Question: Understanding Conflict and Politics Think of the last time you came into conflict with another person or group, such as a manager you worked for or even a friend or family member. Then answer these questions:
1. Was this the first time you came into conflict with this party, or was the conflict one in a series of conflicts?
2. What was the source of the conflict? Did you and the other party see the source of the conflict differently? If so, why?
3. How would you describe the way you both reacted to the conflict?
4. Did the conflict reach the stage of manifest conflict? If it did not, how did you manage to avoid coming into manifest conflict? If it did, what form did the manifest conflict take?
5. How was the conflict resolved?
6. What kind of conflict aftermath resulted from the way you or the other party managed the conflict?
7. How well do you think you managed the conflict with the other party?
8. Given what you know now, how could you have handled the conflict more effectively?