Understanding conflict leads to unimaginable possibilities for thought. (PowerPoint not exactly as KEYNOTE original)

1. IN SEARCH OF ...
CONFLICT/TCILFNOC?
“I wonder how many of us have, or dare to have, such collaborators .... They were good at
conflict, they saw it as thinking.”
Margaret Heffernan

2. CONFLICT AT WORK
RESOLUTION TEAM
SHAKE HANDS

3. WAR PHOTOGRAPHY:
CAPA and NACHTWEY
"I have been a witness, and these pictures aremy
testimony. The events I have recorded shouldnot
be forgotten and must not be repeated."-James
Nachtwey-
www.jamesnachtwey.com

4. MODERN POLITICAL SOLUTION:
MOntesquieu´S SPIRIT OF THE LAWS
Montesquieu: SPIRIT OF THE LAWS
• Classical Republicanism vs STASIS
• MODERN solution = MANAGE conflict
• SEPARATION OF POWERS
• Power CHECKS power
• COMMERCE vs war “So that one cannot abuse
power, power must check
• THE FEDERALIST No 51: US CONSTITUTION
power by the arrangement of
things.” BOOK 11, 4

5. Orchestrate conflict:
(HBR)
WHO? Superintendent + New York CEO
ORCHESTRATE: dissonance and consonance
Real vs superficial harmony
Seven “EASY” steps (e.g. establish ground rules)
COURAGE (e.g. play with the bad guys)
COMMUNICATION SKILLS ***
“People learn by encountering different
Generate “Holding Environment”
points of view, not by staring at themselves
in the mirror or engaging just those with
Select participants + Regulate the Heat
consonant views.”

6. CONSTRUCTIVE CONTROVERSY:
(MINDTOOLS)
STEP 1: Brainstorm solutions
STEP 2: Form advocacy groups
STEP 3: Engage in Constructive
Controversy
STEP 4: Decide
“My wife and I had words
the other night. Well, I had
THUCYDIDES: DIODOTUS,
words; She had
TPW; III, 41-48
paragraphs.”

7. The VALUE OF CONFLICT:
(TED)
Alice Stewart: UNUSUAL
vs conventional wisdom
X-rays = COOL TECHNOLOGY
Doctors NEVER harm
CHANGE = 25 years !!!
George Neil = ANTI-COLLABORATOR
“I wonder how many of us have or dare to
have such collaborators .... They were good
CHANGE MINDS = Intelligent at conflict, they saw it as thinking.” Margaret
CONFLICT Heffernan

8. PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN
“He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought
forth abundantly. He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I
don't have room to store my crops?' He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull
down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my
goods. I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years.
Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."'"But God said to him, 'You foolish one,
tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose
will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God."— Luke 12:16-21, World English Bible

9. THE HUMOUR OF CONFLICT:
PC vs MAC
“Hello. I´m a Mac. And I´m a PC”

10. QUESTIONING:
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Does business have more need of CONFLICT RESOLUTION than other areas? Why so? How does your company
deal with conflict? Can you give some EXAMPLES? Who LEADS in such times? Can EVERYTHING be resolved?
Is all conflict NEGATIVE? How exactly does disagreement generate INNOVATION? Do you agree with Margaret
Heffernan at TED? Do you have a partner such as GEORGE? How can one TRAIN for conflict resolution? Can one
learn about conflict without understanding POLITICS and POWER? Is learning about conflict resolution in
BUSINESS applicable to political life? Why not? What do you think of the idea of ORCHESTRATING conflict in
the HBR article?
Doesn’t MODERNITY see conflict as essential? Isn’t this why WE, unlike previous ages, have a SEPARATION of
powers? But then, doesn’t this alleged solution HIDE other possibilities which see conflict as essentially
NEGATIVE? Aren’t WE not facing up to our greatest CHALLENGES? Concretely, what do you think of the
COLOMBIAN process for conflict resolution? About De La Calle? Is conflict resolution identical with peace?
Can you remember situations in which you handled conflict WELL? Where you handled it badly? Have you seen
BAD/GOOD examples from managers and CEO’s? What characterizes each? Can conflict resolution eliminate the
role of emotions? Can resolution follow ONLY argumentative reason?
BUT MOST IMPORTANT: How have YOU prepared for healthy conflict?

11. CONCLUSION:
(whenever possible!)