Yaitza Rivera
Resilience Coach • Champion for Causes
Reflection
I had the pleasure of taking Communication and Conflict Management with Dr. Gary Beck as both an undergraduate and graduate course as part of the Linked Program for the BA/MA In Communication. While all of my Communication courses required exemplary college-level writing, taking this course on a graduate level meant adapting to the style of graduate writing which was new to me. Successfully completing the course would put me one step ahead in pursing my Master's.
Communication is an essential part of leadership. Leaders must communicate clearly and concisely, foster an open-dialogue environment, and apply active listening. As conflict is an inevitable part of life, leaders must be skilled in how to manage conflicts in a constructive manner. With my resilience coaching, I often enlist the Three As®: Acknowledge, Address, and Act. Applying these to conflict management helps me and my clients in resolving conflicts effectively. Mediating and compromising are conflict resolution skills that are crucial in leadership and assist in finding opportunities in challenges. Additionally, developing increased emotional awareness by adapting to different perspectives and communication styles combined with implementing an empathetic leadership style leads to stronger, more meaningful connections.
These connections are crucial in resilience work as my clients entrust me to be a partner in navigating life's challenges, guiding them through. With an emphasis on creating a safe and supportive environment utilizing the skills learned in this course, I am able to build trust and rapport. This allows my client's the space for self-awareness and inspires confidence in their ability to make progress toward building their resilience and achieving their goals. The coach-client relationship heavily relies on collaboration both for addressing client needs, goals, and setbacks, as well as, addressing any conflicts or disagreements that may arise during the coaching relationship. Resilience work is a prime example of a reciprocal learning environment!
COMM421/595: Communication and Conflict Management Description: Focus on theory and research of communication processes in conflict episodes across social and personal relational contexts. Applications of communication approaches to conflict management emphasized. 📋 Here is a list of specific content focuses from COMM421/595: * Communication Foundations including verbal & nonverbal communication, listening skills, and communication barriers. *Interpersonal Communication Skills including communication styles, perception, active listening, and empathy. *Conflict Management & Resolution Skills including conflict styles, negotiating and mediating, and conflict resolution styles. *Emotional & Self-Awareness Skills including emotional/self awareness and regulation, motivation, social skills, and empathy. *Cultural and Diversity skills including differing communication and conflict styles, bias and discrimination awareness, cross-cultural communication, equity and inclusivity.