I am not a big sports fan and I am certainly not a fan of athletes as heroes. But I have been intrigued by Pete Carroll of the Seahawks. I read that he views his job as making everyone in the Seahawks organization the best they can be. That is how I view the job of any business manager. Which led me to wanting to know more about Carroll’s management style.
Which led me to this book.
Recent events have reminded us how divisive unresolved conflict of any kind can be. Regardless of the scale of the conflict, whether it is a board room or a city street, all division is rooted in the same human need for compassion, acceptance, understanding, and respect. Without this we cannot feel seen, heard, and appreciated, which are essential emotional needs that are fundamental for our existence.
Simply put, we all need to know that we have value.
While unresolved conflict between teams at an organization is in no way on par with institutionalized racism or any other wide-scale marginalization or multi-generational repression, it stirs the same basic human responses of fear, distrust, anger, and helplessness. Of course, this fear may be over losing your job instead of your life, but it is a form of fear nonetheless and fear tears people and entities apart.
Workplace conflict is no exception.
