Group Dynamics
Managing Conflict

Issues vs Personalities:
When I first meet someone I act differently than how I would around someone I have known for a long time. As I’m sure everyone does. In high school I was on a debate team that some of my friends would observe debates my team held. Afterwards they would always say how it was so very odd seeing me in such a serious manner as opposed to how they knew me. In serious situations you must be able to compose yourself in a way that fits the circumstance that you are in.

Interests vs Positions:
In a negotiation it is important to be able to distinguish between Interests and positions. Interests are desires or goals--the things that people want to achieve in a conflict situation. Unlike people's positions--which are simple statements such as "I'm pro-choice" or "I'm pro-life"--which are positions, the interests underlying those position is the answer to the question "WHY do you want that?" or "WHY do you feel that way?" In many cases, interests link up to tangible items that people say they want, such as land, money, or jobs. For example, two people might be vying for a promotion--both arguing that they are the better candidate (their position). But their interests could be quite different. One might want the promotion because they want an increase in salary (their interest), and the other might want the opportunity to travel that the higher-level position offers (a different interest).

Options vs Proposals:
An example of this that I heard recently is there was a major company doing a contract for another company. The company doing the work was not yet paid for the work that they would be doing so the person in charge told everyone to cease work immediately until payment was finalized. The 2nd company was not willing to pay for work that was not yet completed. A proposal had and compromise had to be made in the interests of both companies. Both companies had options that were in their best interests but they had to decide what would be best for the interest of both.