Conflict Management - Introduction

Case Study:

Let’s look at the situation below:

Hassan Smith is the Head of Operations at XYZ Inc.

Omar Wilson is the Project Manager heading one of the projects in the operations department. Many times, Omar’s team members are placed in a dilemma as Hassan tends to give them tasks which they need to do on priority. Hassan allocates such tasks to Omar’s team members without consulting or even informing Omar.

Such allocations lead to misunderstanding between Omar and Hassan.

In one or two instances, the situation became so grave that it had led to a heated argument between Omar and Hassan. Omar feels that Hassan unnecessarily interferes in his team’s duties.

Hassan feels that Omar is crossing his limits beyond that of a Project Manager.

Such conflicts at the workplace are very harmful. They are harmful for the team as well as for the smooth operation of the company. Hence, it is important that such conflicts should be resolved and managed efficiently.

Let us learn about conflicts and conflict management in detail.

So, what do to in such situation? There is a conflict between the two and unless resolve immediately, it will worsen and may even get to their firing.

Conflict Management is very important because it is always wise to prevent a fight at the first place rather than facing its negative consequences. Stress disappears, people feel motivated, happy and the world definitely becomes a much better place to stay as a result of conflict management

This course will address these issues in depth. The outline is as follow:

1. Explain What is Conflict
2. Explain What is Conflict Management
3. Explain Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict
4. Importance of Conflict Management
5. Explain the Levels and Types of Conflict
6. Describe the Conflict Management Model
7. Describe the Strategies for Conflict Management
8. Explain the Conflict Management Styles
9. Explain How People Deal with Conflict
10. List the Factors that Affect Conflict Modes
11. Explain Blake and Mouton’s Conflict Grid
12. Explain What is Third-party Conflict Resolution
13. List the Tips for Managing Workplace Conflict

I will discuss the most important modules such as 1, 2, 3, 5, 12 and 13.

1)    Explain What is Conflict

• A conflict is an expressed disagreement. 
• All conflicts are expressed verbally or non-verbally.
• Conflict can occur only between people who depend on each other.
• Conflict involves opposition and is more than just differences.
• Conflict is the perception that our concerns are at odds with those of another.
• Conflict exists when individuals who depend on each other express different views, interests, or goals and perceive their views as incompatible or op-positional.

A conflict is not always bad for an organization. It is not necessary that organizations need to reduce all conflict. In fact, Conflicts are an inevitable part of organization life and are needed for growth and survival. So, Conflict management is a process which increasing and decreasing conflict. Conflict management is a major responsibility of the management.

So what is a conflict?

Conflict is defined as a clash between individuals arising out of a difference in thought process, attitudes, understanding, interests, requirements and even sometimes perceptions. A conflict results in heated arguments, physical abuses and definitely loss of peace and harmony. A conflict can actually change relationships. Friends can become foes as a result of conflict just as in the case of Hassan and Omar.

Conflict is when two or more people have differences in ideas/views and are not ready to understand or accept each other’s ideas/views.

 2)     Explain What is Conflict Management

Conflict Management involves the steps undertaken to prevent the conflict at the right time and also helps to resolve it in an effective and smooth manner. No conflict can just start on its own. There has to be an event or an incident to trigger the same. Through conflict management, one actually finds out the possible events which can start a conflict and tries his level best to avoid them.

Conflict might escalate and lead to non-productive results, or conflict can be beneficially resolved and lead to quality final products. Therefore, learning to manage conflict is integral to a high-performance team.

Conflict management is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non-productive escalation. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a structure for management of conflict in your environment.

Conflict management is defined as “the opportunity to improve situations and strengthen relationships” (BCS, 2004).

Cause of conflict:

Let’s get to the root and symptoms of conflict.

The following are some of the symptoms of the existence of conflicts in an organization:

• Tensions
• No desire to communicate
• Work not done properly
• Disastrous meetings
• Anger occurs quickly and easily
• Failing productivity
• Slipping morale
• Bad tempers are evident
• Absenteeism
• Accidents
• Escalating costs
• Disagreements become more pronounced (shouting, slamming doors, etc.)
• Unproductive Conflict Patterns

There are various stages of unproductive conflict patterns, such as follows:

EARLY, MIDDLE & LATTER STAGES

In each organization as well as in our daily life, there exist 2 type of conflicts: Functional and Dysfunctional Conflicts.

3)    Steps to Resolving Conflicts

Phases of conflict

A conflict has five phases.

