Reflection Questions
1. Based on the presentation by Michele Dorsey on Leadership and Handling Conflict, reflect on your own approach to managing conflict. How do you handle conflict? What practices do you normally use? What would you consider doing differently in the future?
Handling conflict is part of our interpersonal skills. It deals with how we manage and deal with interpersonal conflict within a group or between two people. It creates the need for change and occurs as the result of change. Conflict can be negative, but it can also be healthy in certain situations. My approach to handling conflict I think is great. I have an ability that I can relate to both sides of the story so I can vision the two different perspectives. Sometimes handling conflict can take time, I think best judgment’s can be made when we give it longer time to sink in and determine how we feel. I strongly believe in the “24 hour rule”. If your mad, wait 24 hours and come back to those feelings. Are they still there? Is it worth fighting over? This practice often helps me and tells me what is worth fighting for. What I would consider doing in the future is being able to be more persuasive. A lot of times its either my way or the highway and that is why I often have a lot of conflict. I need to be a little more open-minded and I would avoid a lot more conflict. When conflict is managed effectively it causes a reduction in stress and improved group relations and satisfaction.
2. Describe a situation when you experienced an ethical conflict with a co-worker, roommate or friend/family. How did it work out? Why?
Ethics is the standard of moral behavior, in society, it is knowing right from wrong. I believe in the golden rule “do unto others as they would do to you”. This summer I found myself in an ethical conflict between my bestfriend’s. Growing up it was always the 3 of us hanging out, day in day out. As we moved on for school we all moved away and had some distance between us. One friend focused on staying home and working full time. I moved away for hockey and studied school as well. While the last friend went away for school and became the life of the party and using drugs. Between me and my other friend we found it mind blowing. Especially since his dad was a doctor! We found out his drug abuse was getting worse where he would have black out days and wouldn’t remember anything that happens on the weekends. We had a dilemma whether we were going to tell his dad (the doctor) or not. His parents were going through a divorce so we figured this was the reason why he starting to experience with drugs. We also found out his dad was having an external affair with other women and that is why they were getting a divorce. My friend and I were caught in a tough situation. To tell, or not to tell, that was the question! We decided not to tell his parents because of the situation that was going on between them. We didn’t want to get involved while they were fighting in a divorce. That could make matters worse knowing their son was getting involved in drugs. We thought it would be best to confront our friend one on one. We told him how we felt and what we would do to him if he continued. His dad could give him all the lessons he needs on how bad it is for you because he is a doctor. The result of our little intervention stopped him from continuing to use drugs.
3. What practices, habits or mindsets do you have that may be limiting your leadership development?
An area that may be limiting my leadership development is having a ‘perfectionist mindset’. A lot of people say this is a good thing to have, but I’ve learned over time it has a few weaknesses. It is a trait that I don’t share with a lot of people and I don’t go around saying ‘I’m a perfectionist’. I like to keep it personal. The only people who know are my family and close friends. Over time, you will eventually see it through my actions and leadership. Throughout this course I’m sure you have realized I’m the first to have things done, a soon as an assignment is handed out, I will go home and do it. I don’t rush, but I just like to have things done and out of the way. It is part of good time-management skills, but to me I know it is being a perfectionist. It affects me at school, on the ice, and in the gym. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference to me. With that being said, I think that this can hinder my leadership development because I can be quickly to judge others if they make a mistake. I also wont be very confident in my group if I know some members aren’t the ‘brightest’ or ‘hard working’ as others. When I see these flaws amongst my group, I feel like it is my responsibility to just do it all so it will be perfect. I live by the saying: “If you want it done right, do it yourself”. As a result, I can be a selfish leader and just do things by myself for the common good of getting work completed or good grades.
Handling conflict is part of our interpersonal skills. It deals with how we manage and deal with interpersonal conflict within a group or between two people. It creates the need for change and occurs as the result of change. Conflict can be negative, but it can also be healthy in certain situations. My approach to handling conflict I think is great. I have an ability that I can relate to both sides of the story so I can vision the two different perspectives. Sometimes handling conflict can take time, I think best judgment’s can be made when we give it longer time to sink in and determine how we feel. I strongly believe in the “24 hour rule”. If your mad, wait 24 hours and come back to those feelings. Are they still there? Is it worth fighting over? This practice often helps me and tells me what is worth fighting for. What I would consider doing in the future is being able to be more persuasive. A lot of times its either my way or the highway and that is why I often have a lot of conflict. I need to be a little more open-minded and I would avoid a lot more conflict. When conflict is managed effectively it causes a reduction in stress and improved group relations and satisfaction.
2. Describe a situation when you experienced an ethical conflict with a co-worker, roommate or friend/family. How did it work out? Why?
Ethics is the standard of moral behavior, in society, it is knowing right from wrong. I believe in the golden rule “do unto others as they would do to you”. This summer I found myself in an ethical conflict between my bestfriend’s. Growing up it was always the 3 of us hanging out, day in day out. As we moved on for school we all moved away and had some distance between us. One friend focused on staying home and working full time. I moved away for hockey and studied school as well. While the last friend went away for school and became the life of the party and using drugs. Between me and my other friend we found it mind blowing. Especially since his dad was a doctor! We found out his drug abuse was getting worse where he would have black out days and wouldn’t remember anything that happens on the weekends. We had a dilemma whether we were going to tell his dad (the doctor) or not. His parents were going through a divorce so we figured this was the reason why he starting to experience with drugs. We also found out his dad was having an external affair with other women and that is why they were getting a divorce. My friend and I were caught in a tough situation. To tell, or not to tell, that was the question! We decided not to tell his parents because of the situation that was going on between them. We didn’t want to get involved while they were fighting in a divorce. That could make matters worse knowing their son was getting involved in drugs. We thought it would be best to confront our friend one on one. We told him how we felt and what we would do to him if he continued. His dad could give him all the lessons he needs on how bad it is for you because he is a doctor. The result of our little intervention stopped him from continuing to use drugs.
3. What practices, habits or mindsets do you have that may be limiting your leadership development?
An area that may be limiting my leadership development is having a ‘perfectionist mindset’. A lot of people say this is a good thing to have, but I’ve learned over time it has a few weaknesses. It is a trait that I don’t share with a lot of people and I don’t go around saying ‘I’m a perfectionist’. I like to keep it personal. The only people who know are my family and close friends. Over time, you will eventually see it through my actions and leadership. Throughout this course I’m sure you have realized I’m the first to have things done, a soon as an assignment is handed out, I will go home and do it. I don’t rush, but I just like to have things done and out of the way. It is part of good time-management skills, but to me I know it is being a perfectionist. It affects me at school, on the ice, and in the gym. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference to me. With that being said, I think that this can hinder my leadership development because I can be quickly to judge others if they make a mistake. I also wont be very confident in my group if I know some members aren’t the ‘brightest’ or ‘hard working’ as others. When I see these flaws amongst my group, I feel like it is my responsibility to just do it all so it will be perfect. I live by the saying: “If you want it done right, do it yourself”. As a result, I can be a selfish leader and just do things by myself for the common good of getting work completed or good grades.