According to (In Bhatnagar & In Bhatnagar, 2011)
Contact in its simplest sense is a means of communication with and between persons in a given location or environment. Effective communication greatly contributes to working relationships marked by engagement, comprehension, accurate interpretation of the intended message or messages, and obtaining the desired input (Thompson & Thompson, 2011: Bevan & Sole. 2014).
Interpersonal Conflict in Media
Of the many facets of contact, however, interpersonal problems are seen to be unavoidable. As an audience of particular movies, television shows, or drama, it is often easier to identify interpersonal conflicts and passively imagine as well as propose certain ways in which the situation could have been addressed. This paper, therefore, discusses the theme of interpersonal conflict with a focus on Season 11: episode 7 of the Television Series Show “Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).”
NCIS’s Season 11: episode 7 - "Better Angle"
NCIS’s Season 11: episode 7, referred to as the “Better Angle” exemplify perfect scenario of interpersonal conflict that exists between Jackson and his son Gibbs. In summary, Gibbs receives a call from the police informing him that his father’s driving license has been revoked and he is to pick him up. Unfortunately, Gibbs is on an investigative mission in which he and his team have to find the murdered of a deceased Marine Sergeant Dawson. Gibbs then leaves the mission with his partners DiNozzo and McGee to pick up his father (Bellisario & Drewe, 2003). On their way, Jackson informs Gibbs that they have to go see a dying old acquaintance Walter Beck who once saved his life during the World War II and has never thanked. With the help of Abby who agrees to assist with the search, no record of Beck is in Jackson’s squadron. Gibbs then gets furious thinking that his father lied to him probably for suffering from dementia.
Intervention Approaches
Finding intervention approaches through which the situation could have been avoided rely on proper analysis and evaluation of the transpiring circumstances. It is notable that interpersonal conflict arises from Gibbs misinformed opinion that his father lied to him and that he could have been suffering from dementia. Thus, solving such a conflict could have taken into account impacts of empathy. Gibbs ought to have been his father’s feeling in order to understand what his father really meant by his message of Beck an old friend. One way of achieving empathy is to be a good listener (In Gonzalez & In Frumkin, 2016). A good listener is patient enough to get to the root of the issues circumventing the situation. For instance, if Gibbs could have patiently listened to his father and asked the right question regarding the friendship, how they came to meet, and why he felt indebted to thank him, he could have had the opportunity to be adequately informed. Thus, Gibbs could have on one hand been informed that Beck was not in his father’s squadron and on the other hand, in spite being an enemy then in war, he had helped him.
Conclusion
In summary, it is imperative to note that proper communication is effective for eliminating or avoiding certain interpersonal conflicts derived from perceived opinions. Professionals, colleagues, and family members should endeavor to foster working communication in order to thrive on better relationships. One such way is to practice empathy ensuring that they master communication skills including being able to effectively listen and be listened to. Finally, in the event that personal conflicts arise, it is necessary that they are addressed as soon as possible by finding what the problems are and the parties mutually get to reconcile on common agreeable terms devoid of conditions summarized by (Bevan &Sole, 2014) as the willingness to work together to maintain relationships.
References
Bellisario & Drewe. (2003). “Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).”
Bevan & Sole. (2014). Chapters 8 and 9 “Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Challenges of Interpersonal Relationships” pdfs.
In Bhatnagar, N., & In Bhatnagar, M. (2011). Effective communication and soft skills: Strategies for success. New Delhi, India: Pearson, 2011.
In Gonzalez, K., & In Frumkin, R. (2016). Handbook of research on effective communication in culturally diverse classrooms. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Retrieved on 07/08/2017 from http://www.cbs.com/
Thompson, N., & Thompson, N. (2011). Effective communication: A guide for the people professions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
