Conflict Management Talk to Trinity College Seniors

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of talking with seniors at my alma mater, Trinity College, about conflict management. We touched on techniques that could be helpful in relationships with roommates and others in personal life, but the focus was mostly on work-related challenges. Some potential for conflict is present in any workplace, but the special pressures of being the lowest person on the totem pole can be especially hard to handle.  We talked about the need to fully understand an assignment to prevent a conflict that didn’t have to happen, the value of addressing a problem sooner rather than later, and the benefit of understanding the other person’s motivations (even if you don’t agree with any of them.)