Don't straighten out conflict

As an ex-consultant I love 2x2 models, because the good ones have an instant visual impact - you literally see things differently once you see the model. One I have used for a long time is the Thomas Kilmann conflict model, but just a couple of weeks ago I found a way to give it even more visual impact. I realised that people often see conflict one dimensionally, ie it is a straight line with "I win" at one end and "You win" at the other. Inevitably they end up stuck at the mid-point, which is essentially "Nobody wins". To see conflict differently, imagine bending that line to make two axes. As soon as you do this, you open up the space for the collaborative "Win-Win". It's nothing new in concept, but the visual imagery of "bending the straight line" is a great trigger thought.