DePena-LDRS600-Posting 13-Managing Conflict, Stress, and Time

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In this weeks discussion we will talk about how we can better manage conflict, stress, and time. After
reading Chapter 12 please provide your responses to the discussion topics below.

1. Tell us how you deal with your busy schedule? Share some of your best practices and how they
relate to or differ from what the book has to say?
Because of the nature of what I do, which involves attending significant amount of organizational and
community outreach activities, the best way for me to manage my time is to rely on technology. My
daily activities at work perfectly synchronize with my smart phone and tablet so that I do not miss out
important appointments. Moreover, just as the book says, I tried my best to manage my time effectively
by prioritizing my actives based on importance level. Many times, my schedule is busy on evenings and
Saturday mornings, particularly at the beginning of each school year (I work for a school district). In
addition, I have learned how to say know, even to my supervisor, when a particular activity conflicts
with a previously scheduled family activity. Lastly, for a number of years, I have informed the
community agencies I interact with to give me at least a two-week notice for any invitation to attend
their events. That is particularly the case when I am invited to speak at their organization on a particular
topic of my domain.
2. Of the five conflict management styles in the chapter; which do you see most prevalent in the
organizational setting today, and explain why you think this occurs?
Out of the five styles (avoiding, accommodating, forcing, compromising, and collaborating), I believe the
most prevalent one is collaboration. According to Mosley et al (2011),
[]Collaborating is an assertive, cooperative approach in which the individual has a high concern
for self and others. Collaboration is a problem-solving style. It is effective when dealing with
conflict heads on, trying to surface all of the pertinent issues, and attempting to interpret
different points of view. Conflict management theory today supports collaboration as the
appropriate approach to resolve conflict. Since collaboration in many cases leads to win-win
outcomes, it is easy to discern why collaboration advocates support this approach as the the
model for handling conflict. (p. 360).
I would like to add to add that, in my opinion, the reason why this style is the most prevalent in todays
organizations is related to increased interpersonal relationships that would create a high-morale
working environment conducive to increased production, productivity, higher quality product or service,
and as a result a happy consumer. I can argue this style should be the most important one in dealing
with external relationships. In todays global economy where we depend on consultants, suppliers,
political environment, among other external conditions that typically affect todays organizations, a winwin approach should be the best way to resolve potential conflicts; and out of the five, collaboration
seems to be the best. Otherwise, we might risk losing market share and even fall behind the
competition.
3. Can you have dual behavior traits, that is both type A and type B? Please explain?
Before I respond, I would like to contrast both styles:

DePena-LDRS600-Posting 13-Managing Conflict, Stress, and Time

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[]Individuals who exhibit Type A behavior tend to try to accomplish too many things in a short
time. Lacking patience, they struggle against time and other people to accomplish their ends. As
a consequence, they become irritated by trivial things. Type A people also tend to be
workaholics. [Conversely, Type B behavior people] tend to be calmer, to take more time to
exercise, and to be more realistic thant Type As in estimating the amount of time needed to
complete an assignment (Mosley et al, 2011, p. 370)
While I have yet to research on what the literate has to say about the possibility for leaders to have
both behavior traits, I believe that I have found myself acting adopting a Type A and a Type B trait,
depending on the nature, complexity, and timeframe of projects I have been entrusted with. Usually, if I
am entrusted a doable, but pressing deadline to accomplish a particular important project, I definitely
tend to be Type A, while for long-term projects I adopt the Type B trait.
----------References
Mosley Jr., D. C., Mosley Sr., D. C., & Pietri, P. H. (2011). Supervisory Management. Mason, OH: SouthWestern Cengage Learning.
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COMMENT/QUESTION: Research shows that U.S. workers enjoy significantly fewer vacation days as
Europeans. In fact, It takes a quarter century of service in the United States to achieve mandated
minimum vacation allotments in other countries (retrieved from
http://www.epi.org/publication/webfeatures_snapshots_20050824/)
Given the burned-out condition of millions of American workers, should labor laws be changed to
significantly increase paid annual vacation? Pros? Cons?