The Dynamics of Conflict: A Guide to Engagement and Intervention, Second Edition

Chapter Seven

Communication

Effective communication is the key to constructive conflict engagement. We engage in conflict through communication processes that are direct and indirect, purposeful and accidental, verbal and nonverbal, symbolic and concrete, interactive and unidirectional. Good communication is deceptively simple and yet extremely complex. It is the most important skill for conflict professionals to develop and nurture. The good news is that communication skills can be learned, applied, and enhanced. But good communication is harder than most people realize. Most of us who work as conflict specialists believe we are effective communicators (at least when we want to be), and most of us are able to articulate the essentials of good ...