— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu above. —
ARE GUNS BAD? Maybe. Maybe not. Why can’t we rifles just be thought of as tools? Plainly, we get used for ill or for good. Someone chooses how to use us. A choice is involved.
Here’s a truism: You can’t avoid conflict when you work with people. Here’s another: People are different—different from each other, that is. A lot of managing conflict is managing differences. There are different backgrounds, beliefs, expectations, perceptions, goals, and on and on. You fan the fires of conflict when you try to extinguish differences. Instead, try using differences to your advantage. Find positive aspects. That may mean establishing a goal toward which all can marshal their differences. It may mean expressing appreciation for differences and then leveraging them for ideas. Projecting the end is the beginning: Choose to use the tool of difference.