Conflict - And How We React

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“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” Carl Gustav Jung

If we have a strong point of view on a business issue, and we encounter someone with an equally strong view on that same issue, we tend to react in specific ways.

Sometimes we hold steady, reinforcing our point of view.

Sometimes, we push harder and emphasize our view to the other person and they accept.

Sometimes, we acquiesce to the other side's view.

None of these are bad situations. The very interaction - the chemical reaction that Jung speaks of - can be a good thing, delivering more insight to the situation than we might otherwise achieve. We mustn't be afraid of or shy away from the potential for conflict.

Rather, what's important to consider in those situations is the underlying rationale we adopt to make our choice.

If it's founded in logic, rationality, and an impartial assessment of the situation at hand, any of those scenarios is optimal.

Of course, the problem is that human considerations - ego, personal bias - tend to muddy the waters and bias our decision making. (This is hard, I know, to manage but important to remember.)

But if we both take the position that the merits of the situation are more important than our personal positions, then "best interests" (of the customer, the employee, the organization) override all other considerations.

And then we learn to leave the ego behind, and let the real change begin.