Ahhh, ain’t love grand? At first, it is. But did you know that there are 5 Stages of every relationship? In Mark Knapp’s Relational Development Model the Honeymoon Stage makes you breathless and googly eyed. But the next stage is the Power Struggle. Most relationships don’t get past this point. People often break up the moment an issue arises, and they move on to a new Honeymoon Stage with someone else. Broken-apart couples miss out on learning how to form boundaries and expectations necessary for solid future passions.
The same template operates during team development stages at work. Psychologist Bruce Tuckman lists the first Forming Stage where members becoming acquainted remain on their best behavior, not revealing who they are. But Stage Two is the Storming Stage where conflicts and boundaries are naturally tested. If someone storms out of a dispute in anger, that person won’t gain the vital tools to collaborate in the future.
The third stage in both these models involves Adaptation and Acceptance in the personal realm and Resolution and Collaboration in the professional realm. These are higher on the scale of Emotional Intelligence.
WARNING: If Stage Two spurs dissolution of a romance or a team, moving on will merely delay the growth needed to create lasting interaction tools. “Real Men Don’t Go Woke” explains how to conFRONT disagreements by being honestly upFRONT with your thoughts—without pissing others off!
REAL MEN DON’T GO WOKE
NOTE: For the complete list of the 5 Stages of Love & Work, send an email request to Staff@DrGilda.com
