Conflict
Management
How do you handle this?
Conflict Management
 Al Bean- University of Southern Maine
Student-athlete Misconduct
 Val Cushman- Randolph-Macon Women’s
Resource Management
 Steve Larson- Northern Athletics Conference
Personnel Conflicts
 Susan Bassett- Carnegie Mellon University
External Constituencies
College
Student-Athlete Misconduct
Al Bean, University of Southern Maine
 Gambling
 Hazing
 Disorderly Conduct
 Plagiarism
Resource Management
Val Cushman, Randolph-Macon Women’s College
 Facilities
 Budgets
2 Dogs and One Bone:
Limited Resources and Conflict
Management
Do you have enough resources to meet
your needs?
 Facilities
 Staffing
 Operating Budget
 If the answer is yes–

This would be a great time to step out and get
some fresh air!
If the answer is no…
 Does the shortage of resources cause
conflict/strain among members of the
department?

If so, you are experiencing the worst of all
conflicts imaginable -
The
Two Dogs
and
One Bone
Syndrome
When does conflict arise?
 Not enough to go around
 When an individual or a group of individuals
perceives s/he is not getting their fair share of
the pie
 Can lead to issues of trust
Conflict Resolution Research
 Communication

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Listen
Clarify
Summarize
Get the “yes”
Brainstorm
 Create Win-Wins
Who has time for that?!
 Master knows best approach

Strengths of this approach



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Understand big picture
Insure fairness
Easiest, most efficient
Weaknesses

May not always know best
 One person making decisions is not as effective as
many voices

Energy invested as watchdogs
Another approach
 Let them “duke it out” approach


Resolution may well be achieved
But it may also result in life-threatening
wounds
A budget model for consideration
 Mixed model



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Locus of control stays at the top
Equity issues controlled for
Allows for some program-level decisionmaking
Open process minimizes trust issues
Concept One - Control
 Must have decision-making models in place
for major areas



Uniform purchase policy
Per Diem
Priority system for facility use
 Must create buy-in for models at time of hiring
 Must consistently use models
Concept Two
 Hire professional and treat them like
professionals



Allow some autonomy in decision-making
Create trust through communication and open
sharing
Reward good work – capitalize on the
competitive environment we work in
Here’s how it can work
 Decision-making grids in place for:

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Meals
Lodging
Uniform Replacement
Professional Development
Transportation
Keep the locus of control where it matters
 More control where it directly affects student-
athletes and/or others in the department


Practice times
Per diem
 Give control in other areas



Recruiting – both merit and need based
Professional Development
Meal Money Saved
Budget Request Process
 Decision-Making Models are automatically inserted
 Program Director (coach, trainer, SID) input requests
on shared file


Includes 1, 2, 3, or capital ranking
Requested are open for everyone to see
 Athletic Director and SWA review requests and w/
input from SWA, AD makes decisions, sometimes in
consultation
 Again, everyone sees budget allocation and can
answer questions, particularly those from studentathletes
Back to the Research
 Communication
 Listen
 Clarify
 Get the “yes”
 Brainstorm
 Create Win-Wins
Back to the 2 dogs-one bone analogy
 Fortunately, those of us involved in the world
of intercollegiate athletics are not dogs!
 If we hire professionals
 If we inform in the hiring process
 A mixed-model approach may well do the
trick.
 Now, let’s talk about dog tricks!
Personnel Conflicts
Steve Larson, Northern Athletics Conference
 Discipline
 Termination
External Constituencies
Susan Bassett, Carnegie Mellon University
 Parents
 Alumni
 Boosters
Setting Parameters
 Pre-season meeting with student-athletes
 Pre-season meeting or communication with
parents (coach)
 Careful language in the recruiting process
 Be friendly, but not friends- set the tone
 Policies related to “Friends” of athletics

NCAA recruiting regulations

Clear boundaries on support
Conflict Resolution Policy

A student-athlete who has concerns related to his or her
athletics participation has several options available to
resolve the issues, including:

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Scheduling an individual meeting with the head coach
Seek counsel from team captains or athletics advisory council
representatives
Schedule an individual meeting with the director of athletics
Seeking counsel from an appropriate person outside the
athletics department (academic advisor, associate dean,
counseling center staff)
All students are considered adults and under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy act. College personnel
may not discuss issues with parents unless the student
provides a waiver.