Date: 4/22/2016

Title: CONFLICT AS AN OPPORTUNITY – Part 1

By Jennifer Erickson

Conflict!!! Just saying that word causes some people to shudder. Believe it or not, there are some people who “like” conflict. When I say that, I don’t mean they relish in it and hope it occurs. What I mean is that they understand conflict is necessary to move ourselves forward. Think about it…..have there ever been big movements forward, without conflict occurring first? It’s not as though we walk around and look for things to change, to improve, to engage in conflict. Yet, change usually does not happen unless there is conflict first. That is why some people “like” conflict. They see it as an opportunity.

Conflict can create a situation where a person realizes he/she needs to change behavior. No more putting it off. No more making excuses. No more trying to get along. It is time to examine, sometimes painfully, one’s behavior and own up to its link to the conflict. That means making a change and behaving differently.

First, though, we need to understand how we react to conflict. Our initial reactions may be what keep us stuck. We may perceive conflict in a certain way, follow a paradigm we’ve lived with for a long time, and just “react”. It takes a willingness to look at how our reactions and views of conflict keep us from behaving in ways that inspire trust in our relationships.

To learn more about how to practice this understanding, contact Results Group, LLC at www.ResultsGroupLLC.com or 515-330-2866.