| OPPORTUNITY
COSTS 
Conflict
Management Strategies eNewsletter
Vol
III, Issue 4, August, 2006
Does Conflict Really =
Opportunity?
If every conflict really was an opportunity, shouldn’t
we react with excitement and enthusiasm? We don’t because
the “costs” associated with the “opportunity”
are generally pretty high. At least, we perceive the costs
to be high. Because…
The conflict takes me away from what I
want to spend my time and resources on.
When faced with a conflict, we intuitively calculate the
cost of engaging and decide that the initial investment is
too high: emotional tension, derailment from other work,
and unforseen investment of time.
The Cost of “Opportunity”
Yes, effectively addressing conflict can provide
great opportunities to leverage all the brainpower in the
room. Yes, it can also create a more cohesive working group.
However, to state that “Conflict = Opportunity”
fails to address that for every opportunity there exists an
“Opportunity Cost.”
What is an “Opportunity Cost”
Anyway?
Economists would tell us that an ‘opportunity
cost’ is “ the cost of something in
terms of an opportunity forgone …and the
benefits that could be received from that opportunity...”
Why Should You Care?
Think back to the last time that a “conflict”,
“problem”, “tension” or whichever
euphemism you prefer to use occurred. (It might have been
this morning). How did the news hit you?
I bet that your internal dialogue was something like this.
“Good Grief!” “Now what?” “Oh
*#!#**!” “Again?” (Well, maybe it is just
me)
You were calculating your Opportunity
Cost!
Did you think about the “other guy”? How if he
doesn’t feel “heard” what sort of opportunity
costs that might mean for the organization? More disruption,
disunity, tension, or gripping? A missed opportunity
to reach resolution can cost the organization in morale and
loss of productivity.
What To Do.
Take 60 seconds to discover the “other guy’s”
opportunity costs. See how the situation impacts the other
person, not just your lost opportunity. Evaluate the results.
You may be pleasantly surprised.
Action Tools to Asses your “Opportunity
Costs.”
Wikipedia tells us that “[a]ssessing opportunity costs
is fundamental to assessing the true cost of any course of
action.” So here are some action tools to help you out.
- Get Out of your own frame of reference.
Try and see why the issue from the other guy’s point
of view. Why is it important to him or her? He/She is not
just an inconvience to you.
- Determine if you are reacting to the
actual situation or responding based on old wounds or pre-conceived
ideas.
- Evaluate the Long Term Benefit. If you
take the time and energy now, will it help You get what
you want in the long term? Some results that are worth the
effort are: Better working relationships, increased respect,
and a good reputation in the workplace.
- Calculate the Cost of Not Acting. If
you do not do something what will happen to you? The group?
The other guy?
Use these tools to improve your capabilities and improve
working relationships. Try it and let me know how it goes!
|