1. Prelude to conflict - It involves all the factors which possibly arise a conflict among individuals. Lack of coordination, differences in interests, dissimilarity in cultural, religion, educational background all are instrumental in arising a conflict.
2. Triggering Event - No conflict can arise on its own. There has to be an event which triggers the conflict. Jenny and Ali never got along very well with each other. They were from different cultural backgrounds, a very strong factor for possibility of a conflict.Ali was in the mid of a presentation when Jenny stood up and criticized him for the lack of relevant content in his presentation, thus triggering the conflict between them.
3. Initiation Phase - Initiation phase is actually the phase when the conflict has already begun. Heated arguments, abuses, verbal disagreements are all warning alarms which indicate that the fight is already on.
4. Differentiation Phase - It is the phase when the individuals voice out their differences against each other. The reasons for the conflict are raised in the differentiation phase.
5. Resolution Phase - A Conflict leads to nowhere. Individuals must try to compromise to some extent and resolve the conflict soon. The resolution phase explores the various options to resolve the conflict.

Conflicts can be of many types like verbal conflict, religious conflict, emotional conflict, social conflict, personal conflict, organizational conflict, community conflict and so on.

Conflicts and fighting with each other never lead to a conclusion. If you are not on the same line as the other individual, never fight, instead try your level best to sort out your differences. Discussion is always a better and wiser way to adopt rather than conflicts.

Before we can resolve any conflict we need to have a good understand of it in the first place. The root cause of that conflict.

STEPS TO RESOLVING CONFLICTS:

4)   Conflict Management Skills

 Conflict must be avoided as it destroys the peace, lowers the productivity as well as demotivates the individuals. All the factors leading to a fight must be explored and efforts must be made to prevent a conflict. A conflict is not very easy to control; an individual needs certain skills for the same

Let us study the skills in detail.

·        Effective communication Skills

Effective communication skills are of utmost importance to prevent conflicts. While interacting with others, you have to take special care of your speech and the way you speak. Never ever shout on anyone, even if you do not agree with him. Always speak in a polite but convincing manner. Greet others with a warm smile. It works. Be very specific and precise in your speech. Do not use complicated words and confuse others. Keep a control on your tongue and do not use words which might hurt the sentiments of others. Avoid using abusive languages.

·        Listening Skills

An individual must not give his expert comments unless and until he is very clear what the other person wants. Always be a good listener. Don’t just jump to conclusions and assume things on your own. Always listen to the other side of the story as well.

·        Discussion

Don’t just follow the rumor mills blindly, do discuss with others as well. Differences can crop up anytime but fighting would provide no solution. It is always better to sit and discuss the issues on an open forum. All the participants must give their inputs and efforts must be made to find out an alternative. Invite all the members involved and never ignore anyone as it would never solve the problem. Everyone has a right to express his views and a middle way has to be found.

·        Patience

One needs to be very patient to avoid conflicts. There would be people at your workplace and even home who would try to provoke you to fight. Never ever get influenced. Always follow your instincts and support what is right. Be very sensible and patient. Learn to keep a control on your emotions. Do not ever lose your temper as it would only make the situation worse.

·        Impartial

An individual has to be impartial to avoid conflicts. Do not always support your friend. Stand by what is correct and never support what is wrong. Any individual, even if he is your friend must be corrected if you feel he is wrong. Listen to everyone and never ignore anyone just because you don’t know him.

·        Never Criticize

Make the other person understand if he is wrong. Don’t criticize him as it would definitely hurt his sentiments. The other person might not be as intelligent as you are, but you have no right to make fun of him. Others will look up to you if you guide the other person well and make him realize his mistakes.

·        Positive Attitude

Positive attitude is essential to avoid fights and conflicts. In offices, never ever play the Blame game. No one is perfect and if you have done anything wrong, have the courage to accept it. Human Beings are bound to make mistakes but never try to put the blame on anyone else’s shoulders. Avoid backbiting as it only spoils the relationships. If you don’t agree with anyone’s views, discuss with him on his face, he will like it. Don’t always find faults in others and be a little more adjusting as life is all about adjustments.

·        Ignore others

Individuals must try to adopt the middle path approach which considers the interests of one and all. Don’t unnecessarily waste your energy for a person who is too adamant and is not willing to compromise at all. Ignore the person who is too demanding as it would solve half of your problems.

5)   Explain What is Third-party Conflict Resolution

Third-party conflict resolution is any attempt by a relatively neutral person to help the parties resolve their differences. The three main forms of third-party dispute resolution are mediation, arbitration, and inquisition. Managers tend to use an inquisition approach, although mediation and arbitration are more appropriate, depending on the situation. Alternative dispute resolution applies mediation, but may also involve negotiation and eventually arbitration.

The various roles involved in third-party negotiations are:

?      Mediator: A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives.

?      Arbitrator: A third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement.

