Trainer Kathy Galleher on Using Style Matters

Consultant Oma Drawas on Using Style Matters

What Trainers Say About Style Matters

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Ready for this?

 

Heat is rising.  On all fronts.
Divergence and diversity
 -  the new normal.

Do your HR people have
the necessary tools?   

[In the COVID era] HR leaders will need to start collaborating more with employees at every level. Now is the time to focus on interpersonal relationships rather than control, standards, and hierarchy.

       Sue Bingham, "How HR Leaders Can Adapt to Uncertain Times"
       Harvard Business Review, August, 2020

 



When heat rises
What happens to humans?

Easy to use, easy to scale, the Style Matters conflict style inventory helps individuals and teams review and optimize responses to conflict and stressful situations.

Users

  • Take the assessment online on their own (10 minutes; 20 questions).
  • Receive an eight page score report packed with practical insights for solo study or team discussion.
  • Reflect and discuss.  Style Matters works well for solo use.  But conflict is a social experience so.... 

Role of HR 

HR helps the above to happen by:
  • Initiating, emailing an invitation with pre-paid link to take the inventory to users.
  • Following up, in person or online - in zoom conversation, coaching session, team discussion, or workshop.
  • Resourcing,  using free guides and online resources on our website that equip anyone with basic facilitation skills to lead effective followup.

Unique features help you rise to the heat.

Stress awarenessStress awareness

Style Matters scores for both Calm and Storm settings.  

Why?  Brain research shows that stress and emotions greatly effect cognition and behavior.  Some people behave quite differently in Storm than in Calm. 


Cultural flexibilityCultural flexibility

Users choose whether to answer questions based on their general patterns or in reference to only one type of conflict. 

Why?  In some cultures, responses to conflict are strongly shaped by context.  These users have difficulty answering questions "in general" about their responses.  

Team focusTeam focus

The Style Matters score report has a section for colleagues of the user, with suggestions for how to support the user in difficult times.

Why?  Conflict is not an individual experience - it happens between people.  Learning is not a one-off event - it's a process.  The Style Matters score report is for individuals and teams. Both benefit over time.

What trainers say about Style Matters.

As an HR consultant team we found your inventory tool and trainer's guide to be very effective. Participants in our last training session really enjoyed and learned from understanding their own conflict style and learning how to more effectively engage with others in a conflict situation. Thanks for developing such a great tool.
Naomi Shivelly
Shivelly L.L.C., Canton, GA
... simple yet very effective....
Eric Collins
Operations Management Consultant, Next Level, Placitas, NM
....a great success with many groups who have never done this type of work before. I've been using it for years with everyone from commodity traders to public works employees to teachers and police officers, and find it much more "meaty" than Thomas-Kilmann or others.
Fran Sepler
President, Sepler & Associates, Minneapolis.
This has been a great instrument for the groups we have trained.
Larry Gay
Leadership Consultant and Coach
For many years, I have been using Style Matters in my mediation and conflict resolution training program. I highly recommend this tool to introduce people to the concepts of conflict styles and quickly build their understanding.
Katherine Munn
Munn Conflict Resolution Services, London ONT
An excellent tool! A thorough presentation that can be used by people from all cultures. Asks the right questions, deals with the important reality that people react differently to conflicts in the beginning than later when they intensify. The reflections and discussion section is really well done and the suggestions are practical.
Brian Bloch
Director, ISKCON Resolve, Mumbai
The training we conducted using Style Matters was very beneficial to our organization.
Fire Department Trainer
British Columbia
I find your conflict style inventory much more helpful than the Thomas-Kilmann instrument which I had used before.
Jonathan Eilert
Pastor, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Loveland, Ohio
This assessment and the accompanying explanation of scores and application have provided many "aha" moments for my students. I'm looking forward to continuing to use this as part of the unit on leadership and management skills.
Andrea Gunter
Vice President for Enrollment and Management, Kingswood University, New Brunswick
Thanks very much......... We were previously using the Thomas-Kilman in our staff trainings and have received a lot of positive feedback since the switch.
Michael E. Rhodes, LCSW
CPHQ Director of Quality Improvement Preferred Behavioral Health of NJ Brick, NJ
...worked exactly as we anticipated. We are extremely pleased and plan to use the tool whenever we train this particular workshop. We are also considering how to best integrate it into additional course offerings on leadership and customer service.
James Reynolds
Organizational Development and Training, Department of Consumer and Business Services, State of Oregon
... they really liked it. People commented a lot about how much they got out of it. The discussion of different styles helped people understand each other. It created a lot of camaraderie and understanding. We'd had some difficult dynamics among staff recently and the styles discussion helped people talk about their feelings about a key person who uses the Directing style a lot.. People came out of the workshop feeling positive about themselves. I was really pleased with the whole experience.
Phoebe Kilby
Sympoetica, Woodstock, Virginia
Having used the Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory for several years, I can say it is hands-down the best thing on the market. I find that the approach the inventory takes makes it extremely useful for training. I have also used it with professionals (engineers, planners, lawyers) and find it effective in introducing concepts and skills of conflict resolution.
Laura Bachle
Confluence Consulting

How users evaluate Style Matters.

We constantly upgrade Style Matters based on user feedback.   These metrics summarize feedback from the most recent 600 respondents in 2021.
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Try Style Matters as a user - free!

 Experience for yourself the things trainers love:

  • Seamless, one-click transfer from invitation email to the first page of the inventory, where you land already logged in.
  • Quick, easy question format. (20 questions in ten minutes).
  • Instant delivery of score report, on screen and via email, or print-out in a high-quality format.
  • Practical, actionable score report.
  • Team orientation.  Special section in score report makes team conversation easy.
  • Free additional resources.  Score report has links to free resources on our site - discussion questions, trainers guides,  essays on anger management, conflict resolution skills, gender dynamics, cultural dynamics, and more.
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You live in the 21st century.

Experience a 21st century conflict style inventory.  Sign up now for complimentary access to Style Matters!
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Optimize for learning

Train with tools designed by trainers and optimized for learning. Direct attention beyond numbers to core strengths, opportunities for growth, and strategic choices.

Prepare for diversity

Build conflict resolution skills in settings where managing differences is challenging. Use training tools with built-in cultural flexibility. Provide opportunities to discuss how diverse backgrounds shape habits in conflict.

Be practical

Ground learning in affirmation of existing strength. Give clear, simple feedback on areas of concern. Provide detailed suggestions for options to improve.

Be stress aware

Calm≠Storm. Recognize response to conflict as dynamic and not single state.  Give tools to manage the Storm Shift.

Be where they are

Provide multi-platform delivery of training. Support groups and teams scattered physically and working together online. Use time-saving web tools to facilitate learning for individuals, teams, or groups, in face-to-face workshops or online.

Work with limits

Price training materials in reach of all who need them. Reduce prep, coordination, and delivery time with trainer-friendly online tools. Deliver rich learning, on location or online, in less time, with less travel.

Take a long view

Expand the window of learning and support reflection before, during, and after workshops. Set up rich discussion in pairs, small groups, and large groups. Followup with resources for continued growth.  Facilitate journeys, not events.