Continuing Education

Thank you for voting on the next continuing education course. There was a total of 33 votes made. The winning course is "Conflict Resolution Skills for Natural Resource Professionals" and is tentatively scheduled for the Fall 2007 Business Meeting. You can read more about the course below.

If you have questions about this course or the continuing education committee please contact Steven Donabauer

Conflict Resolution Skills for Natural Resource Professionals

Michael Fraidenburg

     This workshop is supported by my paper in Fisheries – the Bulletin of the American Fisheries Society. It covers the opportunity professionals have to easily apply mediation principles and techniques in their every-day jobs; whether in fisheries, land, environmental, or other kinds of natural resource management. Workshop participants learn how to shift disagreement from a "me-against-you" to an "us-against-the-problem" dialog. This workshop uses a self-assessment tool, discussion, lecture, and role-plays to teach professionals how to recognize different conflict management styles and how to work with these differences. This introduction acquaints learners with the philosophy, concepts, processes, and behavioral skills used to resolve disputes in third-party mediations, including:

    ● Suspending judgment and diagnosing the different worldviews in conflict.
    ● Facilitating quality, respectful communications.
    ● Engaging disputants in a search for common values.
    ● Distinguishing between issues and interests and how to use these.
    ● Analyzing conflict styles and the anger arousal cycle.
    ● Performing a constructive, third party role.
    ● Balancing power differences.
    ● Applying a simple, but effective eight-step conflict resolution model.
    ● Understanding and using the three features of durable agreements.
    ● Knowing when to bring in a professional mediator.
    ● Personal conflict survival attitudes and skills.

This workshop is certified by the American Fisheries Society Parent Society and qualifies for their continuing education credits. I can provide a sample copy of the workbook if you want to scan the workshop content. If you want feedback about this workshop I can recommend you call Dr. William J. "Bill" Stark, Department Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Phone: 785-628-5681, wstark@fhsu.edu. This is the most popular of my workshops and I have presented for several professional meetings and government agencies.