Conflict Facilitation Practice Group

Kirstin from the Conflict Transformation Weave is offering a monthly Conflict Practice Group.

What it is about

Being with conflict is challenging and facilitating conflict is something that needs to be practised. This group wants to create the space to play with conflict and build conflict (facilitation) skills.

Who it is for

This group is for anyone who wants to learn more about conflicts. You don’t need to be an expert, not even in NVC. You need to bring curiosity and the willingness to learn about how to listen differently and what works when things get tense and in conflict facilitation. We experiment and learn together.

The format

We meet for 3 hours on the first Saturday of each month (currently this is aspirational, but we meet once a month. Stay tuned for the announcements of the dates for our meetings.).

The group relies on participants bringing their real conflicts. Several of the conflicts are explored in initial conversations. Afterwards we decide together what is most appropriate: role play (potentially semi-simulated Restrotative Cricle), exercises, one-to-one support (in small groups), coaching around how to support conflict, peer feedback and learning.

People bringing one of their conflicts usually gain deep insights, and so does everyone else. Being in a role-play can bring up strong emotions and discomfort. The focus of the group is on practising facilitation, so it may be that we stop role-playing at a point which does not feel complete. We aim to allocate plenty of time for any role-play.

There is no rule about which conflicts can be brought and which cannot be. All participants are asked to assess for themselves whether they have the resources and support needed for being with the feelings that engaging with the conflict will bring up. Don’t hesitate to ask, if you notice something has come up, you don’t know how to be with.

There is an extensive feedback section to digest how the experience was, what we learned and what worked (or didn’t work) well in facilitation.

Practicalities

The group will be held online on Zoom. We will meet on Saturday afternoon once a month.

Sign up for email updates on next dates here: https://forms.gle/p4Z95ETVc1K227C36
Or send an email to Kirstin.

We ask for a financial contribution towards CTW. The requested donation per meeting is £10-50. Please contribute to  CTW by making a bank transfer to Kirstin’s business account:
Account holder: Kirstin Heidler
Sort code: 23-14-70
Account number: 68463727
Reference: CFPG <Month> <Your Name>

Session Structure

This structure will change as we evolve together what works best. This is the structure we used for doing conflict circle facilitation practice:

1. Check-in: How are you in this moment? What brought you here today?
2. Check-in about: Who has a conflict they might like to explore? Who is interested in practicing facilitation/accompanying someone today?
3. Breaking into groups: What is the conflict about? What are core needs involved? Where does the pain come from? Where are things stuck? What is needed next? Who needs to be involved?
4. Break
5. Debrief and Harvesting, hearing what is needed next
6. Deciding together where to bring our attention as a group
7. Role-play, exercise, circle – potentially breaking into small groups again
8. Harvesting/Feedback
a. How was it for me to be in this role today, what did I learn (about myself, about conflicts, about facilitation…)?
b. Feedback to facilitator: What worked well, what didn’t about facilitation? Facilitator first to themselves then everyone else to facilitator
c.Feedback about the conduct of the group today
i. What celebrations do you have about this gathering/group?
ii. What feedback about what happened do you have, that didn’t have space yet?
9. Check-out: How are you now? What are you taking with you?