Personal values: the hidden volcano
Featured in the Managing Conflict training manual
By Caroline Love
Category: Conflict Resolution
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
Many of us hold strong views about situations based upon our values. At times, our values can ‘get in the way’ of productive dialogue by leading us to express ourselves aggressively or to dominate a discussion too forcefully. These behaviours can lead to serious and potentially damaging conflicts between people. This training activity provides an opportunity for the participants to explore the impact of personal values on their own behaviour and to develop strategies for remaining effective when they feel very strongly about an issue, to minimise the potential for conflict.
Following a brief introduction to the purpose of the training activity, you read a potentially controversial story to the whole group that is intended to arouse strong feelings based upon the participants’ values. The participants then work in small groups to discuss and agree upon their responses to three questions you have posed about the behaviour of characters in the story. Next, the participants individually reflect upon their own behaviour in the small-group discussion and move on to discuss their own and others’ behaviour. You introduce a model – the impact of values on behaviour – that helps clarify the cycle before the participants work in pairs to identify strategies for remaining effective. The training activity ends with the participants completing a learning log to note strategies that they will use to remain effective and to minimise conflict.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to give participants a chance to consider how their personal values impact upon their ability to deal effectively with conflict and to develop strategies for remaining effective.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:05:00 |
| No of Pages: | 15 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers in a programme on managing conflict. It can also be used in programmes on negotiating skills, interpersonal skills, team working, and managing effective business relationships.
Download the training activity, Personal values: the hidden volcano as featured in the Fenman training manual; Managing Conflict