Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

The story below is a true account of a failed business venture which happened within a family. The rivalry involved is definitely not one of the proudest moments in the entire human civilization.

John and Adrian were brothers who grew up together in a typical rich family. During a family gathering, John and Adrian conceived a business idea and invested $300k each. The business started off splendidly.

Times were good until Adrian’s wife, Alice, joined the business. Account irregularities were discovered and business soon took a dip. Strong physical evidence suggested that account irregularities may be the result of dishonesty from Alice - siphoning of money away from the business’s account. With evidence in hand, John confronted Adrian. The relationship between John and Adrian became strained and a business split soon ensued. The business was sold eventually due to operational losses.

John felt betrayed by Adrian and Alice. He deeply believed that Alice had siphoned a significant share of money, hence resulting in operation losses of the business. Even in the light of strong physical evidence, John was disappointed that Adrian still chose to side with his wife Alice. In retaliation, John decided not to return Adrian‘s shares after business’s liquidation. He justified that the remaining money should be rightfully his.

Adrian could not believe that his own brother, John, refused to return his remainder shares after the business’s liquidation. He insisted that Alice was wrongfully accused. There was no basis for the evidence. Adrian was shocked and disgusted by his own brother, John’s behaviour.

Both John and Adrian avoided filing for lawsuits out of respect for their aging father.

Do you think it was justified for John to swallow Adrian’s share after the business is liquidated? On the other hand, how should Adrian react when confronted by John? If you were either John or Adrian, what will you do to resolve this conflict?

Effective Communication Skills

During a Destuche Bank networking session, I happened to have a conversation with Andrew, vice-President of corporate finance. Andrew summarized the importance of developing excellent communication skills within his organisation, “You need to communicate vertically (up to your boss & down to your subordinates) & horizontally (across to your peers).You cannot survive without it.”

Besides career, effective communication is equally important in the university. As undergrads, we often need to present our ideas, lab reports, marketing findings to our lecturers. In addition, we are often assessed during a formal presentation. Achieving good grades partly depends on how well you can deliver your messages across to your lecturers.

Developing effective communication will enhance your personal relationships with your families & friends. After all, we are constantly communicating our extended love to our families. Effective communication is especially important to me as I am committed to a long-distance relationship. Slight miscommunications between people tend to get complicated especially over great distances. Hence, effective communication is absolutely essential in rectifying miscommunications and most importantly in preventing the occurrences of miscommunications.

To conclude, the importance of developing effective communication is clearly evident. However, developing effective communication takes time and effort. Enrolling in ES2007S, seems to be a good start in developing my personal communication skills. With enough hard work & determination, I believe we can possess the ability to communicate effectively in every aspect of our lives. Our lives will definitively be more enriching with it.