Ground Rules for Controversial Discussion

A controversial discussion can be related to some topics on which people have their own views. Such topics include religion, politics, social responsibilities, war, terrorism, patriotism, mass media, drugs and national beliefs. These are topics which often lead to heated and quarrelsome discussions and such issues are often discussed by students, working professionals, political leaders and even average US citizens. Mostly students discuss on these topics the most, as it gives them a chance to expand their knowledge base and help them distinguish between what's wrong and right. But if you want to have a decent discussion, some ground rules in place need to be in effect.

Ground Rules for Meetings

There are several ways to have or make effective rules for group discussion or a meeting and each rule should be read out to all the members who are taking part in the discussion. Ensure that all the members understand these rules and then begin the meeting.

• At the start of your meeting or your discussion, introduce yourself and also ask people to state their name and introduce themselves.
• Respect views and ideas put forward in the meeting by the participants.
• Appreciate and value that everyone has their own set of opinions and will think and talk accordingly, and be happy that everyone has a different mind set.
• Only one person speaks at a time and others listen while he/she speaks.
• When speaking for the first time, raise the hand and say your name, or make your voice audible so that the people sitting know that you are the speaker.
• Never interrupt the speaker, if you wish to contradict his/her point, ask the chairperson.
• Talk plain and simple English. Don't use long sentences and talk slowly.
• If you missed out or didn't understand some point, ask the concerned person to repeat or explain it. You are probably not the only one who didn't understand.
• Never use short forms, always use full words.
• Be polite in your speech don't be rude to anyone, if you disagree about something, concentrate on the matter your discussing not on the person.
• Always be punctual and switch off your cell phones during the meeting.
• If you are not comfortable regarding the guidelines, have a word with the person in-charge.

Ground Rules for Conflict Resolution

Often people say, conflicts are unavoidable, I say, have rules to avoid conflicts. Resolving conflicts can be a stressful job and sometimes even a frustrating and an embarrassing experience. Let's have a look at some more rules to ensure that a conflict resolution goes on in a positive and fair manner.

• Keep your interactions under control, even when you have lost your cool and you are feeling hurt. Please avoid name calling, abusive language and put downs.
• Keep your emotions under control, even when you have lost your temper and are not getting a chance to speak.
• Whenever you are discussing a hot topic always follow a structured process allotted to it. Minimize discussions that could lead to a blow up. Use a planned negotiation or an inter-mediation to plan communication on an effective basis specially on delicate issues.
• Show an effort to understand points put forward by other people. If participants feel acknowledged and understood, they would willingly cooperate when there is a problem. Have the quality of empathy.
• Put forward your points honestly and openly. Not having a discussion on real problems will only delay the meeting and complicate it more.
• Be direct in your points. Don't make your discussions on assumptions, rumors and speculations. Always rely on personal observations that can be asserted by some proofs.
• Always focus on solutions rather than the past differences. Coming to a group solution takes less time than blaming others for all the wrongs which happened in the past.
• Look for an answer that is beneficial for all. Make an approach that finds common interest for all in an effective way so that each participant gets his/her needs met.

So these were some basic guidelines for controversial discussions. Follow them so that you can always have smooth and fast discussions which are based on controversial topics.