Still Waters Run Deep

“Why does this always happen to me?” muttered Vinod, staring at his computer screen, his hands frozen on the keyboard.

Another tense email exchange had spiraled into a full-blown disagreement with his colleague, Priya.

He wanted to rush into Priya's office room and shout his mind off it.

His frustration mounted as he felt his heart racing and his mind flooded with conflicting thoughts.

“Why does she never listen?"

"Why is this so hard?”

At that moment, Vinod stood up from his desk, feeling defeated.

Yet, as he paced his office, something inside him whispered: Maybe there’s more to this than just the argument.

Mood swings, again.

That evening, as Vinod walked outside to the parking lot, his mind kept returning to the conversation with Priya.

He drove to the nearby garden, parked his car, went inside, and sat on his favorite bench. He opened the mail thread, and re-read each exchange - each word, each sentence carefully.

Slowly, he could sense words making different meanings and how some unspoken words were running in his mind before he wrote them down in his email responses.

What exactly happened?

Why did I respond that way?

Slowly, Vinod began to trace his reaction.

I was defensive, felt cornered, and couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t being heard.

But then, he paused. Wait… why did I get so worked up?

The more he thought, the more he realized: that his response wasn’t just about Priya’s words or actions—it was deeply tied to his internal triggers.

Hadn’t I felt ignored before in meetings?

Didn’t I have unresolved expectations that were not being communicated?

Hadn’t I been reacting out of habit, instead of engaging thoughtfully?

In that quiet moment, a revelation hit him. Vinod wasn’t merely reacting to the disagreement on the surface; he was responding to his emotional triggers, unresolved feelings, and past experiences that shaped his approach to conflict.

The issue wasn’t about Priya—it was about his own perceptions and emotional state.

Vinod realized that his habitual responses to conflict were not getting him closer to resolution; they were keeping him stuck in the same cycle.

He needed a shift—a shift that would allow him to approach conflict with greater awareness and emotional intelligence.

Vinod’s journey revealed a powerful truth: every conflict wasn’t a battleground but a mirror—showing him areas for growth, improvement, and deeper self-awareness. He wasn’t just resolving the conflict with Priya; he was learning how to show up more authentically as a leader.

Are you ready to reflect, grow, and master conflict?

Vinod’s experience exemplifies the core of the Conflict Management 365 approach that we launched in this new year.

Self-regulation is not just to solve a conflict but to use it as a tool for personal transformation. By focusing on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and consistent growth, every challenge becomes an opportunity for deeper connection and growth.

If, like Vinod, you're ready to face conflicts with clarity and confidence, join Conflict Management 365 today. Start transforming your responses and unlock your full potential as a leader.

Book your slot here: https://coaching.subalakshminarasimhan.com/conflictmanagement365immersion

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