when interests are in conflict

When interests are in conflict

The battle raged for weeks. The people riding bikes liked long, straight, downhill trails. But those steep, straight trails lead to erosion when it gets rainy. So, the trail keepers created switchbacks years ago, planting over the trail they eliminated. This year, the bikes rode through those plantings and started re-establishing trails. The trail keepers moved logs to block the trails, which were promptly moved by the bikers. After several back and forths, the logs were tossed down the hill. Then piles of thick branches appeared and have been there for a few weeks, signaling the end of the battle.

The battle over the trail design was a classic battle of interest. Bikers wanted straight paths to ride down quickly. Trail keepers want to keep the trails from eroding. These sorts of battles happen all the time in business. People have different interests, and often times come from a place of good intentions. The trick is understanding what is driving the interest and finding common ground.

Posted in Leadership, Strategy.