Do you know that part of being charitable is giving constructive criticism? When we give feedback to others, we help them improve and become better in so many ways. Unfortunately, many people are not willing to give constructive criticism for fear of offending the person or causing a conflict situation.

Alternatively, there are many people who don’t know how to give negative feedback empathically, and that too can cause conflict. They may be too harsh when giving their critique, perhaps even with malicious intent.

There are several instances in which proper feedback is beneficial and even necessary. In the workplace, employees need to know which areas they can improve on in order for them to do better in their job. In school, feedback is an essential aspect of learning and assessment. Continue reading →

In 1969, Norwegian socialist Johan Galtung published the paper ‘Violence, Peace and Peace Research’ which details how to properly analyze conflict and how to work towards a solution or peace.

Included in his groundbreaking study is a framework called the Conflict Triangle, which aims to understand the different factors that can cause conflict.

To be able to work towards conflict resolution, or to understand the process better, it is necessary to recognize at its most basic what a conflict is.

A simple definition that provides a basis to work from is that conflict exists when two people or groups have seemingly incompatible goals or ideas, therefore creating two perspectives or opposing sides to a situation. Continue reading →