Work through conflict & accomplish amazing things
Conflict is hard.
I get it. It is especially hard when you are trying to accomplish something that really matters to you. I have worked with a lot of teams in conflicted situations. I know how challenging that can be and how hopeless it can feel.
It can feel impossible.
But I also know that I’ve seen many struggling teams get through impossible situations with the right tools. The truth is that there are patterns to the mayhem, and there are proven strategies we can use to sort out the mess, calm down the static, and understand the options. Sometimes it takes an impartial third party (like a mediator, or a facilitator) to change the way the conversation unfolds, making it possible to find the insight and intelligence hiding behind challenging behaviors and dynamics.
Curiosity is not a fossil fuel, but it does diminish from time to time. Part of my role in conflict is to help each person create moments in the process to rest, refresh, and find clarity about what they need. Often, this restores a bit of curiosity about what may be possible. There may be more options than you think.
I always felt welcomed, understood and heard
★★★★★
“I always felt welcomed, understood, and heard. I enjoyed working and collaborating. She really helped bring my thoughts to light.”
- Maria White, Home Visiting Coordinator for CIS state team
She’s my go to facilitator
★★★★★
“She’s my go to facilitator. She’s an excellent communicator. If you lay out your expectations they will be met and all of your meetings will begin and end on time with tangible outcomes.”
- Mike, Senior Government Official
Jen was instrumental in supporting our team
★★★★★
“Jen was instrumental in supporting our team in distilling the many needs and directions of our larger team into clear and intentional goals, moving us towards shared understanding and consensus.”
- Vermont Department of Health Program Manager
You want a mediator who you could tell anything to and they won’t judge you for it.
I fully believe that you are the expert on your own experience. I’m not paying attention to what you “should” do, or “ought” to have done! What I care about is the following: what are you wondering? What are you hoping for? Are you confident that you have good information with which to make decisions? I am paying attention to different process options that will help you move closer to your goals.
Sometimes “meetings” look like a traditional in-person event, but often I will use a combination of virtual technologies and tools.
I taught adult students in the Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies certificate and graduate programs for fifteen years. This has yielded lifelong insights about how different people approach conflict and how they reflect on their process -- all of which transfers to my design work with teams, retreat-planning and public input processes.
A little bit about me.
I grew up in a tiny town in Vermont. I went to a one-roomed schoolhouse through fifth grade, spent every day exploring the great outdoors, and inherited my grandmother’s knack for finding four leaf clovers.
Those of you who know me, know that I love my facilitation job. The workday is original every time, and chock full of puzzles, meaning, challenge and connection.
On the home front, my most important job is as a mother of two kids, now teenagers and moving quickly, more quickly than ever, on bikes and skis. In quieter moments – when I’m not trying to keep up with them (or their schedules!) – I like to doodle, cook and garden.
Let me take a moment to say thank you to my kids, to my husband, and to my family and friends, whom I adore. I am so grateful for their community of laughter, stories and presence. They keep me hopeful and grounded, and with them, life is full.
Stay amused,
Jen
Professional Bio: Jennifer Knauer, M.S. in Mediation & Applied Conflict Studies
I hail from a from a background in crisis intervention, social work, and mediation, and have worked in the field of conflict resolution as a mediator/facilitator since 2003. Most of this case work has been in community and organizational settings. In addition to growing a private practice in facilitation and planning, I taught mediation and conflict resolution courses for over fifteen years at Woodbury College and Champlain College.
The Standard Code of Conduct for Mediators guides my work and similarly informs my conduct in the role of “facilitator.” These values define expectations for practitioner conduct regarding: client self-determination, impartiality, conflicts of interest, competence, confidentiality, quality of process, advertising and solicitation, fees, and advancement of mediator practice (available at https://www.acrnet.org). These standards are consistent with the International Association of Facilitators (https://www.iaf-world.org/site/pages/statement-values-code-ethics-0 )