Conflict Resolution is more than a soft skill – it is a deliberate and conscious effort that encompasses a bit of understanding about psychology, humanity, anthropology, and sociology. The inevitability of conflict in our everyday life and workplace takes away from valuable energy that could instead be utilized for creative innovations and productivity. With the prevalence of conflict in today’s environment, there is no better time to gain conflict intelligence than now.
Based on insights from research in psychology, peace and conflict studies, and complexity science, a new applied framework offers new meta-competencies—Conflict Intelligence and Systemic Wisdom —to help individuals resolve conflict and promote more constructive and peaceful relations across diverse contexts.
In my book CONFLICT INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT "CONFLICT-IQ™"; The Missing Piece to Turbocharge Conscious Leaders' and Organizations' Emotional Intelligence, I share insights into how our own thinking and levels of consciousness are key components of shifting our behaviors to avoid negative reactions to conflict. I also share how to help organizations design systems to transform culture for a civil and inclusive workplace.
Research from the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR) at Teachers College, Columbia University regarding Dynamic System Theory (DST) has identified two meta-competencies—Conflict Intelligence and Systemic Wisdom —for managing conflicts in ever-changing contexts, and for transforming entrenched conflict systems.
Conflict-IQ™ (of Conflict Intelligence) refers to the overarching set of competencies that enable one to navigate different types of normative conflicts in distinct settings constructively and effectively.
Systemic Wisdom refers to the capacity to understand the inherent propensities of the complex, dynamic context in which a conflict is embedded, and to work with the dynamic of the system to support the emergence of more constructive patterns in the organizational structures.
Taken together, these Conflict-IQ™ and System Wisdom competencies offer a new paradigm for the practice and teaching of conflict resolution.
Are you interested in testing out your ConflictIQ™? We have built a short assessment tool to give you some feedback (this tool is just ten questions - the full assessment is over 60 questions - but this tool can give you an idea about how the full assessment works). Just click this link to answer the questions:
https://mediate.typeform.com/to/arnfq8HS
If you include your email in the quiz (it’s totally optional) you can get a copy of all your responses.
If your score is 15 or up, congratulations! You have good conflict intelligence, which means you exhibit strong conflict resolution skills. This also means that you are helping to maintain healthy workplaces. Keep it up.
If your score is 14 or below, you might want to explore developing more conflict resolution skills to help you advance in your career, support your well-being, and preserve good relationships in your workplaces.
If you are interested in learning how about Conflict-IQ™ (and learning how the tools can benefit your mediation practice) you can visit this website for more information: