Disagreements or Conflicts

     Unfortunately, for this assignment, I did not have any disagreements or conflicts this week.  However, I did experience a conflict of ideas between two colleagues regarding the policies and procedures for use of funds for an organization within the school.  One coworker, co-chair of the committee, questioned the validity of set policies and was adamant about why these policies had to remain and could not be amended.  As I listened to this dispute, there was obvious discord on the co-chair’s part.  She was very aggressive in her tone, body language, and use of words towards the person whom was being questioned. 

     What I witnessed was clearly managed unproductively based on her inaccurate perceptions, by one of the parties.  However, the funds advisor remained composed and did not falter by clarifying the facts behind the specific policies and that these rules were not set by our school but by the district, which showed her willingness to foster a healthy discussion which in turn will help everyone on the committee understand and use this knowledge to make better decisions regarding future expenditure.  The strategies which might have helped this situation would have been the use of retreating to the balcony and considering all that has been stated by listening, understanding, and acknowledging what has been said and to address only the specific concerns.  It is always good to consider and offer alternatives while also reassuring the other party of your intent to resolve the issue.

     As I spoke with other individuals involved in the meeting, they were all taken aback by the assertiveness of the co-chair and stated that they have learned to be more effective when involved in conflicts by giving the speaker the opportunity to voice their concern and actively listening, without interrupting or prejudging.  Most agreed that they stop and think of the school and the interest of all parties (not just their personal points of views) before responding, while also stating facts that support their answer.  They all agreed that not all conflicts are made to win, but most try to do their best by getting to the heart of the conflict and working towards an amicable compromise.