Conflict Resolution and Negotiation - Coursework Example

Part By making use of the concepts highlighted by Fisher and Ury (1991), I learned that the key means to achieving what you need from others is negotiation. This remains the same in the way I approached the situation. It is only through sideway communication that you can arrive at an agreement when the situation comprises of two parties with diverse opinions and interest. Based on my case, the core of the conflict lies in the divergent needs and desires between me and my wife. Hers being to get a PhD while remaining in the US and mine to move back home with my family. This aided my understanding of our diverse needs and the integral part negotiation would play in order for us to reach a consensus which would be acceptable to the both of us and unify our bond further. Based on the readings from the book I found the most pragmatic way to facilitate the development of a quick decision for us would be to apply effective strategies of communication. The corner stone for the application and effectiveness of communication strategies is by actively listening, understanding and respecting the views and thoughts of the other person. For example, by carefully listening and appreciating each other’s opinion would aid us in reaching an agreement which satisfies our interests and strengthens our bond. Another insight was regarding the difference in each individual’s view of conflict resolution. This further puts emphasis on the need to listen to the other person’s opinion. According to Fisher and Ury (1991), learning requires the discovery and correction of mistake. This is where the single and double loop theory was particularly useful in my case. Part 2 By addressing and using the five core concerns appreciation, building affiliation, respect autonomy; acknowledge status and choosing a fulfilling role for the purpose of managing emotional responses and various relationships can be enhanced. The Beyond Reason model hence aids the transformation of conflicts by enhancing the process of negotiation from uncomfortable and unproductive, into an efficient collaboration of problem solving. My Beyond Reason Case study coaching encompasses stressing on several strategies when asking questions which require people to view things from different perspectives. These then constitute to the emotional responses which I would have regarding the difference in priorities between my wife and I. For example, simply because my wife wants to stay in the US to get her PhD should be a point of view I had to empathize with and view objectively from the benefits the choice offers her. To get overly emotional and jump to conclusions like perhaps she doesn’t like the idea of staying with my family or give in to negative emotions would lead to the creation of an uncomfortable and unproductive barrier to the problem solving process. This would then constitute to the negotiation process being unsuccessful. So basically what I learnt was the fact that the Beyond Reason Model is only successful if one embraces a positive attitude and undertakes the negotiation process with the goal of reaching an effective resolution which benefits both parties. Part 3 The key points highlighted by Roberto in his book give direction to readers when it comes to the stimulation of candid and constructive dissent which can be effectively applied in their daily decision making process and improving it. Since these decisions form the core of the entire organization it is critical that one’s goals be aligned with these decisions. By making use of extensive research the author shows how to promote honesty, leverage wisdom, and reach a compromise that leads to effective action. Also the writers, in order to aid the readers understanding, present various examples from history which show the process that organizations undertake when making decisions, and how these decisions influence and unfold throughout an entire organization. Furthermore the five myths of executive decision making are also explored with guidelines to how they can be overcome (Roberto, 2005). I believe as far as the concepts of managing conflicts highlighted by the book go the way I approached and tackled the conflict with my wife was a healthy and the outcome would therefore remain the same. This is seen in the way I firstly tackled the leadership challenge by steering clear of cognitive biases when it came to supporting my desire to move back home with my family and the way it would save our family cut down on costs associated with my wife’s education. You see education back home is a lot cheaper and it would be a great way for my wife to adjust into a different country and get to know the people. Also I avoided a ‘in group and out group’ mentality by always approaching the conflict as one that required a joint decision. The outcome was to be ours so I never fell into and her vs. me mentality. Lastly, I avoided the aspect of ‘threat rigidity’ at all costs and always kept the communication candid and positive. There was no mention of ultimatums from my wife or I since this would just damage our relationship or lead to us ending up residing in different countries, which was not a beneficial option. Two key concepts I would relate my case from concepts of the book are those relating to the topic of deciding how to decide. Composition is a concept that has to do with the decision to which the participants are when it comes to conflicts and the role these participants play. In my case the composition of the dilemma that my wife and I faced comprised of just her and I as the key players. We had equal say in the decision and both our perspectives and priorities held equal weightage. The second concept is that of ‘context’ which has to do with the norms and the rules which will control the deliberations. My wife and I promised to stay positive, candid and to achieve a solution that was agreeable for both of us. Staying together was a compulsory condition. As far as the concept of ‘Communication’ goes it refers to the participant’s exchange of information, and balancing and evaluation of various options. We undertook a mix of a structured and unstructured approach in order to get our viewpoints, alternatives, ideas and conclusions through to each other. Part 4 As far as the course goes it was a huge learning point for me not just in terms of the vast concepts that it entailed but also because of the simplicity with which one can apply them to their daily live. This could then be so helpful when it comes to your daily interactions, conflicts and disagreements at work or at home or be it an improvement in flow and coordination and clarity in setting roles and responsibilities. Communication is an integral part of one’s day and the major role that it plays in decision making and conflict management gives it even more importance. In the duration of this course it was through identifying, understanding and managing various barriers to effective communication that have helped me utilize my time and achieve my goals. I have focused on simplifying my work load by effectively dealing with hard barriers which serve to complicate information flow and coordination. By utilizing multiple sources of information, I have strived to manage any disagreements regarding the approaches we should tackle projects with and reach deadlines by. Despite the fact that it might have resulted in taking more time however the identification of key barriers has helped me avoid complications and unnecessary delays. The role that soft barriers play is equally important. Be it the use of language in various situations, not letting preconceived notions mess with your conflict resolutions process by downplaying status and welcoming input or trying to run the whole group by dominating based on unstated assumptions (Roberto, 2005). References Roberto, M. A. (2005). Why great leaders don’t take yes for an answer: Managing for conflict and consensus. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing Fisher, R. & Ury, W.L. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. New York: Penguin. Read More