Teaching
Managing Conflict:
Strategies for Elected Officials
2008 Dates TBD
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Elected officials frequently deal with sensitive, sometimes contentious, issues at board meetings and in other public and private settings. Knowing how to successfully manage these conflicts is critical to achieving shared goals for a group or community.
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The first step toward managing conflict successfully is to identify your personality type and understand how it helps or hinders you in resolving differences with others. It is also important to understand how other types of behavior can negatively affect negotiations and prevent a group from reaching agreement. Finally, understanding and using the principles of interest-based negotiation will allow you to achieve win-win solutions, while preserving important working relationships.
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In This Program, You Will Learn:
- How to identify your personality type and understand how it affects your approach to conflict
- How to identify and address behavior patterns within a group that may hinder its ability to reach agreement
How to use practical strategies for overcoming obstacles (i.e., getting past “No”)
- How to understand the “real” issues behind disagreements and work toward win-win resolutions
This innovative new course incorporates two teleconference lecture and discussion sessions with one full-day on-site session, which will include individual and small-group exercises. There is an expectation of confidentiality within the program; participants’ specific situations will not to be shared outside the workshop.
Who Should Attend?
Mayors and municipal council members
County board chairs and members of their boards of commissioners
School board chairs and members of their boards of education
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Please note: The course is limited to 15 participants.
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What Will It Cost?
Registration fee is $130 (includes breaks and lunch)
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Course Design and Expectations
The course is composed of three sessions and includes an assignment to be completed independently prior to the first session.
August 28 – Participants will receive an advance reading assignment, one exercise, and the Situational Temperament Sorter (STS) instrument; completing these assignments will take approximately 45 minutes.
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For More Information
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For program information and application forms, visit the course website.
Resources to help North Carolina public officials on public dispute resolution and information on other upcoming workshops can be found at http://www.ncpdr.unc.edu/.
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Registration deadline (2008 TBD).
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Admission Policies
Admission to all Institute of Government schools and conferences is without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. If you have a disability or need accommodation to participate in any Institute program, please let us know. We will be glad to assist you.
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Beyond Public Hearings: New Models for Learning and Acting with Citizens
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2008 Dates TBD: Chapel Hill, NC, School of Government
Overview
While public comments at board meetings and public hearings are well-known methods for citizen input, government officials are increasingly seeking better methods to reach more of their community in a proactive and ongoing way.
Many civic leaders outside of government are developing enhanced, and new means of communication, participation and problem-solving through meaningful community involvement.
This workshop will help civic leaders and government officials understand and connect values, goals, models and techniques for citizen engagement and shared governance.
Objectives
Understand the choices and underlying values in approaches to citizen participation
Examine principles and tools for helping citizens deliberate on public issues
Comprehend different models of government-citizen work on particular needs or issues
Understand specific techniques for face-to-face contact, use of surveys, and Internet-based exchanges
Practice integrating citizen participation into program or policy development
Gain skills in analyzing data gathered from citizens
Who Should Attend
A wide range of local government and education officials can benefit:
- County commissioners and city council members
- School board members
- City and county managers and assistant managers
- City and county department heads
- School superintendents and top administrators
- Public information officers
- Planners
- Citizen advisory board members, and the government staff who work with boards
Community-based nonprofit organizations working on civic affairs
Local philanthropies involved in civic affairs
Instructors
Lydian Altman-Sauer
Maureen Berner
Janet Cowell
Margaret Henderson
Warren Miller
Rick Morse
John B. Stephens
Gordon P. Whitaker
Registration
Class size is limited to 30 participants. Course registration is on a first-come, first served basis. The training will be held at the School of Government, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Registration fee is $180 which includes all training materials, snacks, and lunch.
Checks or money orders made payable to the School of Government should be sent with a copy of the registration form to: Registration Office, School of Government CB# 3330, Knapp-Sanders Bldg. UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330.
Online Registration
Printable Registration Form
Workshops
for NC Public Officials
2008 Dates AND LOCATIONS TBD
There is a three-workshop series
on Resolving Public Conflict (Once the dates are confirmed, you will be able to click on a Workshop link to read more about the program and register on-line for the date(s) and location of your choice.
Workshop I:
Public Disputes: Situation Assessment and Negotiation
Skills, a one-day session to be offered 4-5 times
around the state. Dates are To Be Announced (by end of June 08).
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Workshop II:
Collaboration and Tools for Handling Contentious Stakeholder
Groups, a two-day session to be offered in two locations. Dates are To Be Announced (by end of June 08).
Workshop III:
Managing High Emotion and Contention in Public Hearings
and Meetings, a one-day session to be offered in two locations. Dates are To Be Announced (by end of June 08).
Registration fees:
Workshop I - $125
Workshop II - $240
Workshop III - $115
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Who Should
Attend
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The workshops are designed primarily
for:
City and county managers
School district superintendents and administrators
State government agency leaders: top department
officials, division and section directors
Local government department directors
Regional planning and intergovernmental units,
such as council of government directors and program
managers
Non-profit service providers under government
contract
Public Works and Utilities Professionals involved
in Environmental and Utility Disputes
Professional engineers and licensed surveyors
Leaders of neighborhood groups and civic organizations
Community and court mediators and internal facilitators
seeking public dispute understanding and practice
Others involved in public disputes (e.g. public
information officers)
Who has Attended
[A partial list]
City/County managers and assistant
managers:
Towns, cities, villages: Hillsborough,Woodfin,
Sawmills
Counties: Forsyth County
County commissioner: Harnett County
Schools:
Superitendent, Onslow County
Principal, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools
Health Department: Stokes and
Person County Health Directors
Mental Health: Rutherford-Polk
Area MH/DD/SA
Planning and Zoning:
Planning Directors: Cities of High Point,
Jacksonville, Vance County
Regional Planner, Land of Sky Regional Council
Zoning Administrator: Buncombe County
Planning and Inspections: City of Eden
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For all UNC-CH
graduate students
PADM 221, Public
Affairs Dispute Resolution and Consensus-Building
Build skills and research on collaboration,
effective negotiation, and working with large
groups
Offered in spring semester
Fulfills an elective of the non-profit administration
certificate
Students from public health, planning, social
work, journalism, public administration and
continuing educaiton have participated from
1998-2000
Open to Duke, NC Central and NC State graduate students,
and UNC-CH advanced undergraduate students with
instructor's permission.
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