Anytime people are engaged in a social environment there is a chance for conflict to arise. Different personality types, situational awareness, experiences, and thought processes can result in conflicts of varying degrees. How these conflicts are resolved, or negotiated, is the key to working well with those around you. One example of conflict and resolution took place at my first duty station, Naval Air Station Key West in 2011.
I had just completed my A-School to be an air traffic controller with the US Navy and was selected to report late summer, 2010 to Key West on a three year billet. Now, I was a 32 year old Airman at the time with some unique work and life experiences under my belt. Shortly after I reported for duty I was offered to take the position of Supply Petty Officer for a division of roughly 60 personnel manning a radar, tower, and base operations facility. I didn't know much about the types of supplies I would be ordering and maintaining, but I had previous experiences with working on a budget. I took this new job to heart and wanted to make the best impression I could as a new check-in surrounded by seasoned controllers and Sailors.
After a year in Key West I was well past a novice and a master at allocation as our Supply PO. We never wanted for our most basic supplies, and I kept track of all our spending on an Excel database. And then came some budget cuts! Our budget was reduced drastically, which was already thin to begin with. As luck would have it, we also received a new Division Officer at the same time. Our new Lieutenant Commander had just settled in to our facility and had grand plans to adjust our accommodations to fit her liking. Unfortunately, her requests were not going to sit well with our tight budget constraints.
I was now a very young E5 with a very delicate problem. My Chief didn't want to rock the boat with his new boss quite yet, and advised me to make it work (not much help, thanks Chief). I knew the best way to make my case was to be prepared for any and all rebuttals she might give. So, I printed up the past six months of supply requests and receipts, our projection for the next six months, and our Operating Target, or OPTAR which is our running check book. I asked to make an appointment to meet with our new Divo and plead my case.
As a sat across the desk from this Officer all my concerns to that point seemed valid. As I explained our budget restraints and what we had to work with to keep our facility afloat she seemed to listen, but had a very clear look on her face telling me, "I am listening to you, but when you stop talking I will again insist I get what I want". I finally reached my point and told her we don't have the money for most of her requests. I then placed the ball in her court by asking her for her advise on how to proceed. What came next completely surprised me.
It became very clear that this officer had no idea the budget we were working with. After my detailed presentation she became my advocate instead of feared opponent. Together, we mulled over our six month plan and figured out ways to get some things she wanted with out sacrificing the needs of the facilities. We not only found solutions, but we opened up a direct line of communication between the two of us. She saw how resourceful I was in my duties as Supply PO and the amount of pride I took in carrying out my duties. In turn, she requested more funding from her boss. In the end I helped keep the facility on track with its supplies and built a solid working relationship with a superior officer.
Comparing this story to what we have learned this week in class I can say that this conflict was a result of information deficiencies. There were decision being made with inadequate information and misunderstanding. The first response (from my Chief) is a classic forced response - an attempt to satisfy one's own needs at the expense of the needs of the other individual... in this case the division. I had to face the 'ol "I'm the boss and we will do it my way" scenario. My second response to this conflict was to accommodate her wants at the expense of the division. The result, after some negotiation, was a compromise and a collaboration effort between myself and the Division Officer. To accomplish this I used the four phases of collaboration which are to identify the problem, generate a solution, create an action plan and agreement, and implement the plan.
I learned some valuable lessons in this transaction. The most important of these was to not be afraid to share information. We make most all of our decisions based on the information we have available... good or bad. By presenting my data and concerns I initiated an open dialogue that consumed our conflict and created a collaboration. I guess it is true... good communication is the key to conflict resolution.
JP
I had just completed my A-School to be an air traffic controller with the US Navy and was selected to report late summer, 2010 to Key West on a three year billet. Now, I was a 32 year old Airman at the time with some unique work and life experiences under my belt. Shortly after I reported for duty I was offered to take the position of Supply Petty Officer for a division of roughly 60 personnel manning a radar, tower, and base operations facility. I didn't know much about the types of supplies I would be ordering and maintaining, but I had previous experiences with working on a budget. I took this new job to heart and wanted to make the best impression I could as a new check-in surrounded by seasoned controllers and Sailors.
After a year in Key West I was well past a novice and a master at allocation as our Supply PO. We never wanted for our most basic supplies, and I kept track of all our spending on an Excel database. And then came some budget cuts! Our budget was reduced drastically, which was already thin to begin with. As luck would have it, we also received a new Division Officer at the same time. Our new Lieutenant Commander had just settled in to our facility and had grand plans to adjust our accommodations to fit her liking. Unfortunately, her requests were not going to sit well with our tight budget constraints.
I was now a very young E5 with a very delicate problem. My Chief didn't want to rock the boat with his new boss quite yet, and advised me to make it work (not much help, thanks Chief). I knew the best way to make my case was to be prepared for any and all rebuttals she might give. So, I printed up the past six months of supply requests and receipts, our projection for the next six months, and our Operating Target, or OPTAR which is our running check book. I asked to make an appointment to meet with our new Divo and plead my case.
As a sat across the desk from this Officer all my concerns to that point seemed valid. As I explained our budget restraints and what we had to work with to keep our facility afloat she seemed to listen, but had a very clear look on her face telling me, "I am listening to you, but when you stop talking I will again insist I get what I want". I finally reached my point and told her we don't have the money for most of her requests. I then placed the ball in her court by asking her for her advise on how to proceed. What came next completely surprised me.
It became very clear that this officer had no idea the budget we were working with. After my detailed presentation she became my advocate instead of feared opponent. Together, we mulled over our six month plan and figured out ways to get some things she wanted with out sacrificing the needs of the facilities. We not only found solutions, but we opened up a direct line of communication between the two of us. She saw how resourceful I was in my duties as Supply PO and the amount of pride I took in carrying out my duties. In turn, she requested more funding from her boss. In the end I helped keep the facility on track with its supplies and built a solid working relationship with a superior officer.
Comparing this story to what we have learned this week in class I can say that this conflict was a result of information deficiencies. There were decision being made with inadequate information and misunderstanding. The first response (from my Chief) is a classic forced response - an attempt to satisfy one's own needs at the expense of the needs of the other individual... in this case the division. I had to face the 'ol "I'm the boss and we will do it my way" scenario. My second response to this conflict was to accommodate her wants at the expense of the division. The result, after some negotiation, was a compromise and a collaboration effort between myself and the Division Officer. To accomplish this I used the four phases of collaboration which are to identify the problem, generate a solution, create an action plan and agreement, and implement the plan.
I learned some valuable lessons in this transaction. The most important of these was to not be afraid to share information. We make most all of our decisions based on the information we have available... good or bad. By presenting my data and concerns I initiated an open dialogue that consumed our conflict and created a collaboration. I guess it is true... good communication is the key to conflict resolution.
JP
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