Human beings always encounter conflicts in their daily lives, and, unfortunately, many of them fail to deal with these challenges effectively. Undoubtedly, they are inevitable and make a negative impact on individuals if not properly resolved. Therefore, it is essential to invest time and effort in advancing one’s conflict resolution skills in order to positively affect different areas of life, ranging from family relationships to work performance. One of the useful ways to achieve it is to reflect upon the conflicts, which occurred in the past.
To begin with, during the last year, I dealt with a number of conflicts, both effectively and ineffectively. For example, my friends often disagreed with me about various issues, such as the place to travel together, different perspectives on social problems, or ways to complete some tasks. I also had multiple arguments with my relatives and neighbors over either minor or major questions. It can be concluded that I faced conflicts almost every day in the past year. I suppose that most people do it as well, though they may not recognize all disagreements, as they are a routine part of humans’ lives.
The be honest, I clearly realize that it is more effective to adopt the interest-based approach to addressing conflicts, though sometimes I concentrated too much on my own position and refused to consider others’ needs. Nevertheless, in most conflicts, I endeavored to collaborate with another party in order to find solutions, which would benefit everyone. I tried to focus on others’ desires, fears, and concerns, as well as to express mine clearly. Hence, I successfully resolved many of the disputes in 2020 and felt incredibly satisfied after it. However, I incorporated the positional approach several times, and it definitely led to negative outcomes.
Furthermore, I notice that I had a tendency to collaborate while having disagreements with various individuals. I was willing to accept their ideas and combine them with my views. Still, sometimes I avoided conflicts when I was convinced that another party would undoubtedly stick to their position and avoid considering my own needs and desires. Simultaneously, I never incorporated an accommodating style to resolve disagreements, as it opposes my personal characteristics. Although I competed for my position, I knew when it was the right time to compromise in order to achieve the satisfaction of both sides.
In general, I am content with the outcomes of most minor conflicts. At the same time, I feel that I did not adequately handle major disagreements. I was always aware of the significance of the interest-based approach, though I failed to give up my position and recognize others’ concerns occasionally. Finally, I avoided numerous conflicts in the past year due to various reasons; thus, now, I need to prevent such behavior from occurring to be more effective in conflict resolution.
In conclusion, humans encounter different challenges every day, and disagreements with other individuals are among them. It is critical to reflect upon one’s past disputes in order to become better in conflict resolution and positively influence many areas of life. I believe that I successfully dealt with a number of disagreements in the past year. However, sometimes I failed to address them properly by either avoiding or competing. This knowledge offers many valuable insights, which I can use this year while facing both minor and major conflicts.