So, you think you know conflict?!

Debates, arguments, and confrontations – whatever you come across, conflicts will always be around. You can’t please everyone, and there will always be someone who disagrees with you. But what if conflict isn’t as bad as it might seem and that in many cases confronting an issue can lead to a better solution than leaving the situation to boil? The answer to this is something I was recently introduced to.

Huczynski & Buchanan claim that conflict, in essence, ‘is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about’. (Huczynski & Buchanan) This description makes conflict seem somewhat negative and it can be, but sometimes it is rather beneficial. Although conflicts do have some obvious benefits, I’ve always considered them as a negative approach to most situations and generally try my best to avoid them (or take a more ‘let’s figure this out calmly’ approach). It was only until recently though, during a lecture at university, that my
perception of conflict was changed: we took a look at how conflict can often actually benefit a situation.

Take for example a group of designers within an advertising agency who are working together on a new campaign. They all have been briefed and taken time away to put together their best efforts at the project. Two of the best ideas are chosen to be considered, but who chooses the winning design? You can’t just shout your way to the top, instead you have to argue (albeit, respectfully) why yours should be picked, and with the right knowledge on how to deal with conflict situations you can win over your peers. It really is a useful skill and I know there have been times where it would have benefited me in the past. It could even settle an argument such as pancake or waffle?!

Due to my nature I shall most likely still steer away from any unnecessary conflict, although I will be more willing to engage in disagreements when a betterment of the situation might be at hand.

So tell me about your experiences of conflict in the comments section below. Did it achieve a positive result or cause more of a fuss? Thanks for reading.