WEEK 5 POST 3

The concept that I wanted to further discuss that pertained to Chapter 4 was that of S-TLC. Stop, think, listen, communicate is definitely the best way of solving a conflict. For me personally, the most important of the four steps is listening; during conflicts it is very easy to disregard how the other person feels. It is going to be impossible to resolve the conflict if you do not take their feelings into consideration. Listening to others can be also be very helpful during a conflict because what they have to say might make sense to you and you will be able to get to the bottom of the problem even quicker. Stopping and hearing the other person out in a conflict is something that has really helped me throughout my life during times of struggles and something that I will definitely use in the future. In conflict all we care about is how we feel and we usually do not take the other person into consideration, but if we did the odds of reconciliation are much higher. 

WEEK 5 POST 2

During my reading of Chapter 4 I began to think about the question of what do I think about when others talk? To be honest I really think it depends on what our conversation is about. If the conversation is about something I am interested in I will usually let the other person finish whatever they are saying, think about how I feel and then respond. I do not really think a lot while other people are speaking, I usually try and be a good listener that way I can respond accordingly. After listening to someone I do not write what they say down; I can typically remember all the most important details of what they were talking about. Unless it is notes in class then I write down everything because I am not sure what is the most important thing being said. Overall, I would say that I am  a pretty good listener and take everything that people say in to account before responding. 

WEEK 5 POST 1

After reading Chapter 4 I came up with a few different thoughts pertaining to the matter of conflict. First of all, I feel like it is important to avoid conflict at all costs because it does not benefit anyone, and the repercussions are not worth it. But conflict s inevitable; it happens everyday and the only way that I know how to stop it is by finding out what the problem is and all that the conflict entails. That is the hardest part, getting truthful information from two people in conflict. Clearing your head with a “time out” is very important because during a conflict it is very easy for a person to over-react and not realize the bigger picture. We may say things we do not mean and possibly hurt someone that we actually care about. For me it is very easy to avoid blowing things out of proportion because I usually can find the bigger picture in most situations. The conflict at hand is usually not as important as the consequences that will proceed from escalating the argument. 

WEEK 4 POST 3

After reading the Chapter as a whole, the topic that I wanted to further discuss was that of common ground and finding the median between different aspects of my life. Being a collegiate athlete entails a lot of devotion to your sport and it becomes almost a job. We spend hours on hours each week perfecting our craft at practices, workouts, meetings, and other team events. If I am not able to find common ground between my friends, family, sports, and school work then I will make people unhappy. My family understands that I am not going to be able to come home very often and see them, which is a sacrifice, but makes the time that I am with them that much better. My friends are always going to be around and I’m lucky enough to have good relationships with my teammates that I can be with my best friends doing something we all enjoy every day at practice. Common ground is important for me because I cant afford to spend too much time on any one thing, and making sacrifices and finding time to do everything is an every day thing for me.  

WEEK 4 POST 2

Every day I face difficult decisions that affect different aspects of my life, but through the use of framing, reframing, fractionation, and common ground I am able to decide what I need to do and when I need to do it by to have a successful day. For example, I use common ground in order to space out my time and make sure that there is enough time for me to play baseball and also schoolwork. I have to find a common ground between the two and make sure I am not favoring one or the other.  Next, I use framing and reframing by asking my advisors what they think needs the most time and what will be the most time consuming of my tasks; then I use framing by making the decision on what exactly I want to do and how much time that I am interested in putting into it. Finally, I use fractionation throughout my day by making a list of exactly what I need to do throughout my day and how I will accomplish my goals for the day. 

WEEK 4 POST 1

After reading chapter 11 I believe that communications majors would make good mediators because we understand people and are able to relate to a broad amount of people. We understand emotions and how people are feeling, and are able to relate to them. Throughout my communication class thus far I feel like I have become a pretty good mediator of conflict. I know how to express myself and solve conflicts quickly. Communications majors are good speakers and know how to make people understand them and relate to them, and that is why we are good mediators. On the other hand, lawyers and psychotherapists would not be good mediators because their job is to stick up for a single person or group. There is no mediating between two things in their job. They are taught to only take one side of a story into account and defend that side of things. A good mediator must take everything into account and figure out what is best for everyone.