Leaders and the "Win-Win" Game

Thomas Kilman Conflict Resolution instrument here provides five approaches to conflict resolution depending on the degree of cooperativeness and assertiveness of the conflicting parties.

I viewed the efforts made by UMNO top leadership on the impending transition of power as a case of: "tarik rambut dalam tepung: tepung jangan berserak, rambut jangan terputus" . Probably this is the Malay equivalent of Thomas Kilman's collaborative approach. But see also how the Malay proverb had placed emphasis on the importance of relationship even in a conflict situation. This is the so-called "soft on the people but hard on the issue" technique.

Many in the party may have felt a bit relieved on learning that the incumbent is ready to shorten the power transition period.

Kudos for having learnt, understood and practiced Thomas Kilman's conflict resolution grid and also lived the said Malay proverb, to some extend. But it sounds more like a compromise (you lose some - I lose some) rather than a win-win resolve.

Malaysian Insider's report here, the Malaysiakini's report here and the Star Online report here, on the other hand reminded me of an episode in the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee's Nujum Pak Belalang wherein 'Nyawa' and 'Badan' were trying to find ways for a win-win resolve over the looted treasure. I smiled as I recalled the glimpses of "ini kepala bapak kau & ini kepala bapak aku" technique we resorted to every time my friends and I had quarrels. That was many years ago when we were naive little kampung kids.

While I was pondering over the subtle messages written in-between-the-lines in the above-mentioned reports, the Nujum Pak Belalang video clip, the Malay peribahasa and the reminiscence on the children's games we played, what came vividly into my mind were: whose priority shall leaders place first? Whose problems shall leaders resolve first, whose interest shall leaders take care first - self, followers or the organisation/the country?

If Abraham Lincoln's (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), Gettysburg address: "Government of the people by the people and for the people" could probably throw leaders in UMNO some light on the above issue, certainly this is another lesson learned by leaders/ managers in the business sector in deciding their priorities in a conflict situation.