The Office of Student Affairs presented the Skills Development Training Workshop (SDTW) titled “Understanding and Managing Conflict” at the Alingal Multipurpose Hall on 24 August 2018.

Over 101 student leaders from 26 student organizations attended the workshop. Some of the student leaders who participated are newly elected officers.
The speaker for the workshop was Catherine A. Bobis, a faculty member from the Psychology Department.

Bobis presented various activities for the student leaders in the workshop. She presented videos showing how conflict arises within a group, and the types of “toxic” people — members who are potential sources of conflict or who act indifferently towards their fellow members. She requested the student leaders to be grouped according to their respective organizations in order for them to identify and list down the types of “toxic” people that are present in their respective organizations.

Bobis stressed one of the most common sources of conflict, which is miscommunication, that people would sometimes have problems with relaying and receiving information. She presented methods on how the students could resolve conflict in their respective groups. Bobis then urged the students to be mindful of themselves, that their attitude and disposition towards their fellow officer might be the source of conflict within their respective groups.
Finally, the participants were given the opportunity to ask the speaker for some advice on resolving conflicts within their respective organizations.

The SDTW is under the over-arching program for student leaders and organizations, the Ateneo Leadership Development Program (ALDP). It focuses on one of the three areas of growth of the ALDP, Competency Building, wherein student leaders are given venues and forms of interventions in order to help equip them with the necessary set of skills in leading and managing their respective organizations.

— By Leo Jeremiah Arnel O. Caayao, Program Officer for Student Leadership Development