3 Simple Conflict Analysis Tools That Anyone Can Use

To transform conflict in your family, workplace, community, and beyond

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“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict.” — Dorothy Thompson

I had this job once. This is some years back now. I didn’t know anybody there, but immediately upon walking into the office on my first day, I could sense something was off. I couldn’t pinpoint it. This was a feeling. I felt it in my gut.

After a week on the job, I learned the following:

• Person A didn’t talk to person B. They had some longstanding personal issues that predated them even working together.
• Person B was the boss, and for her short temper, everyone was afraid of her, except person C, who would lash out whenever he felt person B was overstepping her authority.
• Person C also grossly mistreated his subordinates, but since his only superior (person B) was afraid of him, nothing happened. Most people avoided person C.
• Person D was on the leadership team, but nobody listened to her. She was just a figurehead who held authority, but nobody respected it… Except for ‘Person A,’ of course, who didn’t listen to anyone but ‘person D’ because they were friends.