Managing Conflict — Working Together to Achieve Win/Win Solutions
Conflicts must not necessarily end with one winner and one loser
From my early childhood through much of my adulthood, I had no idea that there was such a thing as managing conflict.
Naturally, conflicts arose in my life — they are inevitable in human interactions — but my modus operandi was to either avoid them or to acquiesce.
Imagine my shock when I learned that there can be positive outcomes for both parties in a conflict, and more shockingly, to achieve those good outcomes, I needed to accept the fact that my opinion counted. Conflicts were not something to be feared or avoided, but opportunities for collaboration, growth, and progress.
To see how conflicts can best be managed, we turn to the work of Professor Michael Dues, Senior Lecturer in Communication at the University of Arizona. He identifies four possible outcomes in conflicts.
Possible Conflict Outcomes
1. Win/Lose
As the name states, in this competitive type of conflict where one party wins and one party loses. Conflict viewed as a competition where the stronger party triumphs dates all the way back to the adversary system of the 6th century BC Greek…
