Engaging Conflict through Inquiry and Courageous Conversations

Get Down Off Your Ladder!

Engaging Conflict through Inquiry and Courageous Conversations

  • Presenter: Steven Byers, Helping Human Systems
  • Length: 60 minutes
  • Date: April 3, 2019

 

This webinar explores the “Ladder of Inference” as a tool to understand the human tendency to “leap to a conclusion.” Conflicts between people in an organization or other living system often arise because the two parties have taken some action based on untested assumptions. How do we notice when we start to “go up the ladder?” How can we work with another person to engage productively when we find ourselves in conflict? The Ladder of Inference helps increase individual awareness of potential unhelpful behavior, and frames a process to inquire and learn rather than escalate.