Effective School Management

Step 
7
When pseudo-agreement has been reached, the facilitator gets the participants
to specify exactly who is going to do what by when. There is likely to be a
further meeting to review progress, and this should be set up. Also there needs
to be agreement on the first step to be taken to deal with those issues which
have not yet been processed to quid pro quo.
Thus the process is iterative, and success in the first round encourages the
participants to tackle the more difficult issues.
EXERCISE 6: Image Exchange
This technique is normally used with groups and is described as such, but it
can also be applied to an interpersonal situation.
Step 1
The facilitator explains the phenomenon of stereotyping in such a way as to
‘blame’ it not on the shortcomings of the individuals or the groups, but on the
organization structure; stereotyping is the natural outcome of a situation in
which any two groups that have to relate are deprived (for example, through
overwork) of social contact. He or she might give examples of a humorous
nature because by setting a mood of lightheartedness he or she can often dispel

---

MANAGING CONFLICT
115
apprehensions. Indeed, doing this exercise sometimes gives rise to much
hilarity, which is an effective solvent for bitterness.
Step 2
Each group goes to a separate room, equipped with flipcharts, to produce
two lists, on separate flipcharts:
(1) A list that characterizes (even caricatures) what they think and feel about
the other group – their outlooks, their aims, their modus operandi, etc.
Candour is to be encouraged.
(2) A list of what they predict the other group will be writing about them,
trying to anticipate what the other group dislikes about them.
A variation on the procedure is to produce a third list, of how they would like
to be seen by the other group. If there is a cartoonist in the group, it is often
helpful (and entertaining) to illustrate the lists.
Step 3
The two groups come together, the flipcharts are displayed, and each group
in turn reads out and clarifies what it has written about the other group in the
first list. No discussion is allowed but questions of clarification may be put.
Then each group in turn reads out and explains their second list similarly.
Step 4
The groups return to their rooms, each with all the lists describing their own
group, and they discuss which items are based on incorrect perceptions or
failures to communicate.
Some items will have a rational explanation which can probably be
conveyed to the other group in the expectation that they will exclaim ‘Ah, so
that’s why you always keep doing so-and-so!’ – or some such remark. It is
probable, however, that there will be other items that cannot quite so easily be
explained away, and constitute a genuine source of friction or a problem that
needs to be resolved – such as a chronic shortage of resources to do what the
other group needs. These items are listed, and placed in order of priority.
Step 5
The groups reconvene, share their lists, dispose of the ‘easy’ items (it is hoped),
and then construct from the more difficult items a single list of problems to be
resolved, in an agreed order of priority. They then draw up a plan for dealing
with those problems that they agree to tackle. This plan should spell out who
does what by when.

---

116
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
Step 6
Still meeting together, the two groups agree on a process for monitoring
progress towards solving the problems, for example, regular exchange of
written reports, dates for follow-up meetings to review progress, and any
meeting to be held after several months have elapsed to return to the