"Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much." – Robert Greenleaf

Has it happened to you? In a discussion of a controversial issue where there are differing opinions and viewpoints, are your colleagues so busy expressing their own viewpoints that they don't listen to your opinions and suggestions?

Why is this? It occurs when the meeting switches from problem-solving to a win-lose competition. Effective communication is at the core of all productive relationships. If policies are to truly serve the public good, it is essential that all participants make a real effort to understand the issues from all perspectives. That means we all need to spend more time listening to each other and less time stating our own point of view.

How can we change this deeply ingrained habit of arguing and debating instead of building collaborative solutions? We begin by committing ourselves to working on solutions that meet all our needs. While this is easy to say, learning this new skill can be very difficult.

In most policy discussions, we begin by individually diagnosing "what the problem is" and then constructing a solution. Each of us comes to the meeting with "the" solution to the problem, and the meeting proceeds as a debate over these opposing solutions.

What's wrong with that? It may be that our view of the problem is different from others' view of the problem. When we are debating solutions we are not in agreement of what problem we are solving. By listening more effectively, we can first agree on the problem and the underlying causes of the problem. Then we can work on a solution.

- Jeri Marxman, Extension Specialist, Public Policy

To make the jump from surviving financially on a day-to-day basis to effectively saving and investing money towards a financially secure later life, people need to know how to make informed decisions about investments. Unfortunately, many do not.

Plan Well, Retire Well is an interactive website (www.RetireWell.uiuc.edu) that targets people in their 20s and 30s. It introduces 1) strategies to save money, 2) how money grows over time, 3) tax-deferred saving plans such as IRAs and employer-sponsored plans, 4) the basics of investment choices, and 5) forecasting for retirement. The website uses calculators and worksheets to encourage users to input their own financial information, evaluate their current financial position, and set goals for the future.

Plan Well, Retire Well received the "Cool Website Award" for Outstanding Technical Programming by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Webmaster's Forum.

Financial professionals not affiliated with extension review all content. Their comments have included:

"You have done a very careful and, really, wonderful job. More people should see this type of site when they begin their careers." – Professor in Economics

"You cover many of the topics I cover with individual clients as part of the investment education process..." – Certified Financial Planner

- Charlie Clark, Extension Specialist, Program Evaluation

What comes to mind when you hear the word conflict? Do you think of it as good or bad, positive or negative?

People have different attitudes toward conflict, and it's helpful to know what your personal attitudes are so that you can adjust as appropriate. Each person must know his/her own strengths, weaknesses, natural inclinations, and preferences, because in conflict, these positions tend to be more rigid and hinder a satisfactory resolution.

Unfortunately, such self-knowledge does not come easily. True self-knowledge can only be gained by actively seeking out information about oneself and then acting on it in a conflict situation, asking for feedback, and then trying again. Self-awareness can be achieved through one or more of the following methods:

Intrapersonal Awareness

Listening to our internal dialogue, being aware of our true feelings, and checking our physical reactions during conflict can be eye-opening.

Observation of Others' Reactions

Being aware of subtle verbal and physical cues that others give off in reaction to our behavior can lead to new insights.

Direct Feedback from Others

Asking others for their reactions to what we say or do is the most psychologically threatening route of self-knowledge, but it may be worth the pain to discover areas that need work.

Behavioral Science Measurement

Completing self-rating questionnaires is a less demanding way to learn personal behavioral characteristics.

All conflict has certain characteristics. There must be:

• At least two parties – two or more people, groups, countries, or a country and a group.
• A real or suspected struggle or threat, where two parties want the same piece of cake, strip of land, and so on.
• An interaction or interference – one party attempts to take what the other wants.
• An emotional transaction, such as anger, fear, or sorrow, may be expressed.

Conflict can be large or small; between individuals, groups or countries; simple or complex (as simple as a parent wanting a child to eat a food he/she doesn't want, or as complex as two nations claiming the same territory).

Because of their beliefs or misconceptions, many people feel conflict is undesirable. Conflict cannot and should not be avoided. It is neither good nor bad. It is what we do when we encounter conflict that makes the difference. By applying conflict resolution techniques, we can influence the outcomes of conflicts.

- Rachelle Hollinshead, Community & Economic Development Educator