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Friday, July 27, 2012

The Week Conflict Resolution


We all have those times in our lives where we just don’t see eye to eye with someone in our life; coworkers, significant others, kids, etc. Some of these issues leave you so frustrated that you can’t possibly see a resolution.

During one of these bouts myself I started thinking of how I can make this better. It is something that I have always tried to do in my life. It is taking the “walk a mile in a person’s shoes” to a different level. Here is the gem:

Be that person for a week.

It is easy to dismiss a person’s opinion thinking like them for only an instance. By putting yourself into that person’s life for a week, you get a perspective beyond what is currently the issue. Our decisions and thoughts are all based on what we have been exposed to and what shapes our daily lives.

The issue that you may be dealing with currently comes with a certain amount of other baggage and perspective that leads to a person’s position on that conflict. If you are able to step outside not only your thoughts but further into your opponent’s history you may be able to find a resolution faster and more amicable to both of you.

In addition, knowing how the other person thinks and the history behind their perspective can allow you to find a loophole that can make your argument for you.

Now I am not a professional and this is just an idea and I have found that this works for many of the few true conflicts that I have run into in my life. I always leave those situations feeling that I have accomplished what I wanted to and what the person on the other side wanted to accomplish. When both finds that middle ground the solution is so much sweeter.

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