Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

       This week I was asked to think about any recent conflicts at work or in my personal life and consider how I could use nonviolent communication strategies such as compromises, creative or broader solutions, or the principles of respectful,reciprocal and responsive  (3 R's) communication.

http://www.compassionateinteractions.com/nvcmodel.php

            Very recently I had some conflict with a supervisor and major decision they made which would impact my daily work and ultimately my career. When I as informed of the decision I was angry and heartbroken. I was told that I was chosen because  of the amazing work I had done and that I was best suited. I was told that while it would be a challenge I should take it as a huge compliment. However, I saw it very differently. 
           This was the largest scale conflict I have come across in my career and was having a very hard time dealing with it. I had a few strategies for handling the conflict. First, I did my best to keep the conflict quiet. I didn't talk about it much and only told a few trusted people,solely for the use of a sounding board. The conflict was between me and my supervisor and no one else needed to become involved. The second strategy was that I remained professional at all times. Even while crying in front of my supervisor ( I tried my best to maintain my composure but I couldn't help the emotions that flooded me) I shared a few of my concerns and immediately began trying to find the positive. Third, I refused to discuss that matter further with my supervisor until I had time to calm down, think, and gather a list of questions to be better informed and prepared for the change. I also had a list of request to support me in the transition. In the end everything worked out as there a number of events that occurred that  allowed me to maintain my current workload. The final strategy that I used to was allow the conflict to rest once it was over. In the final conversation I had with my supervisor regarding the matter I explicitly shared my feelings regarding everything. I wanted him to know my passion for my current work and how I was impacted by the decision. I did this in a very professional manner with a relaxed tone of voice and non confrontational language. I was however firm in my voice and word choice. I followed up with letting him know that there was no need for anyone to know about what had occurred as it would only serve to harm the positive,collaborative and trusting work environment already established. 
         At the end of this conversation my supervisor praised me for my professionalism, saying that he had always thought highly of me but the way I handled that tough and emotional situation was beyond impressive. I was proud of my self for how I handled the situation but most proud of how I stood up for myself to my supervisor respectfully and professionally.  I believe I handled the situation using nonviolent communication strategies before learning about them in this course.