Conflict

The one thing that has really struck me about conflict that I have never thought about is that someone has an unmet need and that is the fuel of the conflict. I will try and remember going through life  that when I am starting to get upset I need to stop and think, what is the unmet need that I am seeking right now. When someone is upset with me I need to try and figure out what their unmet need is. When the root of the issue (the unmet need) is addressed then it is hard for the conflict to continue. What if the unmet needs cannot be met? For instance if you are a manager and an employee would like a raise but you cannot give it to them due to the budget, is there anything that can be done to meet the needs? The Harvard Business Review has a few tips on how to keep workplace relationships running smoothly in a situation like this. Also I really like this Youtube clip from a Harvard Class. It reminds me of the power stance Ted Talk that we watched and how we need to be prepared for conflict when it happens. If I know that I want to talk to someone about an unmet need I may have, beforehand I am going to power stance so that I can be strong in the conflict and not let my needs get pushed aside and I am going to place myself in a position that I can effectively collaborate with the other person. I feel that some of the best things that we can do for conflict is to realize what the unmet need is and approach it with a desire for collaboration, we may have to settle with compromise but I always like to dream big. I want to feel as prepared as possible going into conflict as possible because it is such a difficult aspect of life I will use every tool I can to ease the tension that conflict creates in life.