Conflict Resolution

I thought today's discussion of conflict resolution was very interesting. I have never really thought that conflict could be positive in a work setting. It was also fun to see conflict take on a new personality through the skits. I think it's always easier to look at someone else's problems and dissect them rather than admitting our faults. That is interesting because as a professional or being in a professional setting means you have to be able to handle either scenario well. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about that statement in my life is when a conflict was turned into a bigger conflict by my boss. I was working at Target and I volunteered to drive back over winter break to pick up a few shifts to help out. One night I was scraping off my windows to leave for work and my car started rolling down the driveway into the streets because of the ice. After we solved that conflict by moving my car onto the street, my parents advised me not to drive the 50 miles to work because of the danger. I thought this was a reasonable absence-my safety was more important. When I called my manager to tell her I would not be able to make it into work, instead of being appreciative that I made an executive decision and that I did try to come, she made it into another conflict. She warned me that this was not excused, that I wasn't making a smart decision, and that this would count against me. I realize that this is a tough position for employers because they have to have so many people there to cover the shift, which was my responsibility, but in all it was clearly too dangerous to drive on the interstate solely to make it to work. Although she was probably just doing her job it ended up in an awkward relationship and ultimately a loss of an employee. I felt like she was trying to compete with me because she knew she was higher than me and she thought she was right. I however did not feel that this was the best way to solve the problem. When I returned to work she not only avoided the conflict that was never resolved but she avoided me, whether purposefully or not. Again, I feel the situation could have been handled better. The example I just gave really showed me that someday when I am a leader or a manager of some sort I will chose to pick my battles and the way I solve them with more thought for the other employees. My hopes are that sometime throughout everybody's lives they encounter a situation where their boss handles a situation in a way they thought was wrong or right. I think these experiences will lead people to an understanding and even goal perhaps of how they want to treat others and handle conflicts when they are put in that position.