Prompt #1: In Module 1, you watched "Invictus," a clip from the movie "Gandhi," and a 60

Minute Segment on Mindfulness. The idea was to have you look at attitude and a mental
model about conflict, review the attitudes of two powerful leaders, and consider your own
approach to conflict. Did this Module help set a foundation upon which to develop the rest of
the course? What worked and didn't work?

Nelson Mandela models that good leaders approach conflict with specific goals and a long term
vision in mind. Mandela knew that what the country needed was not revenge, but reconciliation. One
would think that Nelson Mandela would harbor resentment and want revenge. He modeled an
exceptional example of conflict resolution. My takeways is that leaders who want others to believe in
and act upon a specific vision must be effective at communicating that vision in a way that people
comprehend and see the possibilities and are willing to take action. In the 60 Minute Segment, we
learned about mindfulness and it being an activity that can lower our stress levels and to spend more
time in the present. This is not an act I practice but since this exercise I have started meditating a
couple times a week and I can say I feel happier, more energetic, and more productive because of this
exercise.

Prompt #2: In Module 2, you were introduced to the martial art, Aikido. The purpose of this
module was to use a martial art that deals with "physical conflict" in a different way, a way
that provided a metaphor for how to deal with conflict in the workplace. What did you take
away from this Module? Did you see a connection between the principles of Aikido and the
principles of dealing professionally with workplace conflict?

My biggest takeaway was “centering.” I learned when I put my attention to my center, I have the
power to remain centered even when someone intentionally tries to throw me off balance. I honed
into the concept if you are always focused on the words passing back and forth between you and the
other party, you will always remain stuck inside the conflict, always trying to beat the other person
with a better argument. This is symbolic of moving away from your center. If you remain in your
center, then you will be able to keep your thoughts rooted in the actual problem underlying the
conflict.

Prompt #3: In Module 3, you were introduced to the first conflict transformation skill,
"Spitting Out the Hook." Did you learn the skill? Will it help you deal with conflict? Was this
quiz (and were the quizzes} fair, too hard, or too easy? Did the quizzes help you gain more
from the text?

I learned the key to “Spitting out the Hook” was the six second rule. I was surprised how effective it
was to pause and think through the process of unhooking. Since Module 3, I have practiced the six
second rule many times and it has prevented me from “being hooked.” This might have been my
favorite module because I must admit I do tend to get “hooked” which results in me feeling triggered,
angry, and disoriented. My partner and I enjoy using this technique in our recent conflict resolutions.
In my opinion, the quizzes were easy. They did help me gain more insight from the text.
Prompt #4: In Module 4, you were introduced to the second conflict transformation skill,
"H.E.A.R." Did you learn the skill? Will it help you deal with conflict? Some of you already
use an active listening skill; was learning H.E.A.R. too redundant or was it valuable to review?

I didn’t find this skill redundant. I think it’s always valuable to review conflict transformation skills.
I always need to brush up on my non verbal cues. I know I need to work on sending mixed messages
by not controlling my attitude, eye contact, or body language. I like that HEAR encourages you to
briefly summarize what the other person said. I think in the past, there has been miscommunication
between what I thought the person had said. Overall, I am glad to have gone over the components of
H.E.A.R again.

Prompt #5: In Module 5, you were introduced to the third conflict transformation skill,
"BURN CLEAN." Did you learn the skill? Will it help you deal with conflict? Will it help you
express your "wants" without throwing out hooks?

This skill was one of the hardest for me. I have a difficult time stating my desires or wants from the
conflict. In order to avoid throwing out hooks, I think it’s imperative to stick to “I” messages. I think
it’s also effective if you are able to successfully state the changes and to be clear about the
consequences that will happen if the problem isn’t fixed.

Prompt #6: In Module 6, you were introduced to the fourth conflict transformation skill, "SAY
YES." Did you learn the steps in this skill? Will you be able to use it to help you transform
conflict? How confident do you feel about using the SAY YES Model?

Yes, I did learn the steps to this skill. I feel like I was able to successfully mediate a conflict between
two of my team members. I felt most comfortable using this conflict transformation skill and I hope
to use it more often in the future.

Prompt #7: Is there something you wish you had learned or some topic we needed to spend
more or less time on? Add any final thoughts you think would be helpful in improving this
course. Overall, was the workload fair and manageable, light or too much?

I believe this is my third class with you Professor Erwin. I love the course content and the different
ways you engage with your students. I’m really excited about my takeaways from this course.
Overall the workload was manageable. I loved learning the different conflict transformational skills
from the videos of you and your colleague made. I always prefer to learn from something that’s more
personal and relatable versus being sent to a TedTalk. I appreciated the clips of Invictus and Matrix.
It’s always nice when you diversify the different types of course content. Thanks again for a great
semester!