Treffer: The Necessity of a Good Fight: A Multicultural Approach to Productive Conflict in Operational Level Staffs

Military staff organizations at the operational level of command have been traditionally postured to address conventional problems in conventional environments with conventional approaches. However, as the world is increasingly influenced by the effects of globalization, joint and coalition staffs are more frequently tasked to address socially complex problems while simultaneously integrating diverse members into their organizations. As a result, operational leaders must develop and refine new problem solving approaches to tackle the nonconventional -- that is, the ill-defined, interrelated systems of complex social problems that fall outside their normal realm of experience. Concurrently, leaders must cultivate awareness within themselves and among their staffs that sufficiently considers individuals' cultural dispositions to create an environment that continuously stimulates the production of diverse ideas and critical thinking. Through analysis of the nature of wicked problems and socially complex organizations, this paper describes the elements of opportunity-driven problem solving and offers tools and methods for the operational planner to establish a multicultural environment conducive to productive conflict. ; The original document contains color images.