The High Cost of Conflict
A few years ago, while working as a Financial Aid Call Center Specialist at
Brevard Community College, I said something negative about the admissions
department that ended up costing me a lot of hardship. Someone overhead me
telling someone else that the Admissions department never answers their phone.
Although this was a true statement at the time, I should have never said it. Word
got to my boss, and I was reprimanded.
As part of my reprimand, my boss required me to: form long-term collaborations
with each of my colleagues (I had to sit with each of my colleagues, teach
him/her something new and learn something new about him/her), be responsible
for my actions by writing a formal apology to the Admission department, fostering
sustainable collaboration by reading and writing a review of Dale Carnegie book
“How to Win Friends and Influence People”, and learn through the resolution
process by taking the Dale Carnegie class.
Although it may seem silly to write up someone, and make him/her do all
of this for something so little, it was necessary; my attitude at the time did
not reflect resolutionary thinking. I lacked the courage to connect deeply
without others and avoid confrontation (Levine, 2009, Pg. 8). I often spoke
what was on my mind and paid little attention to the effect it had on others.
This punishment, although costly, helped me to develop a new way of
thinking; which in turn allowed me to develop new actions. By learning the how
to form long-term collaborations, be responsible for my actions, forester
sustainable collaboration and learn through the resolution process, I was able
to gain a better understanding of how to master my emotions and overcome my
weaknesses. Just as I stated in the discussion board,” the best way to overcome a conflict is through conflict
resolution”. In this situation, I had to swallow my pride and learn from my
mistakes. If only I had learned known
these principles at the time, I could have avoided this hardship.
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