BRJ Jan 22nd 9:40pm

A suitable response will include several of the following:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting with references 

 In this particular case study, the various types and sources of conflict come from the school district, where they are limiting necessary learning skills, that children need to often succeed during their formative years. Not only is the school district taking away times where kids can be kids, but they are also taking away social interaction with likeminded peers. While it is not only the school districts’ fault, the parents also are causing conflict due to their actions against the school district.

            The OD’s role in these aspects is to conflict management by mitigating or being a mediator for both sides. This will allow the OD professional to assess the issues from within, while also being a sounding board to each member and allow for support to be given when needed. Along with that the OD professional has an opportunity to provide potential solutions that could harmonize the conflicts that seem to be arising from both sides.

            To address these conflicts, the OD professional should have a meeting with both sides to understand the full scope and determine what aspects need to be addressed. Another way is to provide the district, the parents, and the students, to be heard in a controlled setting, that would allow a more question-answer meeting or conference to address concerns but also hear the impact that could be happening to the students. Not all meetings can provide support, however, to start a conflict management structure to a problem, it can be a great start.

            With any type of conflict there is always an opportunity for different management styles. There could be ways of determining emotional intelligence, as well as determine how a conflict can be resolved in different steps. Overall, not all conflicts are the same, OD professionals have to learn how to adapt to those conflicts and provide interventions that could be beneficial in certain situations.

             Some interventions to help with the case study would be to facilitate forums to allow everyone to discuss their issues, utilize planing communities to help with the integration of academic goals that come from the district and the parents, and being transparent with one another. All three of these interventions focus on a different conflict that could arise from the case study. Not all interventions work well, however, with the use of trial and error, t=some interventions may work best than others.