Prioritizing

Division

Envisioning 

Division

Brains with a bent in the Prioritizing division are often the most comfortable with conflict and indeed may initiate it. They tend to view conflict as a necessary part of negotiations in life (professional as well as personal), to attain their goals and to be successful. If also extroverted, they may perceive conflict as stimulating, competitive, and challenging fun. However, their approach to conflict may be perceived by others as argumentative, non-sympathetic or non-empathetic, and more concerned with the bottom line or being in charge or winning. They may appear to run rough-shod over harmonizing concerns and be oblivious to feelings of others. Being diagonal from the Harmonizing division, they may miss how uncomfortable individuals with a brain bent in one of the right hemisphere divisions can be with conflict. They can learn to pay attention and develop skills of empathizing and collaboration, if they choose to do so.

Brains with a bent in the Envisioning division do not like conflict, rarely seek it, and tend to avoid it when possible. They may be perceived as conflict adverse unless and until they become passionately involved with an issue and then they may be willing to engage in conflict and ‘crusade’ for a short time in an effort to help resolve the issue. When pushed sufficiently, they may try one or more problem-solving attempts. If these do not resolve the conflict situation, they may distance themselves emotionally from the conflict situation and eventually withdraw and isolate, or physically leave the conflict situation, environment, or even the relationship. They can learn skills to help them address and negotiate conflict more successfully—if they choose to do so—but it will likely not be anything they gravitate toward if there is another choice. Because the right frontal lobe contains functions of intuition and of ‘seeing the big picture,’ their ideas are often ahead of the rest of the group and they may find it discouraging when their vision isn’t even recognized by other brains.

Maintaining

Division

Harmonizing

Division

Brains with a bent in the Maintaining division don't enjoy conflict and tend to be slow to engage in conflict situations. They may choose to be involved when they are trying to maintain the status quo or if they become strongly opinionated about something, especially if they believe the conflict will result in fairer practices. For example, they may vote to ‘strike’ when workers and management disagree, perceiving this as a tool to resolve the conflict. When involved in a conflict situation, they are likely to invoke rules and regulations or legislation in an attempt to resolve the issues. If the conflict doesn’t resolve quickly and easily, they may just dig in their heels and wait, hoping that if enough time goes by they can get the outcome they desire. They can learn to negotiate and to reach consensus through compromise, understanding that compromise works for the group but rarely works well for each individual brain. There are times when compromise beats continued conflict.

Brains with a bent in the Harmonizing division dislike conflict the most and will do almost anything to avoid it. They may over-comply, over-conform, and even violate conscience and their own moral or ethical judgements at times to resolve the conflict or make it go away—often to their own personal detriment. They may stay in an abusive work or home environment rather than addressing the abuse for fear the conflict will escalate. They can learn that conflict is not all bad and may sometimes result in positive outcomes, especially when used judiciously. They are more likely to be willing to tolerate some conflict if they can see how the desired outcome may benefit those they love or care about in a work situation. They may need the support of others to help them develop skills to work through the conflict, however, and they typically would rather do almost anything else.