Conflict: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Conflict is a dreaded word. Organizations & institutions spend considerable amount of time & other valuable resources to avoid conflict. Conflict is considered a hinderance to growth and is seen as something which is avoidable.

Contrary to this, conflict should be regarded as a normal process in the activity of an organization by which socially valuable differences register themselves for the benefit of all concerned.

What we fail to understand here is that conflict does not mean warfare. It only means a difference of opinion. It is inherent human nature which manifests itself in the form of conflict or to put it mildly, difference of opinion.

Conflicts can be resolved in three ways:
1. Domination: Needless to expound, one party dominates the other and they both reach a static state, but seeds for a further conflict are sowed as within the aggreived party simmers the desire to ignite the conflict at the most opportune moment.

2. Compromise: The most commonly used method of resolution of conflicts. Both parties gain and lose something and reach a mutually agreed settlement. Compromise is widely accepted as a form of conflict resolution, but people rarely want to compromise as it means giving up something.

3. Integration: Two point of views are integrated and neither side needs to give up something. Integration creates something new which is acceptable and beneficial to both the parties.

The Good:
1. All polishing is done by friction(Conflict).
2. Friction between the strings of a violin and bow produces music.

The Bad:
Your boss dominates and you have no option but to be dominated. This is resolution by domination and it is highly unlikely that conflict is settled forever as it is so as long as your current boss continues to be your boss.

The Ugly:
Integration is the best method, Consider this:
Two Men, One Woman.
Both love the same woman.
In this case there can be no integration(Unless of course, Polyandry is a widely accepted social practice), Compromise is highly unlikely(Unlikely to yield favorable outcomes for both the parties). So the only option is Domination, which turns out to be the best possible way of conflict resolution here.

Ciao, Mukul Tyagi