PRESS RELEASE
ATLANTA GA - 4/20/2023 – Today, we announced the general availability of Chat EQ in Beta, an application that helps people develop conflict resolution skills they need to handle conflict in their personal and professional lives. While most people avoid hard conversations for fear of getting hurt, being rejected, or feeling uncomfortable, Chat EQ draws upon decades of research to give people the conflict resolution skills they can use to help esolve difficult issues before they escalate.
With the erosion of company culture due to remote work, organizations are seeing the value of helping employees develop conflict management skills. In 2021, employees of US based companies spent approximately 2.8 hours each week involved in conflict, amounting to $359 billion in lost productivity. 60% of these employees never received basic conflict management training, while 95% of employees that did said that it helped them navigate conflict positively and reach mutually beneficial outcomes.
Conflict management skills are also important at home. During the pandemic, the United Nations reported a “shadow pandemic” of domestic violence across the 13 nations they studied, with domestic violence cases increasing 25 to 33 percent globally. In the United States, the American Journal of Emergency Medicine reported alarming trends in U.S. domestic violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline received more than 74,000 calls, chats, and texts in February 2021, the highest monthly contact volume of its 25-year history.
Though demand for help is on the rise, most countries have a shortage of trained professionals. In the United States alone, more than 150 million people live in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas. Within a few years, the US is projected to be short between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists, and experts say that psychologists, social workers, and others will also be overextended.
“We’ve seen that technology can give people some basic tools they need to resolve conflict in their personal and professional lives”, said Michael Connor, founder of ChatEQ. “While we don’t expect technology to replace trained professionals, Chat EQ is a scalable way to give people research supported assistance to help them work through conflict in real-time, day or night, when a professional may be difficult to reach. The app makes it easy to use natural language to share what’s happening and get feedback that can help them talk through the issue to resolve conflict.”
Chat EQ works by using an artificial intelligence (AI) that was trained using decades of proven research around conflict resolution. The application gives users feedback to let them know that it understands their issue, it provides in-depth insights into how they’re feeling physically and emotionally, and then suggests conversations that might help resolve the conflict. The recommendations are designed to help people reach mutually beneficial outcomes while avoiding common pitfalls that can lead to escalation.
“Chat EQ has been a great tool for me”, said Skylar Mills of Atlanta Georgia. “I woke up at 2am a few nights ago and was panicking about an issue I had with someone at work. I grabbed my phone and the app helped me understand what I was feeling and talked me through a conversation that I could have with my co-worker. I was able to get back to sleep and had a great talk with my co-worker the next day. Since I’ve been using the app, I’ve become more comfortable having hard conversations so I don’t need the app as much as I used to.”
Those interested in trying Chat EQ can visit the web site @ ChatEQ.com.
Research and Background on Compassionate Communication
This tool is based on the research around Compassionate Communication. Compassionate Communication was developed by clinical psychologist and peacemaker Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s. It is a process for communicating with others in a way that considers the needs of both parties and avoids blame and criticism. It is a way of expressing thoughts and feelings without judgement or manipulation. The goal of Compassionate Communication is to foster understanding and cooperation between people.
Compassionate Communication presents an approach to communication that is highly effective in reducing conflict and improving relationships but there is a steep learning curve. The goal of this tool is to give everyone in the world access to the benefits of Compassionate Communication without the years of self study and practice sometimes required. We don't believe this app takes the place of study and practice, but this app can act as a gentle introduction to Compassionate Communication or as an easy-to-use tool to help people refresh existing skills.
Research shows that Compassionate Communication has many benefits. It can lead to greater understanding and empathy, improved relationships, and increased cooperation. Studies have also found that it can reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental health. It can also help to reduce conflict and violence in interpersonal relationships. Additionally, it can help to create an environment of mutual respect and understanding, which can lead to increased levels of trust and collaboration.
Conflict Resolution
- Resolve conflicts peacefully—personal or public, domestic or international
- Get to the heart of conflict and disputes quickly
- Improve cooperation––listen so others are really heard
- Transform criticism and blame into compassionate connection
- Prevent future pain and misunderstanding
Personal Relationships
- Deepen your emotional connections
- Transform judgment and criticism into understanding and connection
- Listen so others are really heard
- Get what you want more often without using demands, guilt or shame
- Hear the needs behind whatever anyone does or says
Parenting and Families
- Reduce family conflicts and sibling rivalry
- Move beyond power struggles to cooperation and trust
- Create a quality of connection that embodies unconditional love
- Protect and nurture the autonomy of children
- Motivate using “power-with” rather than “power-over” strategies
Education and Schools
- Maximize the individual potential of all students
- Strengthen students’ interest, retention and connection to their work
- Improve safety, trust and connection in your classroom
- Improve classroom teamwork, efficiency and cooperation
- Strengthen classroom and teacher-parent relationships
Personal Growth and Healing
- Transform shame and depression into personal empowerment
- Heal old pain
- Transform unhealthy habits
- Stay connected to your own needs and preferences
- Eat by choice, not by habit
Organizational Effectiveness
- Improve teamwork, efficiency and morale
- Increase meeting productivity
- Maximize the quality of your services or products
- Maximize your organization’s benefit to the community
Anger Management
- Transform anger before it leads to behavior you’ll regret
- Discover the needs behind your anger
- Learn to appreciate what triggers you and others
- Identify solutions that are satisfying to everyone
- Express anger in ways that connect us to others
Business Relationships
- Strengthen employee morale and loyalty
- Resolve workplace conflicts quickly and effectively
- Reduce office stress and absenteeism
- Maximize the potential of all employees
- Hear and address customer needs more effectively
- Offer employee evaluations that promote personal growth
- Improve the effectiveness of job and college interviews
Spirituality
- Connect your actions to your spiritual values
- Transform enemy images and moralistic judgments
- Connect to our common humanity
- Overcome cultural conditioning that promotes violence
- Care for your own needs first to fuel compassion for others