Conflict Imagery (Developing a Reflective Framework)

Have you ever felt like you need to fasten your seatbelt when challenging people come your way? Do you enter conversations knowing there is an elephant in the room? When you work toward a goal, do you skate to where the puck is, or where it's going to be?

With a light-hearted touch, Kiley Fleming deconstructs our innate human instinct to communicate through images in Conflict Imagery: Developing a Reflective Framework. Rather than a set of instructions, Fleming offers a discussion in metaphors alongside personal anecdotes to prove her case by example—that finding common ground (and creating shared understanding) relies fundamentally on imagery. Her unique paradigm rooted in reflection, research, and practice is designed to help parties move towards compromise and feel empowered in the process.

As you work through the book, you'll examine both generally and specifically why interactions turn into conflict, the emotions involved when things escalate, and methods by which to navigate the most treacherous waters in the worst circumstances. They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and the right image can give your words incredible power.