This week we are asked to share a couple of strategies that I
have learned to use in order manage or control conflicts. Our text (O’Hair,
2012) states that there are 3 strategies to solve conflict management and those
would be: “escapist strategies, challenging strategies and cooperative
strategies. This week my boss had accidentally left my credentials off my name when presenting an employee tree to the State during our site review. It really hurt my feelings because it made me look like a nothing on paper. I knew it was an over site and I chose not to say anything. By the end of the next day the review panel had brought it to my bosses attention and it had been corrected. I am so glad that I had not whined or pouted, it would have made me look pretty small.
I have come to learn this week that one of my standards, choose your battles, would fall under the escapist column. I’m okay with that because when I use this choice it is generally because I have evaluated the situation and environment and have decided that it is not the time or that a bigger picture needs to be considered and I chose to save my energy for the bigger conflict. Sometimes it is more important to loose or forgive on a few small battle hills in order to win the war.
I have come to learn this week that one of my standards, choose your battles, would fall under the escapist column. I’m okay with that because when I use this choice it is generally because I have evaluated the situation and environment and have decided that it is not the time or that a bigger picture needs to be considered and I chose to save my energy for the bigger conflict. Sometimes it is more important to loose or forgive on a few small battle hills in order to win the war.
Another of my all time strategies falls under what I
now know to be a cooperative strategy and that is compromising. I think of
compromising as a very respectful and useful form of dealing with conflict.
Early Childhood professionals have been using it for years. When we offer
children two choices to accomplish a task that we want them to do. We are
compromising on the fact that we may not get our first choice but we are
modeling cooperation and teaching decision-making skills simultaneously.
Another aspect that I like about compromise is that everyone gets something
that they want. Everyone likes to feel that they have been heard and that there
wants and needs have been heard and validated, compromising is a good way to
accomplish that goal.
Jenn Pore`
O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M.
(2012). Real Communication: An Introduction. Bedford/
St. Martin’s, Boston, New York.
I think choosing your battles is a great strategy. I like this strategy not only for my professional life, but my personal life also. I find that this strategy works best in situations where you are already aware of what you are up against and how the situation may turn out if you decide to go a certain direction.
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