Effective Communication & Conflict Resolution
A Course of Instruction Offered by
Santa Clara County Dispute Resolution & Ombuds Programs
Training Schedule: Fridays April 15, 22, and 29 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Overview of Class
Initiated by the Building Civility & Community Consortium (Formerly “Civility (3C) Task Force”),
this workshop is designed to introduce participants to the theoretical basis for conflict—its sources and
responses—as well as to the tools and strategies needed to deal with conflicts more effectively.
Through an exploration of communication skills and an introduction to mediation techniques and
practice, workshop participants will gain valuable insight and strategies for resolving discord more
effectively for themselves, as well as for assisting others in the resolution of their disputes. Knowledge
will be gained through participation in learning exercises and discussions that will teach and model
active listening skills, “I” messages, dealing with anger and emotion, the use of open-ended questions,
and the ability to position parties through a structured mediated dialogue toward the advancement
greater party understandings of needs and interests, versus respective positions. Time will be spent in
the practice of all skills learned, based on examples of the types of conflict encountered through
relationships in a typical work environment.
Bio of Presenters
Brohne Lawhorne, JD, is the program manager for the Santa Clara County Dispute Resolution and
Ombuds Programs. He has been a practicing mediator for 16 years, and within that time frame, has
taught thousands of students about conflict, communication, and dispute resolution techniques. He has
been a lecturer at multiple Bay Area colleges since 2004 and has been teaching in the Communication
Studies Department at San Jose State University for 11 years. Dr. Lawhorne has been a guest lecturer
at both the Monterey Institute for International Studies, and at Stanford University’s Martin Daniel
Gould Center for Conflict Resolution. Within his practice tenure, he has mediated over 4,000 cases
across a broad spectrum of subject matters.
Commitment following training:
Those who undergo training make an ethical commitment to be willing to use their training in a way beneficial
to the district, such as being part of a mediation team, conduct PDD workshops, or agreeing to train others in
some formal setting, stay in the District for at least 3 year(s), and if involved in mediation, to maintain
confidentiality of all proceedings.
Application Process: Complete an application for Staff Development or ASG as appropriate to be submitted to
the appropriate worksite location by March 16. The requested amount is $250 and you may use this
document as supporting material.
Additional Questions: Contact Sam Ho, 408-375-2768 or sam.ho@sjeccd.edu.
1
25-HOUR MEDIATION TRAINING
(Times are Approximate)
DAY 1 (April 15)
8:30
Greetings, introduction, logistics, goals, and objectives
Expectations
Course Outline
Introductions
9:30
Causes of Conflict
Where do they see conflict on the job and what are the causes?
How does hierarchy in an institution affect conflict and its resolution?
Unresolved vs. resolved conflict
The conflict cycle
Break as Needed
10:30 Comparison of conflict resolution paradigms
11:00 Why mediation works (orange / cake model)
11:15 Value of mediation
Reluctance to mediate
11:30 Overview of the Mediation Process
12:00 Lunch
1:00
Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode (Understanding your drivers)
1:30
Convening
2:30
Communication Skills
 Active Listening
Reflection
Poison and Reframing
Break as needed
4:15
Close Plus Delta (evaluation)
2
25-HOUR MEDIATION TRAINING
DAY 2 (April 22)
8:30
Review of day one (expectations)
9:00
Interests and Needs vs. Positions
9:15
Communication Skills (continued)
 Validation
 Civility
 Maintaining neutrality
 Acknowledging two points of view
 Sympathy vs Empathy
 Summarizing
 Clarifying
 Finding common ground
 Open Ended Questions
 I messages
10:30 Break
11:00 Communication skills (continued)
12:00 Lunch
1:00
Phase I: Parties talk to mediator
 Building Trust
 Defining and clarifying the concerns
 Summarizing the concerns
 Note taking/Using flip charts
Phase II (Parties talk to each other)
 Achieve Understanding
 Attitude Shift
1:15
Opening Statement
2:00
Role Play #1, Phase I and II
Break as needed
4:00
Debrief
4:15
Close plus/delta (evaluation)
3
25-HOUR MEDIATION TRAINING
DAY 3 (April 29)
8:30 Review
9:00
PHASES III, IV and V
 Brainstorming
 Crafting the Agreement
 Reality Testing
 Agreements
 Closing Statement
9:15
Role Play #2, Introduction All phases
9:30
Break as needed
12:15 Debrief
12:30 Lunch
1:30
Trust Building
Face Saving
Role of the mediator
Caucusing
Power Balancing
2:00
Role play #3, All phases
4:00
Debrief
4:15 Close Plus/Delta
4