In today’s episode, titled “The Necessity for Healthy Conflict Resolution,” our host Pastor Glenn Underhill of Cross Creek Church, along with Craig Etheridge, founder of Disciple First, and Dr. Bernice Riley, a licensed professional counselor, dive deep into the essentials of managing and resolving conflict healthily within leadership.
Conflict, though challenging, is an inevitable aspect of leadership, particularly within the church. Today’s conversation emphasizes the importance of starting conflict resolution by addressing emotions, understanding perspectives, and pursuing clarity. Our speakers highlight the need for empathy, genuine apology, and emotional readiness to navigate through misunderstandings and maintain strong relationships.
We explore practical strategies such as the H.E.A.R.T. approach for addressing emotions and the value of creating a safe and genuine environment for open communication. They also draw parallels with martial arts training, emphasizing the importance of preparedness and having pre-determined strategies for handling conflict.
Join us as we uncover Jesus’ teachings on conflict and reconciliation, underscore the necessity of engaging with emotions first before moving to factual problem-solving, and offer tools to help you gracefully manage conflict as a disciple-making leader. Stay with us until the end for a special offer on our free e-book “Fight Right” and more insights from our Grow series. Let’s embark on this essential journey towards healthier conflict resolution in leadership.
Overview:
- 00:00 Podcast introduction by Glenn Underhill on conflict.
- 05:37 Understanding our reaction to feeling threatened.
- 07:55 Addressing conflict with anticipation and loving navigation.
- 11:08 Jesus ties conflict resolution to relationship with God.
- 14:28 Love God and others, connected through love.
- 18:06 Reconciliation conversation focuses on getting to the heart.
- 19:47 Emotion matters when communicating facts effectively.
- 25:33 Importance of listening, asking questions, understanding emotions.
- 27:42 Historically, “just calm down” has never worked.
- 32:13 Comfort and soothe others in distress.
- 33:59 Struggling to communicate effectively in early marriage.
- 38:23 Empathize and deescalate, don’t villainize or demonize.
- 39:29 Emotional engagement is necessary for conflict resolution.
- 42:40 Empathy makes me more aware and accountable.
- 47:16 Humility fosters healed relationships and gains favor.
- 50:06 Strive for reconciliation, not winning arguments.
- 51:56 Reconciliation process takes time and commitment.
- 57:43 “Making disciples with clear pathway and tools.”
- 59:03 Disciple 1st podcast on making Jesus-model leaders.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the key differences between understanding someone’s emotions and agreeing with their perspective during a conflict resolution process?
- How can leaders ensure they are emotionally prepared for conflict resolution situations?
- In what ways can starting with emotions rather than facts aid in de-escalating a conflict situation?
- Why might it be important to frame apologies around owning personal offenses rather than issuing dismissive apologies such as “I’m sorry you feel that way”?
- How can leaders create an environment where their team feels safe to express their emotions and concerns during a conflict?
- Discuss the acronym H.E.A.R.T introduced by Speaker C. How can this approach be practically applied in a conflict resolution scenario?
- What are the potential drawbacks of avoiding conflict and how might this impact leadership and organizational health?
- How can empathy act as a ‘work of imagination’ in understanding others during conflicts, and why is this effort crucial for reconciliation?
- How does the analogy of Tae Kwon Do training illustrate the importance of preparedness and strategy in handling conflicts?
- What are some key strategies leaders can use to transition from addressing emotional aspects to factual problem-solving in a conflict resolution process?