?      Conciliator: A trusted third party who provides an informal communication link between the negotiator and the opponent.

?      Consultant: An impartial third party, skilled in conflict management, who attempts to facilitate creative problem solving through communication and analysis.

?     

6) Tips for Conflict Management for Professionals

Let us go through some handy tips for conflict management for professionals.

Insert tip 1 and 2

More details:

• Make sure your communication is effective and impressive: Never play with words or share haphazard thoughts with others, instead use corporate jargon and professional terminologies for better understanding. If you yourself are not clear what you expect from your fellow worker, the other person will never be able to understand what you intend to communicate. Be very precise but convincing. The content has to be relevant and sensible. Avoid using derogatory sentences and lewd remarks as it is considered strictly unprofessional. Don’t adopt a casual approach at work.
• Be a good and a patient listener: Never jump with your question in between any presentation or seminar, as it seriously offends the speaker and results in displeasure. Wait for your turn to speak. Don’t poke your nose into other’s conversation. Never interfere in each other’s work. Let your colleagues have some space. Always listen to the other person as well and then decide what is right and wrong.
• Don’t always depend on verbal communication at workplace: Professionals must communicate through emails as it is more reliable and transparent. Make sure the e-mail is marked to all the related members so that everyone is on the same lines and get a common picture. Take care of your mail body, style and font. Be transparent in your communication. Never communicate with individuals separately as people feel left out and start fighting with each other. Business Communication must be on an open forum inviting all the participants.
• Professionals must develop the habit of using planners, organizers and desk calendars at work: You cannot remember each and every thing, so it is always advisable to jot down the points to avoid forgetting important things. Encircle the dates on the desktop calendar when you have to submit an important report to your boss or have to go for a meeting and place it right in front of you. It would prevent unnecessary stress and conflicts. Never attend any meeting without a pen and a paper. It will bother you later on.
• The pitch and the tone have to be taken great care of: Don‘t be too low as others will not be able to understand you properly. Never ever shout or be rude to your colleagues. Shouting solves no problems and it seriously goes against you. Soften your pitch but be convincing. Professionals must take care of their accent, correct pronunciation, punctuation, pauses etc to make the speech impressive and for others to listen attentively.
• Adopt a positive attitude: Don’t always find faults in the other person and assume that he is always wrong. Listen to his side of the story as well and never underestimate your fellow worker. If you do not agree with the other person, don’t start arguing, instead sit with him face to face, discuss and make him understand your point. He will feel glad. Leave your personal problems out before stepping in the office and always keep your personal interests on the back burner. Find reasons to be happy as negative thoughts always lead to conflicts and disagreements. You can’t misbehave with your colleagues just because you are in a fowl mood.
• Never criticize anyone or make him feel small: If he has done anything wrong, make him realize his mistakes instead of making fun of him. Correct him, wherever he is wrong but in a polite way. He will respect you and look up to you in the future. Everyone is equal and one must respect his fellow worker to earn respect in return.
• Prefer the conference room, board room or any suitable place for presentations, seminars and discussions:Avoid communicating at places like workstations, cafeteria, playgrounds or other noisy places as noise acts as a hindrance and creates misunderstandings and confusions. Don’t just speak for the sake of speaking.
• A professional must avoid blame games at work: Learn to own your responsibilities and do not always blame others for your mistakes. Never drag issues and be a little more forgiving. Don’t always expect the others to come up to you and admit their mistakes. Take the initiative and be the first one to say sorry. It works and solves major conflict and also improves relations among individuals. Kill your ego at workplaces.
• The superiors must ensure that the team members are assigned responsibilities according to their key responsibility areas and specializations: Never impose your decisions or views on others. Things must be discussed with everyone before implementation. An individual has to be a little more flexible and adjusting at workplaces. Never be too demanding or rigid. Things can’t always be just like the way you want.
• Be impartial at work: Do not favor anyone just because he is your friend. Stand by what is right and do oppose someone who is wrong. Do not blame anyone just because you do not like him. An individual must be judged by the hard work he puts in and not by his physical appearance or relations with you.
• Never discuss your work and responsibilities with others and learn to keep things a little confidential: Never spread unnecessary and baseless rumors about anyone. Gossips and backbiting must be strictly avoided at work. Encourage healthy competition at work and stay away from controversies. Too much of a friendship at work is bad and must be avoided. Avoid doing personal favors at work.

Conflicts must be avoided at workplace so that employees do not carry tensions back home and are able to give their best to benefit themselves as well as the organization.

Prepared by Dr. Hussein Saad Email: [email protected] Phone: +966 55 119 6444

Corporate Business Consultant, Sales Strategist and Certified Coach