ILLUSTRATING THE MODEL
What would it look like if we were to use this model of learning from experience in working through conflict? We show how a person can do so, with or without assistance from a facilitator, by introducing a hypothetical example that is a composite of situations we have seen in practice.
Let us imagine a normal work conflict that seems exacerbated by perceptions of gender difference. While the focus in this example is around male/female relationships, it is not hard to imagine an analogous situation around race, class, or other dimensions of power. This example is set in a financial services company. Women form about 10 percent of the senior staff. Women often find that they are left out of information loops or that when they come into the room, men will get quiet, ignore them, or tell jokes that they find demeaning of women.