Welcome to the Conflict Management Office

two people walking on a path in the autumn

What's New


Our New Name

In order to promote clarity on campus, moving forward, our office will simply be known as the Conflict Management Office. 

  • Will your services change? No, we will still offer all of the same services that we have in the past.
  • Can I book an appointment to discuss an issue related to human rights? Yes, we are one of several offices on campus whose staff are knowledgeable in this area.  You can still book an appointment with us to discuss such concerns.

Postdoc Virtual Drop-in

The Conflict Management Office will host a Zoom drop-in session for post-docs on the last Thursday of every month.  This is available to any postdoc seeking advice on navigating difficult conversations with supervisors or colleagues, using effective communication, handling uncomfortable situations, and more. Upcoming dates include:

Sep 26, Oct. 31, and Nov. 28 at 2:00 PM  
https://uwaterloo.zoom.us/j/91057297355?pwd=WtaoEEUlbR9QcQSRVekHfqjAuRGcjy.1

Remember that staff in the Conflict Management Office are available to meet with you individually as well.  Email Lynn Long (l3long@uwaterloo.ca) to learn more.

Difficult Conversation Wednesdays

Are you having difficulties with a friend, a classmate, a supervisor, or colleague? Do think you may need to have a difficult conversation?  Are you unsure how to begin?  Do you wish you had someone to listen and provide feedback as you consider your approach?  The staff in the Conflict Management and Human Rights Office are setting aside Wednesday especially for difficult conversations. 

If Wednesdays don’t work for you, we are able to meet other days as well.

Maintaining Effective Relations with your Supervisor: A Microlearning Series for Graduate Students

Microlearning is an educational concept based on The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (Shail, 2019). It involves presenting content in "bite-sized" chunks, interspersed with opportunities for application and/or reflection in order to reinforce key concepts and improve knowledge retention (Kang, 2016MacLeod, Reynolds, & Lehmann, 2018). Providing content that is available "on-demand" for self-directed and individualized learning, is also part of a microlearning strategy. Read more about micro-learning.

Each of the short (7-15 min) videos is accompanied by a reflective worksheet that facilitates a self-directed, self-paced learning experience for busy graduate students.  

Although these modules are on the longer end of what is usually considered microlearning, they are still much shorter that the former 90-120 minute workshop format and are designed to facilitate reinforced learning and application of key concepts in a self-directed, individualized learning format.