Managing conflicts

No one is born perfect in this world. As saying goes "No one is born as an island". In this regard we all have to depend on one another to live our life. In this journey of our life it is very sure that we may face with every circumstances. To this light, conflicts can happen anywhere with anyone. So, I feel its very important for all of us to have some knowledge to manage these conflicts effectively. Conflicts may be both constructive and destructive. If conflicts happen to be constructive, its well and good as it may bring good outcome. However, if it happens to be destructive we must be able to manage it before it becomes so destructive.

Courtesy: Google

So, I would like to share one of the stories being shared by one of my faculties in Royal Institute of Management; Mr. Thinley Namgyel, the Registrar of the institute who teaches Organizational Behaviour unit for us. It goes this way: Long time, almost few decades back in the world, there were two places that were separated by a big river. One of the groups lived depending upon the ship. The world for them was just a ship. Thei stories, poems, songs, etc...comprised the element of ship. On the other hand, the other group depended solely on goats. In the similar way, their stories, songs, poems were about the goats. 

It was one fine day when the children of both the groups went to play in the river banks. It was playfully or unfortunately that one of the children of goat's tribe threw stone to the other side of the river which directly hit on the head of one of the children of the ship's tribe. Soon both tribes' children went to report the incident to their respective parents or elderly people. The ship's tribe got really frustrated. On the other hand goat's tribe never accepted the fault and there was a big conflict that arose between the two tribes. They shouted to the other sides of the river and finally decided to have war. Both the tribes agreed and fixed a date to have war. They all; young and old gathered together and prepared for the war. Both the tribes prepared the best weapons they could manage. 

However, very few days before the war a very wise man from the ship's tribe suggested not to fight war ans he explained the war may lead to some disastrous situation. So, he suggested that both the tribes could select one strongest man each who will represent the whole group. Both the tribes agreed to the decision of the wise man. The very next day, two strongest men came face to face in the very small island-like place in the middle of the river. They were asked and rule was framed stating that they will fight as soon as the sun rise and stop fighting as soon as the sun set. They fought furiously for the very first day and as the sun set, both the fighters stopped. They both had to keep very close watch to each other thinking that the other may take chance to kill the other. 

Then fortunately the fighter from the goat's tribe asked the other fighter, "Why are you fighting so tirelessly?". The other fighter replied, " I fight for my two children, If i loose this fight, you all will make my children slaves". Then the fighter from the ship's tribe asked the same question " Then why are you fighting?". Then a fighter form the goat's tribe replied "Its same in my case. I fight for my children. I too have two children and if i loose you all will make them slaves." Both of them then realized that there was no use for them to fight. they felt if any one of the wins, two children of the looser will be slave. 

In the next morning, as the sun arose brightly, the group from each tribe gathered near the fighters to cheer up their own fighter. However to their surprise found both the fighters leaving towards their place. They asked the reason and the fighters explained them clearly. Finally the conflict was resolved and the groups lived happily again. 

I feel its very important for us to share our own opinions and thoughts before such things arise like in the above story. It will help us before the problem becomes too problematic like in the story.