Think of two different conflict situations with individuals you know well and see often.

In the first situation, the other person is subordinate to you (you have some authority over her or him at home, work, or school).

In the second situation, the other person is superordinate to you (has authority over you at home, work, or school).

Your purpose is to describe the communication and conflict patterns that exist in the two types of interpersonal relationships where you are superior or subordinate. Although you are to write about both relationships, divide each relationship into two parts. In the first part, describe how the powerful person (you in one case; the other in the next case) might try to retain all the power and use it against the other. Also, try to describe the likely outcome of the conflict as a result of holding most of the power. In the second part, describe how the parties might redistribute the power in a way that would benefit the relationship, group, or organization. Again, try to describe the likely outcome of the conflict as a result of trying to create a balance of power.

When you discuss your two relationships, describe the verbal and nonverbal communication patterns. Do you find that you use the same communication behaviors for both persons, or do you find that you tend to use some with one person but not the other?

Also, thinking of each person one at a time, go through the list of examples of powerful, powerless, and neutral speech and determine which ones you tend to do with each person and which they use with you.

As you analyze the imbalance of power and its effects on your relationships, also consider the role of trust, competition, and defensiveness. Do you trust each person equally well? Do they trust you equally well? Is there a sense of competition in the air? Are you more defensive or supportive with one another?