The most important communication skill is the ability to listen. That’s one of the things Sara Steinweiss tries to get across to clients who hire her new firm, Conflict Resolution Systems LLC.
Steinweiss, a former teacher at New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst, founded the new company with a goal of assisting business owners, educators, families and individuals deal with every day conflicts and address the stressful situation and move past it so that they can grow and prosper.
Conflict Resolution Systems LLC offers workshops and training techniques designed to fit the client’s particular situation, according to Steinweiss, who said her methods can dovetail nicely with any situation, schedule or communication need.
“Other conflict resolution companies are kind of cookie-cutter,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle. “They have one way of doing things and they stick with it. What’s unique about my company is that we adapt to the needs of a client. I can do a tailor-made workshop for your particular organization.”
Once a client contacts Conflict Resolution Systems LLC, the company sets up a consultation with a negotiation and mediation specialist that will work with the client to determine what the conflict is, who is being affected and the overall goal the individual/organization is seeking.
Once that determination is made, Steinweiss tailors workshops specifically for the client.
Steinweiss’ methods include lectures, group instruction, group activities, role play, team-building activities, individual instruction and questionnaires.
“It doesn’t have to be a long-drawn out process,” Steinweiss said. “Sometimes, it’s just a matter of holding a four-hour workshop to get everybody on the same page.”
Conflict Resolution Systems LLC will also do follow-up work with the client once the workshops have been completed to assess the progress that has been made.
While each situation is unique, there is usually a common thread in cases where conflicts are taking place, according to Steinweiss. In the vast majority of cases, the conflict is the result of a lack of communication. “Everyone can utilize healthy communication skills. It’s an important thing to learn and once you learn it, it stays with you forever,” she said.
People involved in a conflict, whether it is work-related or a family drama, often talk past each other and blame each other, Steinweiss said. “People look to blame others and they don’t look at their own role in the situation. That’s where communication skills come in. And the most important communication skill is the ability to listen.”
Steinweiss is no newcomer to conflict resolution programs. As a teacher at New Utrecht High School, she trained her fellow educators to handle conflicts and taught her students the techniques as well.
She is a graduate of Brooklyn College and holds two master’s degrees; one in special education from Adelphi University and another in school administration from Touro College.
In 2011, Steinweiss left education to pursue a different career path. She went to work for Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-parts of Bensonhurst) and served as an educational liaison and events planner in his office.
Two years later, she joined the staff of the Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO) of Brooklyn as director of operations and special events.
“All of the experiences of my working life have led me to this moment of starting my own company in conflict resolution. Looking back, I realize that I needed to be a teacher, I needed to go work in the councilman’s office and I needed the experience of working in a community organization’s office to help round out my viewpoint,” Steinweiss told the Eagle.
For more information on Steinweiss’ company, visit www.conflictresolutionsystems.com.
