1. Dragons and Donkeys
Strategies for Conflict Resolution
Ben Jackson - Brian Cheng -Brigham Van Auken - Kelsey Jeratowski - Janet
Malsam - Sara Paape - Sara Lotfalizadeh - Suzy Bathel
Images courtesy of Shrek.com

2. There was a Donkey.
Once upon a time…
He was scared of a Dragon.
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com
Images courtesy of Shrek.com

3. He thought she was after
him. She thought he
didn’t understand her.
They had a slight misunderstanding.
Turned out
they had a lot
in common.
Together
they created
something
weirdly
wonderful.
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com
Images courtesy of Shrek.com

4. Issue Identified
Conflict is unavoidable. As a growing company:
How do we ensure that communication lines
remain open?
How do we empower each other to resolve our
own crises?
How do we encourage trust?
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5. Case Study
Sandy has issue with her manager. Instead of
confronting manager, chooses to vent with peers.
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6. Case Study
Issue festers because no action is taken. Peers
tire of listening to Sandy complain and not take
action.
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com

7. Case Study
What could Sandy's peers do to help?
Be empathetic, but help her see both sides of
conflict.
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8. Case Study
What could Sandy's peers do to help?
Encourage her to speak
directly to manager
about concerns…
Confront the dragon.
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com

9. Case Study
What could Sandy's peers do to help?
If no action from Sandy, explain that they
can no longer be an ear to complain unless
she wants to talk through solutions.
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10. Issue Identified
How do we ensure that communication lines
remain open?
Understand how the message can be delivered.
Understand how the message can be perceived.
(good) (bad)
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com Images courtesy of Shrek.com

11. Issue Identified
How do we empower each other to resolve our
own crises?
In case study Sandy’s peers listened and
empathized, but encouraged her to resolve her
concerns on her own.
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12. Issue Identified
How do we encourage trust?
Ultimately, Sandy worked out her concerns with
her supervisor. We must continue building an
honest and open environment where trust can
breed trust.
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13. Conflict 101
Conflict is more than just a disagreement
It is a situation in which one or both persons
percieve a threat (even if there isn’t one)
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14. Conflict 101
Conflict continues to fester when ignored.
Because conflicts involve percieved threats, they
stay with us until we face and resolve them.
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15. Conflict 101
We respond to conflicts based on our perceptions
It is not necessarily objective or based on facts
and is shaped by our life experiences, culture,
values and beliefs.
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16. Conflict 101
Conflicts tirgger strong emotions.
If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or
able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t
be able to resolve conflict successfully.
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17. Conflict 101
Conflicts are an opportunity for growth.
When you’re able to resolve conflict in a
relationship, it builds trust. You can feel secure
knowing your relationship can survive challenges
and disagreements.
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18. How can I get better at conflict resolution?
1. Begin with the end in mind [what outcome am I hoping
for?]
2. Believe that my feedback may make a difference
3. Find the win-win
4. Role Play!!
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com

19. Resolving Conflict
When it appears someone is acting like a dragon,
maybe you’ve just misunderstood their
intentions…
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com

20. Resolving Conflict
Our objective for this project was to identify common challenges with
understanding unique differences in communication, particularly as
it relates to conflict resolution. Hopefully our message was solidified
in a beautifully simple image – the Dragon-Donkey.
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Images courtesy of Shrek.com

21. Appendix

22. Definition: Dragonkey
drag·on·key
/ˈdra gawn kē/
Noun
A mythical monster, often viewed as violent
and angry, but tragically misunderstood.
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23. Resources
Conflict Resolution: Resolving Conflict Rationally & Effectively
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm
Images courtesy of Shrek™ movie trilogy, a DreamWorks
production.
For more, check out Shrek.com or go rent the movies!
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24. Case Study 2
Fred applied for a management position. It
was given to someone with less than 1 year
with the company (Rachel). Fred has been
expressing to teammates that the person
didn’t deserve the promotion as much as he
does and a colleague told Rachel what Fred
has been saying about her.
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25. Case Study 3
Employees from separate departments are
asked to do opposing actions on behalf of a
client. Each has a vested interest as money is
on the table and resent the other for
interfering in their client relationship and
commission.
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26. Role Play Scenario
There is a small miscommunication at the
office – Bart is taking full credit for a project
that he and his team, which included June,
were responsible for. As you can imagine,
June now has to discover how to handle the
conflict…
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