Negotiating and Managing Conflict

This competency has caused me to reflect back on not just my time as a Leadership Consultant, but also my past leadership roles over the years. I am fortunate to not have many instances of conflict in my past, but I know that negotiating and managing those times have been some of my weaker moments.

I consider myself a very confrontational person. When conflict arises, I like to address it head-on and identify the most effective solution to move forward. In high school, I worked on a board of eight students in my grade to plan and execute events during the school year. We each had very different ideas and approaches to every situation, and that was my first real encounter with conflict. Reflecting on those years, it is clear that I have always tried to listen to all perspectives. My fellow board members always got to share their ideas, and it was a collaborative effort to make a final decision. However, I see an incredible amount of growth between my high school classboard years, and my time in the LEAD office.

Coming to college was an exciting and scary endeavor. I was thrilled to meet so many new people and form new relationships. It was scary because college brought such a variety of decisions to be made. Working on many projects, whether they be class or work related, has allowed me to challenge my ability to mediate across differences. As an LC, I have been lucky to be in a group of very communicative peers, and we have managed to appropriately address many concerns that have come up this year.

Conflict is not easy for anyone, but I feel that I have had many opportunities this year to explore different options to manage through conflict. I am proud of myself for working at this competency and will continue to do so in the future. Workplace conflict is very different than any conflict I have encountered in my personal and academic life. It takes more than just face-to-face confrontation to solve. I have been striving to learn how to effectively address the issues at hand and to create solutions that allow everyone involved to move forward.

albert