Navigating conflict and difficult conversations with clarity and confidence
The Net Model
Click here to learn how to apply this proven model to your most challenging interactions
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Avoiding those hard conversations?
Learn to embrace difficult interactions with truth, grace and freedom.
Got conflict?
Have you ever been…….
•Triggered by a political comment with which you strongly disagree?
•Hesitant to say what you really think because you expect a strong negative reaction?
•Holding back for fear of hurting someone’s feelings?
•Reluctant to tell a family member about a major life decision?
•Avoiding someone because of a previous misunderstanding or conflict?
Introduction to the Net Model
Mastering skills in relationship building and conflict resolution can profoundly transform one's interactions with others. Relationships are at the heart of everything we do, the very "currency" of our lives. Our ability to connect, communicate, and interact with others significantly impacts our personal and professional well-being. Given this fundamental importance, it is imperative to understand how relationships actually work and thus how to effectively engage with others, especially in situations of conflict or disagreement. The Net Model is a simple but profound relationship model with deep roots in Family Systems Theory or more broadly, in “systems thinking”, designed to address these very interactions. By providing a powerful framework for engaging with others, the Net Model helps individuals navigate conflicts and disagreements, leading to a more confident and resilient self in our interactions with others.
Five Surprising Facts About the Net Model
Applies in all contexts - work, family, friends, organizations
Does not require the cooperation of others
Adapted from powerful, well-known behavioral theories proven over decades
Easily visualized and profoundly simply to apply - A sport court and a net
Thoughts and responses change - a way of being rather than a way of doing
What Makes the Net Model Unique
Net Theory originates from well-established behavioral models in psychology and psychotherapy which have long been used to explain our interactions with others. These models suggest that our responses are driven more by an "emotional system" rather than our individual actions. This system, where changes in one person cause changes in another unconsciously, is a key component of Net Theory.
Conceived by Timothy T. Weber, PhD, the Net Model has evolved through extensive research and clinical practice. Dr. Weber aimed to overcome the limitations he observed in traditional “systems thinking” by creating a more robust and user-friendly framework. This model is not only easier to understand but also practical for everyday application. Decades of refinement and clinical use have culminated in a model that is both simple and effective in producing sustainable changes. This entire concept is visually represented as a “sport court” with two sides and a net.
Thus, we arrive at the concept of the Net Model. By comprehending the elements on each side of the net and the significance of the net itself, it becomes remarkably intuitive to apply this framework across diverse scenarios.
Bios
Speaker Bio
Chuck Orrestad is CEO & Managing Partner of DNA Partners LLC, trusted advisors to exceptional leaders for over two decades. DNA helps people and enterprises navigate complex matters often rooted in difficult or sensitive people and communication challenges. Chuck’s interest, expertise and experience in working with conflict and relationship models give him a unique window into this timely topic, especially in our currently divided culture. Chuck applies the Net Model in his own consulting practice as well as in workshops designed to help both individuals and organizations master these powerful principles.
Chuck led technology development and operations efforts at several global technology companies where his senior leadership roles have spanned public and private enterprises, start up and turnaround ventures as well as not-for-profit organizations. More recently, he has been a leader in early-stage technology companies and served as President of an international not-for-profit venture.
Chuck holds a master’s degree from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and has been an active member of the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) and visiting lecturer at the University of Washington.
Principal Investigator Bio - The Net Model
Timothy Weber, PhD is a clinical psychologist/researcher who developed the Net Model over the course of several decades spanning his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester and subsequently in clinical practice in New York, Colorado and Washington, culminating in his integrating proven theories of human behavior into a simple, teachable model for use in everyday life. Knowing that the effectiveness of our dialogue with others, for good or ill, is closely intertwined with how well we understand and manage relationships, Dr. Weber has successfully employed the Net Model in his clinical practice over decades to help people understand how relationships work, how they become disrupted, and what changes are critical to repair and improve relational life.
