Saturday, July 19, 2014

Business English - Conflict Resolution - from Parshat Mattot

By Rachael Alice Orbach

Conflicts come in all shapes and sizes in our lives, from small disputes involving children and parents to large one concerning nations.  In this last Weekly Parsha, Mattot, we have a situation regarding a big conflict between Moshe and the two and half tribes or Reuven, Gad and the half tribe of Manashe.


Read this article written by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks


Key Terms: 

conflict resolution
vital
leadership
long-term
cohesiveness
divisiveness
rancor
back-biting
resentment
internal politics  
a lack of trust
the common good
situated
destination
permission
possession
putting their own interests
abandoning
to inherit
discourage
 potentially disastrous
demoralized
impregnable
condemn
confrontational
negotiation
compromise
provisions
alongside
invoke
recognizes
 justified
secession
intention
delegation
objectively
mutual gain
impartial criteria
focused
striking
deserted 
principled
Questions: 
How does Moshe view the conflict between the two Tribes of Reuven, Gad and the Half tribe of Manashe? 

What could have been the result, before the negotiation? 

What was the danger that Moshe was trying to avert? 

How did Moshe run the negotiations?  What was his final objective?  


Case Study 
Think of a time that you had to do Conflict Resolution in your life.  What was the conflict about? What was difficult about it?  Did it end in a satisfactorily for everyone? 
Have you ever employed Moshes' conflict resolution strategy?  

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