As the TV show character Ted Lasso once famously quipped, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

It’s in this spirit that staff members from Dental Health Activity in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, learned how to give more effective peer-to-peer feedback and resolve conflict in the workplace.

Master Resilience Trainer – Performance Experts Tomer Blas, Cheyenne Godby, Nate Harris and Robert Raikin-Mejias from the Fort Jackson Ready and Resilient Performance Center provided team-building training to four dental clinics. The exercises included in-depth group discussions, mock scenarios and communication framework briefs.

“We went through a learning conversation road map as a main communication strategy to navigate conflicts objectively ... we covered the Situation- Behavior-Impact model and how to create an action plan to move forward,” said Raikin-Mejias.

The Situation-Behavior-Impact model is a technique for providing constructive feedback: Summarize the situation in which the behavior occurred, describe the behavior in question, and explain how it affects others.

The trainers also discussed the importance of recognizing fundamental attribution error in daily communication, which is the assumption that a person’s actions stem from what kind of person they are, rather than from social and environmental influences or factors.

“It’s key to not look at things on the surface but to dig deeper,” Raikin-Mejias said.

The mock scenarios added additional layers of information, allowing participants to see how quickly they make assumptions and how inaccurate those assumptions can be.

“People aren’t always aware of how much their biases and assumptions can play a role when they watch the actions their peers take and how those judgments impact how they treat their peers,” Godby said.

Peer-to-peer feedback and improved communication can also enhance trust within an organization. Learning and practicing effective communication techniques can allow individuals to share their challenges, connect with others and ask for help.

“Having an open forum to share feedback can help employees develop skills in a nonthreatening environment and be more honest when providing input to others,” Blas said.

An equally crucial communication skill in the workplace is the ability to navigate potential contentions.

“Avoiding conflict can lead to a breakdown in communication over time and cause friction,” Godby said. “Discussing conflict resolution, as well as giving peer-to-peer feedback, allows colleagues to have more ‘uncomfortable’ conversations to improve themselves, their peers, the team, working environment and their team mission.”

Participants learned that there is more to a person’s actions than meets the eye.

After the training, one participant noted that the exercises were “very engaging and applicable to real situations we see in the clinic.” Another found the training “very relevant to our daily job and our clinic’s mission.” Others said they gained a better understanding of effective communication strategies when working in a team environment.

Contact your nearest R2 Performance Center to learn more about training to improve your conflict-resolution and communication skills.