1) What forces for and against being a strong team member are embedded in American culture? How would you address them from the perspective of a team leader? Of a team member? How might your strategy change if you were working with a multi-cultural team?

2)Please share your thoughts on one or more of the following statements.

Conflict is neither good nor bad.
Conflict is inevitable.
Conflict does not have to result in winners and losers.
In conflict both parties tend to believe that their opinion is fact.
Too often both parties see themselves as innocent victims who represent the side of truth and fairness.
Too often both parties perceive all destructive acts carried out by others completely blind to identical acts carried out by self or those on ‘my' side.

Questions to think about:
Which of these messages do you believe is the most important for a leader to understand? What, in your experience, are some of the good things about conflict? The bad things?
What does the phrase conflict is inevitable mean to you? Is it possible to avoid all conflict?
If conflict does not result in winners and losers, what does it result in? Have you experienced a conflict which did not end with one party feeling like they won and the other party feeling like they lost?
How would you mediate a conflict between two parties with opposite ideas who were both convinced that they were right and the other party was wrong? How would you help both parties see things from the other party's perspective?

3)Folklore from farmers gives us the best guidance on how to deal effectively with a crisis. If your cow lands in the ditch, then you should follow 3 simple sequential steps:

Get the cow out of the ditch

Understand how the cow got into the ditch

Make sure the cow doesn't get into the ditch again

How does this parable reflect a strategic decision making process? What does the story really tell us about solving problems? How can leaders apply similar principles to everyday challenges?