Twenty members and staff gathered from November
22-25 to take a brand new OPSEU Train the Trainer, Facilitator
Skills #2. The course focused on the many ways that conflict can
arise in meetings and courses, and participants developed strategies
for addressing those conflicts more constructively.
Participants assessed their own learning styles, and
then we worked with the kinds of workplace conflict that can emerge
from those differences. For example some people like to research &
observe before they try new things; others learn while doing. This
can cause conflict between colleagues or on an LEC. When people
worked in four learning style groups, we could see the differences
in how people responded to different situations. These differences
are a richness for the union if they are understood and worked with
constructively.
Participants used their heightened skills in
addressing conflict, to facilitate a human rights activity, and
to have respectful conversations on inequity and what to do
about it in the workplace and the union. For example, they
developed strategies for responding to a situations like this:
In a local lunch-and-learn on bullying in the
workplace, Janice starts talking about how she thinks this stuff
about harassment is getting a little out of hand. She says she’s
been bullied lots of times in the workplace, and she’s bullied
back and is none the worse for it. She supposes now, that you
can’t even gossip about a colleague you don’t like without being
accused of harassment.
The other participants are looking
uncomfortable, a couple nodding with Janice, others whispering,
a couple looking as though they would like to say something.
With your group, develop a skit of 5 minutes or
less to show the rest of us how you would use your skills in a)
distinguishing between observation and judgement; b) asking real
questions before making statements; b) using the 5 steps we
practised yesterday to:
-
Empathize with Janice (communicate that
you’ve really heard her)
-
Bring the class back together as a group
without dismissing Janice’s concerns
-
Use the issues that Janice is raising, to
advance the workshop.
“I believe the last day was where we were able
to hit the ball out of the park. We need more of those deep
conversations,” commented one participant.
Another person said, “Glad the conversation
about equity came up. If it wasn’t for the different exercises
throughout the week, we wouldn’t have been able to have that
great conversation.”
“I believe that everyone was changed by this
experience in a very positive way. All involved came to new,
very important realizations of how equity issues affect the way
the course material in most educations should be approached by
facilitators,” explained a member participant.
Back rows: Laurie Mulligan, Jim Jurens, Carol
Warner, Morris Tarek, Ceceil Beckford, Marty McFarlane (course
facilitator), Silvanna Petersen, Bebe Defreitas, Scott Kennedy,
Felicia Fahey, Mark Barkley, Aimee Axler, Elizabeth Ha, Barb
Thomas (course facilitator), Jennifer Ahamed-Tiranayake.
Front row: Paul Johnstone, Sandra Snider,
David Prescod, Jude Marion.
Look for the new energizers developed by these
OPSEU educators on our website.
