Week 4 Discussion 1&2 – Autonomous and Positive Face
Autonomous and Positive Face | Week 4 Discussion 1
Supporting an autonomous and positive face can be challenging. There are times when an autonomous and positive face can create conflict.
Provide an example of a time that this has happened to you or someone you know in your professional and personal experience. What did you do to resolve the issues of autonomous and positive face? Are the strategies you used for each different?
Forgiveness and Reconciliation | Week 4 Discussion 2
Forgiveness can be an integral part in conflict resolution and even a strong factor in psychological and physical health. Some philosophers state that forgiveness is a gift to the person doing the forgiving, not necessarily for the forgiven.
Using what you learned from your readings (including chapter 9 in Cahn and Abigail) and additional research from the UAGC library:
Compare and contrast the ideas of forgiveness and the concept of reconciliation, as they relate to communication.
Describe a situation in which someone has committed a difficult to forgive relational transgression against you and explain the advantages of forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasizing communication aspects.
Conclude by discussing how understanding these concepts informs your communication techniques in a conflict.
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Supporting an autonomous and positive face can be challenging in situations where there is a power imbalance or when someone’s actions are causing harm to others. For example, in a previous job as a manager, I had an employee who consistently disregarded company policies and procedures, causing delays in projects and frustration among their colleagues. In this situation, it was important to balance the need for the employee to maintain their autonomy and positive face with the need for the team to complete projects and maintain positive relationships with each other.
To resolve this issue, I first addressed the employee’s behavior directly and clearly, and provided them with specific examples of how their actions were impacting the team. I also worked with the employee to set clear expectations for their behavior and provided them with resources and support to improve their performance. Additionally, I ensured that the team was aware of the steps being taken to address the situation and encouraged them to communicate any concerns or issues directly with the employee and myself.
In terms of forgiveness and reconciliation, these concepts are closely related but have distinct differences. Forgiveness is the act of letting go of resentment or anger towards someone who has wronged you, while reconciliation is the process of rebuilding a relationship after a transgression. In terms of communication, forgiveness can be important for moving past a conflict and allowing for effective communication to occur. For example, if someone has committed a difficult to forgive relational transgression against me, forgiveness can help me to let go of resentment and communicate more effectively with that person in the future. On the other hand, reconciliation requires more active effort, such as an apology, making amends and rebuilding trust.
In a situation where someone has committed a difficult to forgive relational transgression against me, the advantages of forgiveness and reconciliation can include improved communication, reduced stress and improved overall well-being. Forgiveness can also help to prevent the transgression from continuing to negatively impact the relationship, while reconciliation can help to rebuild the relationship and move forward.
In understanding these concepts, it informs my communication techniques in a conflict by helping me to focus on understanding the other person’s perspective, and to be willing to listen and work towards a resolution. It also reminds me to focus on long-term goals and not to let short-term emotions dictate the outcome of a conflict.
