, we’ll help make sense of why engaging tensions across differences sometimes ends in unresolved conflict and find some clues for how to engage different styles in conflict.

This small-group, dialogue-based workshop series takes place over four sessions.

4-part series, 90 minutes each, Wednesdays:

February 28, 2024: 12:00 PST / 15:00 EST / 20:00 UTC

• Communicating across differences in directness. Tool takeaway: "Narrating context" to build trust and understanding.

March 6, 2024: 12:00 PST / 15:00 EST / 20:00 UTC

• Communicating across differences in emotional expression. Tool takeaway: "Naming norms" to enhance trust and reduce bias.

March 13, 2024: 12:00 PDT / 15:00 EDT / 19:00 UTC *Note: US time change to Daylight Savings Time. UTC time changes to 19:00

• Analyzing our conflicts using the Intercultural Conflict Styles Model.

March 20, 2024: 12:00 PDT/ 15:00 EDT / 19:00 UTC

• Identifying and navigating power dynamics, including race and class differences.

Hosted by: Anjali Leon of PPL Coach, Guest facilitator: Sara Clark of Curious Ways

As a result of this program, you will be able to:

• Apply strategies to working with colleagues and facilitating meetings (applicable to international teams, Agile workplaces, roommates, and more)
• Diagnosis how high/low context communication and emotional expression could be exasperating tensions, with reduced judgment and increased appreciation for others’ styles
• Use the Intercultural Conflict Model and other tools to navigate conflicts in your own life
• Create more inclusive team environments, including increased awareness of power dynamics and bias

Note: You can sign up for this series by itself or in combination with others. This builds upon the Bridging Differences & Overcoming Polarization series. For those who do not attend Bridging Differences nor the Introductory Workshop, ~40 min of pre-work will be offered.

What people are saying:

"I used to think about adaptability in a general sense without great context. Now I think about adaptability with regards to communication styles, emotional expression, conflict style, culture (subculture), and power dynamics."

"I was unaware of different communication styles and just felt stressed and like my communication and conflict with my family was irreparably bad. Now I understand communication styles, conflict styles, cross-cultural agility, and how power dynamics affect all those dynamics.”

"I used to think that there is a better conflict resolution style than another. Now I think there are many factors that come into play and there isn't one 'right' style but the goal is to learn about these styles and identify them within ourselves and others to improve our relationships with ourselves and others."

Sliding Scale:

As facilitators within a global context and committed to equity, we strive to provide flexible pricing to make the workshop accessible in the context in which you are. Please pay at the highest rate reasonable to your financial situation and/or ability to access funds through your networks.

Sliding Scale Rates* - 4 sessions x 90 minutes:

• Solidarity $60
• Sustain $210
• Full $360
• Redistribution/Organizational $660

In short, we encourage you to use your judgment to pay the rate that makes sense for you. Here is some of our thinking, but if you don’t fit in one of these boxes, that is ok!

• Solidarity: We set these rates as an attempt to be in solidarity with individuals for whom this makes the opportunity accessible. We recognize that in some cases this rate may still not be accessible, and we encourage anyone to get in touch if that is the case.

• Sustain: These rates support more of the costs of the series while still intended for individuals for whom this makes the opportunity accessible. Additionally, this rate (or Solidarity) may be appropriate for people who, in workshops related to identity, find they often contribute more to the learning of others than they learn themselves, for example a Black person in an anti-racism training. While this curriculum is designed to disrupt that pattern, we want to honor the risk you take by signing up.

• Full Cost: Full rates represent the ‘true cost’ for paying labor and expenses of preparation and facilitation.

• Redistribution/Organizational: Redistribution means ‘paying your fair share’ for individuals who have had structural advantage and access to wealth, personally or through their organization. We use redistribution rates to support our solidarity and sustain clients. This provides an opportunity for people to practice fiscal generosity if they are able. If work is paying the bill, consider paying this rate.

Notes: Offers to barter/trade are welcome! Appreciation to Both/And and the Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance for publicizing their rates and structure. Both organizations have questionnaires for determining your rate. Both/And notes their questionnaire was inspired by Resource Generation’s “Class Privilege Quiz.”

Learn more about or connect with our facilitation: Sara Clark on LinkedIn and CuriousWays.co