Conflict is a part of our every day lives; families, children, coworkers, business partners and even strangers have many reasons to find themselves in the middle of a 'conflict'. For some, conflict is an 8 letter word- one that conjures up feelings of discomfort and pain. For others, it is a word that is synonymous with growth and forward progress.
Each month at TMC, we gather as a team and review the previous 30 days of work. We look for the things we did well, the areas that need improvement and we work in an educational session on a topic that impacts our team on both a personal and professional level. This last week- we discussed conflict (we even added some role playing exercises which turned out to be very fun) and looked for ways to embrace and learn from conflict instead of being irritated or put off by it. As a result of our training, we determined that there are lots of ways to prevent conflict. For us, that means focusing on our strengths: Integrity, Knowledge, Education & Active Listening. Dealing with conflict means anticipating where conflicts might arise and then taking the necessary steps to properly educate & inform- to minimize & possibly avoid the need for conflict.
Is all conflict good, you might ask? No- but I believe we can learn something from every conflict: How to be stronger, wiser, more efficient, better prepared & how to interact with others so we can communicate more efficiently.
When our training was complete, the one thing we all agreed on is that preparation and knowledge minimize the need for conflict. We are thankful to John McKee for putting together the 10 Steps For Effective Conflict Resolution. His article was a framework for our educational session and will serve to help us anticipate and work through any conflict we encounter. It is our hope that you can take the information and turn conflict into your opportunity for growth & forward progress. Have a great week! Cheri & the TMC Team
