Our Core Belief: Conflict is a signal that our current way of working together is not functioning well. At ICPJ, we view conflict not as a failure, but as a source of critical data and an opportunity to strengthen our relationships and our impact. We commit to moving from a cycle of Conflict ? Harm ? Distrust to a cycle of Conflict ? Engagement ? Transformation ? Resilience.
Our Goal: To build Durable Power—the collective capacity to work together effectively through inevitable challenges—and to unlock the creative potential within our differences.
I. The Foundation: How We See, Be, and Work
- SEE (Our Lens): We see conflict as a site of co-creation and a natural byproduct of passionate people working on complex issues. We understand that conflict is often a symptom of underlying relational, structural, or identity-based dynamics, including power, privilege, and positionality.
- BE (Our Individual Stance): We cultivate the internal capacity to engage with discomfort. This means practicing self-awareness, self-regulation, curiosity, and taking responsibility for our part in interactions. We commit to showing up with grace for ourselves and others.
- WORK (Our Collective Systems): We build explicit processes and practices that allow us to coordinate our actions skillfully. “Work” is about creating structures that make healthy engagement the default path.
II. The Five Pillars of Our Conflict Resilience
1. CULTURE: The Soil for Psychological Safety
- Goal: To create a culture of Brave Space where bringing conflict forward is seen as an act of care and commitment to the organization.
- Actions:
- Relational Hygiene: We integrate regular, structured pair check-ins and team check-ins to build connection before it’s needed in conflict.
- Assume Difference, Not Sameness: We actively acknowledge our different lived experiences, backgrounds, and access to power. We build our relationships and processes with this diversity as a starting point.
- Grace & Reintegration: We explicitly practice how to welcome people back into the fold after a disagreement or absence.
2. PRACTICES: The Daily Rituals of Resilience
- Goal: To embed methods that normalize tension and build our collective “conflict muscle.”
- Actions:
- Conflict Resilience Practices (CRPs):
- Clear Decision-Making Frameworks: Using tools like a RACI matrix or consent-based decision-making to prevent ambiguity-driven conflict.
- Effective Meeting Design: Creating clear agendas with process notes, and using techniques like a “Process Check.”
- Teaching/Learning Loops: Dedicating time to explicitly learn and practice tools for dialogue.
- Conflict Resilience Practices (CRPs):
3. POLICY: The Clear Pathway for Acute Conflict
- Goal: To have a trusted, transparent process for when conflict becomes acute or stuck. This is our Conflict Engagement Process (CEP).
- The Process – “A Place for Everything”:
- Name & Triage: Any member can name a conflict. We then triage it using the Cabining Framework:
- Cabin It: Consciously set it aside for a later, dedicated time.
- Engage It: Address it directly using our skills.
- Escalate It: Move it to a more formal process with support.
- Assess & Container-Build: We define the central question or issue. For conflicts suited to the Conflict Bowl, the primary step is to secure full, informed consent from all participants to the format and its principles. There is no external facilitator; the group collectively holds the container.
- Engage & Explore: The Conflict Bowl Process
For complex or stuck conflicts, we use the Conflict Bowl as a structured, non-hierarchical dialogue container. The goal is to move from individual positions to a shared understanding of the system of the conflict.- Principles: The process is guided by collective consent to a pre-agreed format. There is no judge, no jury, and no facilitator. The structure itself, to which all parties consent, holds the space.
- Roles (Voluntary & Rotational):
- Issue Holder(s): The person(s) most directly involved. They bring the “content”—their experience, data, and emotions related to the conflict.
- Resource People: Participants who volunteer to listen actively and ask clarifying questions to help unpack the conflict’s relational, structural, and identity-based dimensions. They do not advise, judge, or take sides.
- Witnesses (Optional): Participants who hold silent space and may offer reflections if the format allows.
- The Flow: The process is a “divergent” exploration, not a debate. It follows a pre-agreed sequence of presentation, questioning, and reflection. The power and responsibility for maintaining the structure are distributed among all participants.
- Closure & Integration:
- Harvesting & Converging: The group collectively synthesizes the insights from the Bowl and co-creates specific, actionable agreements.
- Clarity: We answer, “How will we work together now?” and document agreements.
- Organizational Learning: We communicate the general resolution/transformation to the wider organization (respecting confidentiality) to rebuild trust and demonstrate that the process works.
- Name & Triage: Any member can name a conflict. We then triage it using the Cabining Framework:
4. TOOLS: Our Frameworks for Specific Moments
- Key Tools:
- The Conflict Bowl: Our primary container for consent-based, non-hierarchical dialogue.
- The Cabining Framework: Our primary tool for initial triage.
- Situation-Behavior-Impact: A model for giving clear, non-judgmental feedback.
- The Five “A”s of a Good Apology: A tool for authentic repair.
- Power Analysis: A structured way to explore how power dynamics are influencing the conflict.
5. SKILLS: Our Internal & Collective Capacity
- Goal: To build the actual ability to use our practices, policies, and tools.
- Actions:
- Skill Mapping: We regularly inventory the conflict-related skills within our group (e.g., active listening, holding the “Resource Person” role, collective sense-making) and identify gaps.
- Targeted Development: We invest in training to build core skills, especially in navigating power and identity-based conflicts and participating in non-facilitated dialogues like the Conflict Bowl.
- External Support: We budget for and utilize external coaches to help us learn and practice these peer-based models.
III. Commitment to Justice & Equity
We recognize that traditional conflict resolution often fails when it ignores power imbalances.
- We Do Not Assume Equal Footing: Our processes, especially the Conflict Bowl, are designed to surface and address imbalances of power, privilege, and positionality through structured, consensual roles and a focus on systemic dimensions.
- We Focus on Transformative Outcomes: Our goal is not just to settle a dispute, but to transform the underlying conditions that led to it, creating a more equitable and resilient organization.
- We Build for “Durable Power”: We measure our success by our increased capacity to wield our collective power effectively through crisis and difference.
IV. Leadership & Board Accountability
- Leading by Example: The Board and leadership are responsible for modeling the “See, Be, Work” framework and actively participating in all practices, including engaging in Conflict Bowls as peers, not authorities.
- Strategic Imperative: We frame conflict resilience as a core strategic capacity essential for achieving our mission and increasing our overall effectiveness and that of the movement spaces we participate in.
- Resource Commitment: We commit organizational time and budget to maintain and develop this plan, including annual reviews, training, and access to external coaching for skill-building.
This is a living document. We will revisit this plan annually. We will use “practice labs” to simulate the Conflict Bowl and other tools in low-stakes settings, ensuring we can rely on them when needed. Our full library of resources, including the Coda Course Hub and the Conflict Bowl field guide, is available to all members. Resources that are foundational to this document include the Harmonize series on Conflict Resilient Organizations and a zine on Conflict Bowls.