Conflict (101) Resolution

It was one of the most enthralling decision making processes I’ve ever been a part of. At the very beginning of the activity we referred to Professor Kurpis as Professor Kurpis, minutes later the name gradually became a “professor” outburst and a pointed finger in his direction. By the end of this unforgiving endeavor, I couldn’t tell if Professor Kurpis ever existed. Everybody kept on referring to a mysterious “he” figure and the things he said or did not say.


In terms of leader and class interaction I suppose we drifted between “Facilitate” and “Delegate” decision making methods. Given that, the leader influence was low to very low, while group freedom ranged from high to very high. The leaders defined our objective, assisted the class in exploring alternatives, and worked to get a consensus on the final proposal. Using the above mentioned approach the leaders made it easier, or facilitated, for us to make a final decision. Although to a lesser extent, the leaders also delegated by playing almost no role in the decision making process, as well as setting inexact but obliging boundaries. Both of these methods require strong group skills - a quality that our class lacked, but salvaged through support for the general cause - a grade freebie. Considering time and goal constraints, and in regards to the class size, I think we would’ve been happier in groups of 15, fully utilizing the “Consult Group” approach. This way we would save time, everybody's opinion would be heard, resulting in viable demands and copious alternatives to add to the proposal.

When the World War 2.5 erupted in class, I did it all to handle the conflict. I played to win when somebody proposed to rewrite the essays; avoided when I felt overwhelmed by the many leaders and decision makers; compromised when a conflict of interest arose; accommodated when fellow students wanted no multiple-multiple choices on the next test; and finally collaborated with the single guy who threw off the final vote. I’m certain I chose the best way to handle this kind of conflict, because I couldn’t be more satisfied with the final result. I got an ...

"He" certainly has a fascinating approach to teaching management, and I LIKE IT. Professor Kurpis might not show us how decision making/planning/management skills are applied in the very real of the worlds, but his class is not a lecture, it's a memorable life-lesson. Let's hope this counts for that extra credit;-)