Has anyone used scenario analysis to prepare for potential group conflict on a multi-day expedition? I’m thinking beyond the typical “buddy system” and ground rules. More like, actively brainstorming different conflict triggers and planning responses beforehand. For example, what if two people have wildly different ideas about navigation and neither wants to budge? Or someone burns dinner after everyone is fatigued?
My thought is to list out a few potential scenarios: resource scarcity (water filters break, food gets wet), personality clashes (one person is a constant complainer, another is overly critical), leadership struggles (disagreement on route, pace, camp location), and then discuss potential mitigation strategies *before* we even leave. Things like pre-assigning roles for decision-making in specific scenarios, establishing a clear communication protocol, and even practicing de-escalation techniques could be helpful.
Does anyone have experience with this kind of pre-emptive conflict resolution? What scenarios did you find most important to analyze? Did your planning actually help when things went sideways, or did you end up improvising anyway? I’m curious about any successes, failures, or lessons learned.