Signs of Unhealthy Conflict

12/05/2016

Importantly, outdoor play enables children’s natural curiosities and develops essential attitudes toward learning. This play may be viewed as the highest form of research!
Julie Thomas, Ph.D., in Growing with Nature

In a creative organization, the clash of ideas and opinions keeps the organization growing and improving—this is healthy conflict. But not all conflict is productive. Here are signs of unhealthy conflict as outlined in the article "When Friction Flares—Dealing with Staff Conflict," part of the new Exchange Press book "Developing People in Early Childhood Organizations."

Conflict among staff in a center can be destructive if:

one person or faction is bound and determined to emerge victorious
focus of the debate changes but the adversaries remain the same
discussion never moves from complaints to solutions
staff members start taking sides
parents or other outside parties get drawn into the debate
continuing acrimony starts to erode staff morale
dissension continues even after a decision is hammered out
debate focuses on personalities, not issues

Killing the bad germs doesn’t have to wait until the kids are gone. Now you can spray stop germs during the day, before they spread, with a product so gentle you can use it around babies with no rinse required. At WB Mason, Essendant, Amazon.

Explore Resources for Creating Natural Outdoor Environments

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.