This activity works well with the Peace Building Map activity, you can run them together in one session or one follows the other in your meetings. The main topic is conflict management styles. Participants will first consider examples in their life, to help understand that conflict is not necessarily bad, but that being able to understand and manage it can create more dialogue. Deep reflection is required to achieve the objects of this activity.
1. Draw a grid or squares on the floor, using tape, chalk or something similar. Within each square, write one of the following words (you can add other words/description to help the understanding of these words, where necessary):
- Avoidance
- Compromise
- Competition
- Accommodation
- Collaboration
2. Gather the group around these squares.
3. Introduce the 5 different squares, try to simplify the word and put it in to context, for example:
- “When I see people arguing, I try to walk away or stop listening’, this is avoidance.
- “My mum and dad sometimes cant always agree on the solution in their conversations, so, they find a solutions that works for them both, but doesn’t match perfectly for them as individuals”, this is compromise.
4. Ask the young people to stand in the square that fits the example you provided.
5. Explain that these represent the 5 different conflict management styles.
6. Now, ask the young people to close their eyes and think of a time in which they have had a disagreement with someone. This could be their friend, sibling, family or teacher etc... It could even be from their part time job or university study (depending on the age section). Give them 1 minute.
7. Then ask the young people to think about the previous descriptions of the 5 squares (conflict styles) and to stand in the square that best reflects their approach during this disagreement.
- Ensure to communicate that there is no right or wrong, we are all different.
8. Ask some of the participants to explain why they are standing in that conflict management style? The idea is to show all of the young people the diversity in approaches and that there is no right or wrong.
9. Explain that conflict happens in our everyday life, it isn't always a bad thing and the more we understand about ourselves, the easier it is for us to understand others and address challenges in Conflict situation. The 5 squares represent the different ways in which we can address conflict - some come more naturally to us than others, but we can all adapt.
10. Now, ask each young person to walk to the square they would most like to be in, if they could choose, before their example of conflict occurred (point 6 above).
- Ask one or two of the young people to share why? Again, there is no right or wrong.
11. Then, hand each young person the measuring your conflict style sheet below. Ask them to think about times they’ve experience conflict, moments they have in their life/have seen, to help them reflect on the questions.
- They should fill in their scores as shown.
- Explain that they should not list what they think is the “right” answer is, but rather what comes naturally to them
12. The measuring your conflict style is potentially complicated to understand or uses more complex language than accessible to some young people. We encourage all adult leaders to assess the needs of their group and proceed accordingly. This could be;
- Reading them out as a whole group, explaining and ask the young people to write their answer down,
- Translate and adapt the language in a way in which will be more accessible for your young people.
13. Once participants have completed the sheet, you can ask them to share with the group, if they wish, their style. This will help them all see uniqueness and that we all have a default response, its not good or bad.
