UMass Boston

"[Thompson] fell in love with the field of conflict resolution as there are so many ways one can apply its skills and theories"

Matt Thompson joined the Conflict Resolution Program in the early 2000's and is now the is recipient of the 2022 Community Peacemaker Award.  We connected with him to talk about why he chose UMass Boston, what he learned here and advice for students. 

Why Conflict Resolution?

Thompson became interested in conflict resolution because it was an integral part of his work as the Director of Affirmative Action & Multicultural Relations, a position he held between 1996 and 2006. When faced with a conflict involving upper management, Thompson sought advice on approaching the problem and resolving the dispute from David Matz, founder of the ConRes Grad program at UMB, who just happened to be in his office for some collaboration. After a long conversation with Matz, Thompson resolved the conflict in a way that satisfied both parties. This inspired him to enroll in the ConRes MA program at UMass Boston. He fell in love with the field of conflict resolution as there are so many ways one can apply its skills and theories; in personal and professional relationships and across communities, as conflicts and their solutions are so integral to humanity.

The theories and concepts learned in class that he has found most helpful

 First, as a mediator and facilitator, it is essential to approach any conflict resolution project with a neutral mindset while keeping in mind that we, as human beings, are not free from biases. Biases can range from culture, gender, race, etc. As such, avoiding the assumption that you are automatically neutral in any conflict you approach is important. As a cross-cultural mediator, Thompson states that he must always be aware that he is not in between two (or more) cultures, but rather, his race and inherent biases may interfere with his ability to stay neutral. Being aware of the inherent biases enables a mediator to keep a check on their biases and work on staying neutral. He stresses that self-awareness is critical and suggests asking yourself whether any of the conflicting parts trigger something in you, whether you have any kind of relationship with them, or whether there's something you do not like about them.

Next, creating a safe space for each party to share their perspective is essential as it may enable them to see the other parties' grievances, challenges, and dilemmas. Each person must have space to say what is on their mind. As a mediator, it is important to clarify as you speak to them to let them know they are heard. Using phrases like 'what I understand is this or that'. Thompson explains that active listening is essential and stresses avoiding the 'yeah buts.' (the tendency to respond by saying, "yeah, but"…) which is often a sign that you are only listening to respond.

Furthermore, it is helpful to get the conflicting people past the interpersonal to the substance of the core issues, interest-based versus position. This concept applies to personal and professional relationships, as well as communities.

Thompson states that his work at Cross Cultural Mediation Services often encompasses racial issues; the problems of people arguing over positions instead of interests. It is essential to create a space for people to talk and acknowledge that it is a racial and/or cultural issue. Recognizing and admitting that a case is cultural or racial makes it relatively easier to resolve.

Thompson's professional life so far

Thomson has his own organization, Cross-Cultural Mediation Services. He is also affiliated with other organizations such as Mediation Works Inc (MWI), David Matz's The Mediation Group, Boston Law Collaborative, LLC, Interaction Institute for Social Change (since 2005), and the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration. He is an occasional guest lecturer of the Master of Arts program in Conflict Resolution at the University of Massachusetts Boston. What he likes about this field is that the interrelationships between conflict resolution practitioners are healthy and respectful. Nothing is taboo to talk about when you're working; that's the beauty of the field. There's healthy respect, and it's not competitive but collaborative. Recently, Thompson was the recipient of the 2022 Community Peacemaker Award from the Community Dispute Settlement Center, a non-profit mediation and training center whose goal is to provide a forum for resolving conflicts. Asked how he feels about the award, he said

"I'm humbled to have received the Community Peacemaker Award from the Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC). I have been providing training on race, equity, and mediation at the institution over the years. It came as a surprise that the CDSC'S executive director, Gail S. Packer, nominated me. Many people I have collaborated with were interviewed, and their comments really humbled me. It really such an honor because I am just one guy."

Can you be a mediator, advocate, coach, or all three in a single case?

The short answer is No! A conflict mediator must decide whether they will be the coach, the advocate or the mediator. They cannot be all three. There have been situations where he noticed that some parties in a conflict could use personal coaching, and the best he could do was point them in a direction where they could get that. If he coaches them, then he no longer qualifies as a neutral mediator. So it is important to understand one's role, especially for community-based issues. It is especially challenging for community-based organizations, not-for-profits, and so forth to remember that when they are working to champion a particular situation against institutional practices. It becomes hard to suppress one's views, especially when your views favor what they are trying to do. A mediator still has to approach it from a neutral point of view and create the space for parties to hear each other. Therefore, raising self-awareness of one's inherent biases is as key as using the three magic words 'I don't know.' People need to be willing to say they do not know nor understand in order to ask for someone else to come in and help aid understanding or someone else to fulfill the role they cannot.

The advice he'd give to Conflict Resolution students who are just starting out

On what advice he would give to Conflict Resolution Masters students just starting out, he says he'd like them to know what they can do with the depth of the skills. Conflict resolution in communities is beyond core mediation. There are different approaches, and it's important to recognize your skills and to remember why you got into the program in the first place. When he enrolled in the program, he thought he'd pick up a few skills; instead, he fell in love with the program. Therefore, to enrolled and incoming students, he says: "you have made the right choice, and you are in for something that opens many doors." There's a lot more to it than just sitting at one's desk; you create different mindsets and sometimes change hearts as you help people settle their differences. You're opening doors for them to look at things differently and hear them differently. You also help them present their positions differently. Thus, you are creating change. When this is done at the community level, it can be invaluable because the people you help will take those skills and approaches and use them in other situations to prevent conflicts or better resolve the ones they have. You give them skills they can carry with them in terms of framing things in the way they best hear and understand each other.

Where he finds CR skills most applicable post-graduation

Thompson states that he sees CR skills as mostly applicable at the community level, especially when there are issues with race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation and the intersectionality of the problems that arise due to diversity. When there is a dominant culture that says, well, this is just the way our culture is; this is how we are organized as a society, oppressed people in that society can feel angry because they feel they are not being seen or heard. Approaching such conflict requires mutual mediation, approach, and understanding that enables parties to see the value in their collectiveness as one single diverse group, not many different groups with different group dynamics. This merging of cultures creates an understanding whereby people fight for each other's rights despite differences.