For some weird reason, when I hear the term conflict management, I always have an image of the greatest world champion boxer – Muhammad Ali.  I think back and remember him saying “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Floating and stinging, two such different acts, the similar effect of being pulled and pushed in all different directions like on the breakdancer. Often conflict can be seen in the same light – the pulling and pushing in different directions. Some people may even resort to the “stinging like a bee”, hoping to resolve conflict in this manner, which is highly ineffective.

The following learning material will focus on what conflict is, the different conflict styles and ways to manage conflict effectively.