Conflicts are an ever-present part of our lives, and they range from minor conflicts (difference in opinion between people) to major conflicts (disagreement over scare resources between nations). Wilmot and Hocker (2007) describe conflict as "an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals"
Interpersonal conflicts are conflicts that occur between people. While such conflict may occur naturally (people working for rival teams or companies), often, these conflicts arise from miscommunication or failure to communicate. Therefore it is important to employ good communication practices to avoid unnecessary conflicts and to resolve existing ones.
While working to set up the Food4Thought Vegan snack stand (yes, again...) miscommunication resulted in several minor conflicts between the committee we were working with. These conflicts while minor had the potential to harm relations between the two parties and affect our ability to work together.
One such conflict was with regards to the budget being allocated to the project. One of our requests was to have an amount set aside to cover the purchase of food items (should we be unable to sell all the items). This however, was perceived as a request to fund the purchase on a weekly basis.
As there were several projects running concurrently, the committee was concerned that this would put a considerable strain on resources. While the discussion did get a little heated, we continued in order to find a common ground. I then tried conveying the rationale behind the request as well as explaining what the desired outcome would be. We then realised that a compromise was possible. Hence, a reduced budget that included the requested fund was agreed upon and we concluded the meeting.
I was grateful and appreciative for their support and thanked them it. They seemed receptive and we left on an amiable note. Members of the committee even lent their support by patronising the stall once we were in operation. Hence, we were able to resolve the conflict without straining our relationship.
Through this experience I learnt that often, taking time to understand a conflict from the other side will present a clearer perspective of the problem as well as introduce solutions to the problem. Also, in conflict resolution, it is not only communication but the willingness to communicate that is vital in resolving the conflict.
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Another well written entry. I appreciate that you described a real life incident as an example of interpersonal conflict resolution.
ReplyDeleteI feel that at some places the argument could have been put across more concisely.
Nevertheless, the post maintains reader's interest.
I respect the initiatives you take to work for the environment. It is a commendable job. Keep it up!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting entry. The example used was great as it showed how conflict arises and how you managed to solve the problem. Besides that, I agree with you that miscommunication always result in conflicts.
The only comment I have is that maybe you could explain why both sides failed to come to a compromise until you finally stepped in to help. Nice reading your blog.
Cheers
Michael
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am always interested in your entry because I feel engaged with every example you shown. I really think that your real life experience about interpersonal conflict resolution is vivid and well written. Nevertheless, you should describe more clearly how your conflict arose so we can understand your compromise better.
Overall, it has been rightly said that conflicts, however minor or major they are, are unavoidable parts of life. Therefore, good interpersonal communication is pivotal in resolving such conflicts.