Life is too important to deal with Bullshit
I have lately received numerous notifications about articles and media describing something called quiet quitting. I first saw this term on a Linkedin notification several weeks ago. Then I saw quiet quitting videos showing up on my YouTube feed. Now it appears to be quite a news item. So I looked into it. The media … Continue reading Quiet Quitting is Nonsense
Mediation is a method of problem solving. Problem solving is one of the strategies associated with the dual concern model. One of the implications of viewing mediation as a method of problem solving is that it involves two or more parties who are highly interested in the outcome of their dispute; that is, each side … Continue reading Mediation as Strategy
I did a presentation on conflict back in May this year wherein I spent time explaining the dual concern model. At the end of the presentation there was a question and answer session. One of the attendees asked how she could be move from the side of the model where she avoided conflict to the … Continue reading Intention and Assertion in Conflict
I recently read an article in the Los Angeles Times about the crisis level shortage of water in the Colorado River. Written by Ian James, the article describes years of warnings from the scientific community about how the dangers of drought and overuse of the river would lead to dire consequences. James is a thorough … Continue reading Agnotology and the Colorado River
I am a knowledge worker. What I do at work is based on my knowledge of law and regulations and processes for dealing with very specific and ultimately common events. I do not think that what I do is difficult, but it took me many years to get to the point where the job I … Continue reading Knowledge Work and Outdated Management Theory
I am employed by a large government agency and I was recently given the opportunity to participate in what I like to call participation kabuki. Participation kabuki is when an organization desires to make a show of soliciting input from throughout the organization. Typically a committee is formed to organize the desired input. The committee is … Continue reading Organizational Kabuki
I have in the past year and a half had to talk with numerous people who are averse to taking the COVID vaccine. During almost every meeting I have been a part of there have been one or more people going on harangues about the COVID vaccine. The typical official stance is that the vaccine … Continue reading My Thoughts on COVID Vaccination
I never went to war while I was in the army. I was stationed in Korea during the first Gulf war. I cannot say with absolute certainty how the active duty and veterans who served in Afghanistan feel; I believe that I do have an idea about those feelings. The war in Afghanistan has cost … Continue reading Thoughts about Afghanistan
Strategy is useful to conflict, but not in the way most people think about it. Strategy commonly seems to be thought of as a mapping out of actions that will lead to a particular goal. This can be true, but in the context of conflict you are dealing with other people. People are capricious. Organizations are capricious … Continue reading Your path to victory …
I recently had a discussion about strategy with a strategy consultant. I love strategy; I love talking about it, reading about it, and thinking about it. I don't have many opportunities to discuss strategy directly with others. I therefore found the conversation very enjoyable. I mean something very specific when I discuss strategy. Strategy is … Continue reading A small post about strategy
The Conflict Authority 