Conflict and Control (How Is Your Weather?)

The Olympic Rowing events were cancelled today due to the weather conditions (sigh).

Rowing canceled as skies darken over Rio Olympics

Anyone who participates in outside sports knows you are at the mercy of the weather. In rowing, too, it can be quite disappointing to show up for your race and find that the weather has made other plans for you (this has happened to me at a few regattas).

When you’re a rower, you practice being a master oarsman in all kinds of weather conditions because on race day you have to be ready for anything. It is tough though when the wind is so bad that the race gets cancelled. The weather is simply something you can’t control. 

There is a factor in relational conflict that’s like that uncontrollable weather in sports: the other people. You can feel as prepared and confident as possible as you start to work with them, but they can behave in ways that totally interfere with your abilities to keep things on track. Sometimes, perhaps to your dismay, their behavior brings the conversation to an abrupt end.

The inspiration to take from today’s scheduled rowers is their response to the situation.

What do you think those Olympians did with their day? Did they say, “Oh good, a day off to go sightseeing”?

My guess is that they used today as another opportunity to train (inside). They worked to maintain their strength and endurance levels; they kept their bodies conditioned, and then, they probably took some time to rest.

Do the same when you hit the turbulence in a relational exchange that signals you have hit something beyond your control and you’re not going to do what you had hoped. Understand there are still a few things within your own grasp.

Maintain your vision; maintain your skills. Seek out a different context so you can keep moving. Rest.

Then, like the rowers in Rio, you'll be just as ready to take up the race when it gets rescheduled!

DrK

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