Response to the case "Heading Off a Permanent Misunderstanding"

          This case was particularly interesting to me because I find myself doing what Mindy Martin did, all the time-that is, I make an assumption about someone else by over analyzing their behavior and jumping to conclusions.  In this case, there wasn't actually a conflict.  According to our textbook, a conflict only exists if both parties perceive it to be a conflict.  Since Al Sharp did not think there was a problem and had no idea what was wrong with Mindy, the situation did not constitute a conflict.  Instead, it was a miscommunication.  Mindy was clearly a little nervous, upset, and insecure about not getting the promotion but it was because she was not given all the facts.  This situation could have been avoided if she had been included in the discussion, or simply been given some feedback regarding the decision.  Instead, she was kept in the dark and not made aware of why she had not received the promotion.  If Sharp or Attridge had explained to her earlier on, the whole misunderstanding could have been avoided.  However, Mindy could have also made an attempt to find out for herself.  Instead, she jumped to conclusions and made assumptions that were not true.  She should have asserted herself and asked Attridge or Sharp why she was not given the promotion.  In conlclusion, I think the entire misunderstanding could have been avoided if either parties had made more of an effort to communicate and get the facts straight.  Had Attridge not stepped in, relations between the two may have gotten so bad that one of them decided to quit their job, others in the office could have been affected by their hostility, and productivity could have suffered as a result.