Sarena Nicerio

William Erwin
OGL 340
27 November 2019
Module 6 Final Reflection
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?
I really enjoyed this first module. I think “Invictus” and “Gandhi” were great movies to start

with because it showed us how real historical leaders have dealt with conflict in their countries.

These leaders stressed forgiveness and compassion, and that is something that has stuck with

me throughout this whole class. The 60 Minute Segment was also a great way to introduce

mental modes and how we can effectively deal with conflict in the workplace. This video really

made me reflect on my own attitudes and the whole idea of “mindfulness” has been etched in

my head.

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?
It was really interesting to see how a martial art can translate to a way of effectively dealing

with conflict. For me, the main takeaway from this Module was being centered. This is the most

important because if we are not calm, relaxed, and focused, we can’t complete the other steps.

Our ki is affected, and we won’t be able to blend and see from our opponent’s point of view, or

with a fresh set of eyes. If we’re unable to do that, we also won’t be able to lead and take
things to a conclusion that benefits both sides. So, dealing with workplace conflict in a

professional and effective matter ultimately starts with you being able to find your center.

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?
Spitting Out the Hook taught a lot about digging deeper and looking for an event and a reaction

of another person. It really put things into perspective for me because I was someone who used

to easily get offended by other people’s comments. You don’t really think about asking what’s

making them say these things about you. Instead, you react and respond with anger or by

finding ways to blame them. So, I think this was a really useful skill to learn about and practice.

Overall, I thought the quizzes were pretty fair. You can only do well if you actually read and do

the activities. The quizzes also highlighted some concepts and ideas that I didn’t initially notice

or think much of when I first read each chapter.

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 think H.E.A.R. was good to review and learn about because it showed me how to be a more

effective listener. It’s a good model to follow in replacing old listening habits. It also puts

emphasis on uncovering an event and a reaction. Old habits I had were interrupting and

introducing new information. Usually I would do this because I was trying to defend myself

from what the other person was telling me. By doing this, I wasn’t really listening to them or

seeing the bigger picture - I was only hearing the things that bothered me.
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?
BURN CLEAN was an effective skill to learn about because being assertive is something I

struggle with. In the past I would use aggression, but now I use avoidance. I haven’t been able

to find that middle ground - assertiveness. So, this is definitely a skill that needs to continuously

be worked on. However, I do think I am now more aware of how to express my wants without

throwing out hooks.

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?
SAY YES is still going to take time for me to feel completely comfortable utilizing, but I think I

have a good understanding of each step in this skill. I’ve definitely been in the position of

“mediator” before, but I’ve never really focused on setting ground rules or “asking the critical

question.” I need to practice using this model more before I feel completely confident using it

to help transform conflict.

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?
Overall, I thought this class was very interesting. I never even heard of Aikido until this class. I

thought the workload was fair and manageable. Not once did I feel overwhelmed by it. I really

liked how each module flowed; the way you have it set up makes the most sense to me. I like

how each module ties into one another.