I am excited to share with you some of the valuable information from Maryse’s Conflict Resolution Workshop on Perspective. All of us who joined live really enjoyed learning from her wisdom and expertise.
Here are three of our many takeaways.
1) Points of View. Which direction is your finger going around the clock? Maryse led several practices to help us experience how perspectives differ even when we are looking at the same thing. Here is one simple ‘different perspectives’ practice you can try right now.
1. Sit or stand facing another person – across a computer screen or across a table.
2. Now, pointing your finger towards the other person, move your finger in a circle in a clockwise direction.
3. Ask the other person whether your finger is going around the circle in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Discuss how seeing things differently can lead to confusion and conflict.
2) Biases. Maryse explained how these four different kinds of biases often shape our perspectives in ways that make conflict more likely and harder to address.
1. Confirmation Bias: If we already believe something to be true, we are more likely to focus on information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence that conflicts with these beliefs.
2. Anchoring Bias: The first thing that we see or hear is often what sticks, and we then tend to take in information that reinforces our initial perception and don’t see or ignore information that conflicts with our initial perception. For example, people in a group are more likely to agree with what the first person says about something, whether it is “That’s great!” or “That’s awful!”
3. Negativity Bias: What is negative is more likely to stay with us than what is neutral or positive. For example, if someone gives feedback, we might only focus on the criticism comments and little of the positive comments.
4. Implicit Bias: For better and for worse, unconscious attitudes or stereotypes from previous life experiences or cultural conditioning often cause us to automatically make assumptions about other people. We might make inaccurate assumptions about their character or competence based on their age, race, gender, appearance, level of education, or other characteristics.
3) A ‘Shifting Perspectives’ Success Story. After Maryse led several practices on how to shift our perspectives, one of our participants “Susan” shared this heartwarming story about how small actions can make big differences. There was a very grumpy cashier at a cafeteria where she and her co-workers ate almost every day. They complained to each other about the cashier’s poor attitude. Susan realized that this woman was working really hard and getting very little appreciation, shifting her perspective from herself to the cashier’s point of view. She intentionally walked over to give the cashier a compliment and a small tip. The surprised cashier gave her a bright smile.
After that, every day Susan made sure to connect in small kind ways with the cashier, transforming their relationship. Susan’s impact was contagious as other people eating at the cafeteria also changed their own perspective and behavior. By letting the cashier know she was seen and valued she shared of her recent life challenges. The cashier became very friendly with all her customers.
The gems in this workshop are only a very small part of what Maryse has to offer from her many years of teaching conflict resolution. You can learn more from her podcast interview with Leadership Trainer Claire Laughlin. The Five Keys to Conflict Resolution with Maryse Postlewaite, now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
If you want to become proficient at using and teaching conflict resolution skills, I encourage you to sign up for Maryse’s self-paced Conflict Resolution Fundamentals course, which includes live sessions, teaching videos, role-plays, and descriptions of over 30 interactive, fun, engaging activities. Employers will often pay for this course, since participants will gain tools for teaching these skills to others. Upon completion of the course, participants can receive a certificate for 8 CE hours. And, if you cannot afford the full fee of this valuable course, please let us know. As a nonprofit organization, we do not want to let lack of money stop people from benefitting from these life-changing skills.
Finally, if you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation in any amount to help ensure that people in need can gain skills to stay safe, protect young people in their care, strengthen their relationships, and take charge of their wellbeing.
Published: April 8, 2026 | Last Updated: April 8, 2026