Post 2 Week of April 25-May 1

Queestion #2). Briefly outline an example of collaborative conflict resolution that you have engaged in. Contrast that with competitive conflict. Which was more satisfying to you? To the other party?

An example of collaborative conflict resolution is when we come up with ideas on how to gain new clients. Since my branch does not get much foot traffic (people walking in), my team has to work together to achieve our goals. Harris and Sherblom state that “collaboration can involve strong disagreements, but they focus on the problem-solving issues not personalities or positions,” (232) which plays a role in my branch. Each person has been with the company longer than I have; therefore, being new makes me feel less experienced than the others. During meetings, the team identifies our struggles and clarifies our tasks. Competitive conflict “is marked by self-interest, rather than mutual interest” but can lead to negative results. Harris and Sherblom feel that “using competition to assign leadership roles may be the most efficient way of allowing a group to assess the suitability of one or another person for particular responsibilities,” (236) which I disagree with. Although I was the newest member of the team, I felt that I was the most energetic, inspired, and dedicated person. Some of the others displayed an uninterested attitude when new ideas were applied because it was routine for them over the years. A few felt that the goals never change and they have tried different strategies, so they become reluctant to try them again. I can understand their reasoning and I feel collaborative conflict resolution would essentially benefit the team rather than competitive conflict. Having a “win-win” rather than “win-lose” attitude would gain positive results and effective communication between the team.