ELC members gain skills in conflict resolutions
Gathered at the December Eagle Leadership Convocation are An Howard Hill, Tony Boutwell, Victoria Liddell, Brandy Hill, Cyndy Bratu, Dr. Lavon Gray, Marlo Turner, Mandy Hurtt, Mitch Brantley, Kristi Williamson and
Leia Hill.
"Conflicts are a universal reality of life; it affects everything.”
That's what Dr. Lavon Gray, CEO of Blue OCI Health Index, said in talking to the MCC Eagle Leadership Convocation Class for the December session. ELC is an academic year-long professional development and leadership program comprising 10 MCC faculty and staff members: Tony Boutwell, Mitch Brantley, Cyndy Bratu, An Howard Hill, Brandy Hill, Mandy Hurtt, Victoria Liddell, Whitney Stevens, Marlo Turner, and Kristi Williamson.
Dr. Gray, who has written five books including, Never Wrestle with Pigs: A Survival Guide for Dealing with Difficult Personalities, developed the Blue Hen OCI Health Index to help organizations identify their internal conflict levels and develop strategies that promote organization health.
Getting a handle on conflict is vital for business and relationships. "If you can't navigate it, you can't be successful. It's all about relationships, and if you drive conflict focused on keeping the relationship intact, you'll be successful most of the time," he said.
ELC class members agreed Dr. Gray's talk was beneficial, giving them practical steps in resolving conflicts. Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the MCC Foundation Leia Hill said Dr. Gray’s session offered valuable insight. “His presentation was fantastic,” she said, noting participants learned how to expand their perspectives to help build campus-wide relationships from Dr. Gray’s thought-provoking session.
The next ELC is Feb. 7. Kassi Rushing, a communications and people strategist, will lead the discussion on the topic of Behaviors of Inclusive Leadership and Growing an Engaged Team.
For more information about the MCC Eagle Leadership Convocation, contact Leia Hill at lhill@meridiancc.edu or 601.484.8612.