All Episodes

July 9, 2025 51 mins
Conflict as an Opportunity: Insights from Dana Caspersen

Dana Caspersen, author of Conflict Is an Opportunity: 20 Fundamental Decisions for Navigating Difficult Times, is a conflict engagement specialist, TEDx speaker, and award-winning performing artist. With expertise in mediation and conflict analysis, Dana empowers individuals and organizations to approach conflict with curiosity and openness.

Shifting the Mindset on Conflict

Many people see conflict as something to avoid, but Dana believes it presents an opportunity for constructive change. Early in her career, she tried to suppress or control conflicts, often leading to unresolved tensions. Through her studies in conflict mediation, she realized that engaging with conflict rather than avoiding it fosters deeper connections and better outcomes.

Strategies for Navigating Conflict Effectively

  1. Stay Curious
  • Instead of shutting down in tense moments, open up and seek to understand the full picture.
  • Actively listen before jumping to conclusions.
  1. Communicate Without Blame
  • Use facts instead of generalizations.
  • Explain how a situation impacts you rather than assigning fault.
  1. Foster a Healthy Conflict Culture
  • Establish team norms around conflict resolution.
  • Create a safe space for open discussions.
  1. Acknowledge Without Agreeing
  • You can acknowledge someone’s experience without necessarily agreeing with them.
  • This helps build trust and openness in conversations.
  1. Use Emotion as a Guide
  • Emotions indicate deeper needs and concerns.
  • Recognizing emotions can help clarify what really matters in a conflict.
Key Takeaways

  1. Conflict exists because something matters—identify what that is.
  2. Approaching conflict with openness creates new possibilities.
  3. You can’t control conflict, but you can control how you respond to it.
Connect with Dana Caspersen

🌐 www.danacaspersen.com
🔗 LinkedIn
📷 Instagram
🎥 YouTube

Host Contact Information: 📧 Email: janeen@janeenvosper.com 📞 Phone: +61 413 940 117 🌐 Website: Janeen Vosper 🔗 LinkedIn: Janeen Vosper 📘 Facebook: Speech Perfect 📸 Instagram: @speechperfect 🐦 Twitter: @VosperJaneen 

📢 Enjoyed the episode? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment on the We Are Women Podcast!

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.