Talk about diversity with your colleagues and with people in the community. Only through dialogue will we learn and reach mutual understanding. More important than having all the right answers is knowing how to ask questions and engage in effective dialogue. It doesn't matter how much you know if communication skills are lacking. Sometimes interactions lead to conflict.
Conflict is a reality in every organization, and it can be productive if handled well.
Conflict can raise differences and concerns that might not otherwise be expressed and lead to new, creative approaches. Active listening Understanding underlying concerns Mutual problem solving A key is to ensure that each party truly understands the other's perspective, which can be difficult even with people we know well. You should not be satisfied with just being able to repeat or paraphrase what the other person says. Your goal is to see things as your dialogue partners sees them, even if you disagree with his or her views. This mutual understanding lays the groundwork for the best chance for developing agreements that meet each party's hopes and concerns.