Women talk about conflict; raise scholarship money

story and photo by Linda Kaufenberg

Learning how to effectively dealing with conflict and raising money for scholarships were on the agenda for the fifth annual Professional Development Luncheon held Tuesday (Sept. 15) at Holiday Inn City Center.

Sharon Herrick, event chair, said the purpose of the luncheon was to aid in professional development of women in the community and to raise money for scholarships. More than 150 women were in attendance.

“We always pick a topic that will not only help women achieve success but also to help employers by having an impact where women work,” Herrick said. “Conflict is something everyone encounters. And we were fortunate that one of our members works with the speaker.”

Network of Executive Women of Fort Smith is an association of women professionals, executives and business owners. The business network offers a forum to exchange personal and professional insights and assistance.

“We have 13 members,” Herrick said. “Some of them own their own businesses and others manage businesses.”

The stated purpose of the group is to promote business, professional and personal awareness by providing opportunities for the members to exchange information about development in these areas during weekly meetings.

Guest speaker was Sheryl Riddle, senior vice president of consulting services for Development Dimensions International. She has more than 19 years of experience that encompasses a broad spectrum of learning and development, organization change and HR business development. Riddle also worked in a variety of organizations representing a broad spectrum of industries.

“It doesn’t matter whether I am in Fort Smith, India or China, people follow the same patterns to deal or don’t deal with conflict,” Riddle explained. “Something happens to spark a conflict, you react, you decide how to handle to conflict and the outcome depends on your choice.”

She told the audience there are five key principles for working through a conflict:
Maintain or enhance self-esteem;
Listen and respond with empathy;
Ask for help and encourage involvement;
Share thoughts, feelings and rationale; and
Provide support without removing responsibility.

Conflict scenarios were presented and Riddle made her way through the audience to encourage participation. Attendees were asked to choose the ways they would handle each situation to diffuse emotions and work through the conflict.

“Working through conflict is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice,” Riddle said. “Open with ‘what’ and ‘why’; clarify details, develop ideas; agree on actions and close by checking confidence.”