1 Ellen reflects on the challenge of offering robust conflict

Before you get started, listen to this audio extract from Ellen of Family Time.

In this extract, Ellen reflects on conflict within her organisation and external to it. She wants her staff to be bolder in terms of how they talk to her and how they relate to her: to be more open about what they stand for and believe in. Such an approach, she hopes, would lead to more helpful insights and ideas. Ellen recognises that she could do more to create the kind of culture and atmosphere that would enable such ways of working but needs to reflect more on how a more challenging workplace might be achieved. Equally, she is frustrated that some of the bigger picture issues her organisation is concerned with are not being addressed. Ellen wants her collaboration to be more challenging, in terms of the people around the table pushing one another more, but is rightly nervous about how to go about doing so.

Before getting underway with the two sections on conflict in practice, you will be introduced to the basic concept of conflict for voluntary organisations and a perspective known as ‘agonism’ as a useful way for thinking about the issues ahead.