Win at Work!: The Everybody Wins Approach to Conflict Resolution

Chapter 2. The Working Circle's Eight Key Questions

When conflict needs to be resolved, decisions have to be made. There is so much juggling at work, with deadlines, personalities, and tasks, that conflict resolution should be as easy as possible. If the underlying issues aren't addressed, the same type of conflict will keep coming up over and over again. As discussed in Chapter 1, logic is a cornerstone of decision making; just as important is that ephemeral quality, intuition. The Working Circle incorporates both approaches, to help professionals at any level arrive at balanced decisions with confidence.

Naturally, we will begin with Question 1. As we progress around the circle, we can go back and forth, as needed. Notice in the diagram of The Working Circle that Question 1 begins on the right-hand, or east, side. The east is where the sun rises. With the rising sun comes the emergence of perspectives, creativity, and questions. Directionally, the east is the place of beginnings and orientation. When you begin a new job, you may be given an orientation (at least, you should be!).

Creativity is an essential aspect of decision making. While we need to gather data and facts, we also need to search our hearts and histories to find creative solutions to life's dilemmas. When data and intuition are united, we can resolve career dilemmas with greater intelligence, depth, and even panache. A critical aspect of the Circle, as I explained in Chapter 1, is the balance between the masculine ...