Lesson 61: Conflict
We must learn to resolve conflict. For Christmas at 10 years old, I got a puppy named Ziggy. Covered in curls, Ziggy weighed only 7 lbs. At 10, I was responsible for taking Ziggy out for a walk. As I avoided taking Ziggy out for his walk, he found his favorite spot on my rug to do his business. Instead of a quick stroll through the neighborhood, I found myself consistently kneeling down on that rug with a towel and carpet cleaner scrubbing my regret out of the fabric. Today, I consider conflict kind of like taking Ziggy for a walk: avoid it and you will have to clean up your mess.
In business school, we learn how to resolve conflict to solve problems within a business. This ultimately helps the company maximize profits. The goal is to have a toolkit for addressing issues early so the business does not suffer.
But what if the problem you want to solve is nationwide? While business school equips us to handle internal conflicts, the need for effective conflict resolution extends to broader societal challenges, such as the state of our national education system.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average scores for age 9 students in 2022 declined 5 points in reading and 7 points in mathematics compared to 2020. This is the largest average score decline in reading since 1990, and the first ever score decline in mathematics. It would not take long for the average American to point a finger at an issue with our education system if asked. But as someone interested in leading a trade school, I need to learn about the education system if I ever expect to resolve any issues within it.
To learn more about education, I enrolled in a course called Higher Education Policy at the Harris School of Public Policy. The course is meant to train us to think critically about the long-term social and economic impacts of higher education. So far, we have discussed the different incentives of these institutions to admit and educate students in the U.S. What I like most about the class is the shift from maximizing profits to contributing to society. In this way, I believe I am learning to address the conflict our country is facing with our education system.
We must not avoid conflict. As I learned with Ziggy, you have to clean up a bigger mess if you do not learn to resolve conflict. This requires a shift in mindset from what you want to take to what you want to contribute. Nathan Shinagawa spoke to one of my classes this week. He is COO of UCI Health and he shared this advice: “Identify what you can contribute to people if you want to be happy.” If when I first got Ziggy I thought about how I contribute to his life by taking him for walks rather than a responsibility to shirk, then I would have been happier grabbing the leash and exploring outside with him. Likewise, I find fulfillment reflecting on how a trade school could contribute to society as we face this moment of academic decline.
My vision is to leverage my influence as a Black business leader to pursue economic justice. We know education improves economic outcomes for people. As we learn more about the issues, we can find ways to contribute rather than avoiding this conflict.
This is Lesson 61: Conflict. Next week is Lesson 62: Affirmation.
