CONFLICT RESOLUTION & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT...

… Appropriate Resolutions™ for home, work, community, and everywhere in between.

© 1998-2008 Joseph Ravick  and Appropriate Resolutions™

Bill's Options: To continue the battle of wills, doing things as before, probably without any change to previous outcomes, or worse. Bill could also step back, then make his attempts to communicate and relate as meaningful and important as was his love for Trevor.

 

 

 

Bill's decisions, his choices: To break the historical patterns of escalation. To practice self-management techniques like rehearsing what he wanted and needed to say. To set an environment which supported collaboration on the issues by NOT allowing himself to become tired and stressed to a point where he 'attacked' Trevor. Ultimately, Bill decided that he and Trevor needed to have a relatively stress-less, functional and interactive discussion about what was really important to both of them and to the family.

 

 

 

An alternative outcome, realized: Bill and Trevor made an appointment to meet and talk at a time and place comfortable for both; they chose Trevor’s favourite drive-in restaurant. Once they got by the tense start-up phase, they spent a lot of time on the important ‘family-focussed issues, skipping the ego-related details which had created the divide between them.

                 The bottom line was that Bill and Trevor grew from the experience. They continued to disagree on many things, but very differently with little uncontrolled escalating. Their relationship benefited from the changes and even the disagreements were reduced.   Acceptance had become a norm with Trevor’s “Don’t sweat the small stuff!” now resonating for both. They also signed up together for a communication and conflict workshop for teens and parents at the local community centre. All good!

 

So what did you come up with and did we miss anything?

 

"The great thing in life is not where we stand, but what direction we are moving."

- OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES