{"id":77,"date":"2020-07-21T14:04:09","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T18:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adelphi.edu\/conduct\/?page_id=77"},"modified":"2020-08-10T10:13:04","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T14:13:04","slug":"difficult-conversations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.adelphi.edu\/conduct\/faculty-resources\/difficult-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"Difficult Conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a time in your student’s life when they are potentially experiencing what it is like to live on their own, it may be their first time sharing a room with someone, and classes may be challenging their thoughts for the first time. College is a great time for students to learn who they are and what their beliefs are. This time can lead to difficult conversations for students with roommates, friends, classmates, and even family members. These conversations can range from topics like who keeps the room clean to derogatory remarks their friends make. To keep these conversations from escalating we have provided some useful information on topics that may inform how you handle the difficult conversations.<\/p>\n

Fight-Flight-Freeze<\/h2>\n

Your body has a natural reaction to high-stress situations that you may recognize as Fight or Flight. What not everyone knows about is there is also a third reaction called Freeze. This natural reaction is a way that your body is trying to protect itself from a threat and\/or danger. When in a high-stress situation your body can release a large amount of hormones (particularly adrenaline) in your sympathetic nervous system. These hormones can prep your body to battle and triumph over what is threatening you, this is known as the Fight. If the antagonistic force is too powerful your impulse might be to outrun it, known as the Flight response. Sometimes your body processes a threat as dire and that you can neither confront the threat or run from it safely, in this end you Freeze. Knowing how you react to a threat will help to determine how you will react to conflict.<\/p>\n

Conflict Resolution Modes<\/h2>\n

When having difficult conversations conflict may arise. There are five different modes of Conflict Resolution according to Thomas-Kilmann. While it is not necessary to memorize every mode it is important to be aware of them. This makes it easier to identify which mode someone may be using and help you navigate resolving the conflict with them. It is important to note that when dealing with conflict the goal is to use the Collaboration Mode.<\/p>\n