Layout 1 - Civil Air Patrol

07-Chapter 9 Reboot Attempt pp 13-end_Layout 1 5/4/12 12:42 Page 37
Latent Conflict is that which should be occurring, but is not. Do you
like dealing with conflict Lots of people don’t. In fact, many of us
avoid conflict if at all possible. Latent conflicts may go away on their
own, continue for years, or eventually explode. Suppose a new, energetic
senior member has not quite learned how to relate to the cadet
staff. He monopolizes classroom discussions and interrupts you
when you are training junior-ranking cadets. You hate this. But confronting
an authority figure is so unpleasant, you decide to suffer in
silence. In turn, the senior member’s domineering style continues
for weeks. The conflict is real, but you are keeping it under wraps.
The conflict is latent.
False Conflict is the tragic case of disagreements that have no basis in
reality. Surely you’ve been mad about something, only to find out
that your anger was not justified. Misunderstandings produce false
conflicts. Suppose an officer were to advocate that cadet training
include anti-bullying, equal opportunity, and anti-discrimination
topics. Another leader objects, insisting that cadets be trained in
Core Values. Although they do not realize it, both parties want the
same thing. Their use of jargon is causing confusion. After all, the
Core Value of “Respect” suggests that bullying, discrimination, and
the like are simply not tolerated. In truth, there is no disagreement
here. This is a false conflict.
Suffering in Silence
Conflict can be so unpleasant
that many of us will avoid it at all
costs. When a conflict should be
occurring but is not, the situation
is said to exhibit latent conflict.
LESSON FOR CADET OFFICERS
Some conflicts reflect real problems, while others reflect perceived
problems. Sometimes one party is misguided, sometimes both. Because
there is no single type of conflict, there is no single approach
or solution to conflict. The successful leader must be adaptable and
carry a mixed bag of tools for resolving conflict.
A MODEL OF INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
OBJECTIVES:
35. Describe what occurs during each of the five phases of the model
of interpersonal conflict.
36. Describe some of the key points for managing conflict effectively.
What’s really going on inside an interpersonal conflict If we try to
look at interpersonal conflict scientifically, what do we observe So
far we’ve discussed the important role leaders play in resolving conflict,
and five different types of conflict. Next we’ll consider a model
that explains the contexts, interactions, and outcomes that are found
in interpersonal conflict. 111
This section studies the
anatomy of conflicts.
For tips on mediating
conflict, see chapter 6.
37
Distal (Background) Context. There’s always a context to a conflict, a
setting or a history that shapes the conflict from the beginning. The