Listening to Conflict: Finding Constructive Solutions to Workplace Disputes
We listen with only 25 percent efficiency, according to human resources consultant Van Slyke, and this listening inefficiency is the root of much unresolved conflict. He details a process for constructive dispute resolution, beginning with the suggestion that we get to know ourselves first, a step he sees as critical. Then follow Four Principles of Interaction; Six Levels of Listening; Four Steps to the Highest Level, Empathetic Listening; Three Obstacles to Effective Listening; and Six Steps of Collaboration. The presentation is highly organized, if a little dry. According to Van Slyke, empathic listeners hear both explicit and implicit messages, taking in not only words but also body language, intentions, and feelings. When they couple that level of understanding with their own self-awareness, they are ready for constructive conflict resolution, a process that Van Slyke calls supportive communication. Buried in all those lists are helpful suggestions for effective listening, and it is hard to dispute the importance of learning to listen at work and in life. Recommended for larger public and business libraries.Julie Denny, Alliance for Mediation & Conflict Resolution, Amenia, NYCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.