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| workplace conflict management |
“Every kind of peaceful cooperation among men is primarily
based on mutual trust and only secondarily on institutions such as courts of
justice and police" -- Albert Einstein
Conflict Management
Tips
No business environment is an exception to conflict.
Conflicts may arise when team members working to achieve the same goal have
different ideas as to how to accomplish the objective. Such differences of
opinion among team members could result in a conflicting situation.
Learning to manage conflict is an essential element in team
building in an organization. With conflict management skills, you are less
likely to practice destructive behavior that may adversely affect your team, as
unresolved conflict can result in aggression.
1.
Acknowledge
the problem: Since conflict is unavoidable in most situations, it is
important that you learn to manage it. In order to resolve conflict, the
conflicting individuals must address the issues between them. Accept that
conflict is a sign that things need a change.
2.
Don’t overreact: Anger is man’s worst enemy. Your response to the
conflict can make or mar your relationship with the other person. It is your
response that can escalate or reduce the magnitude of the problem. It is best
to be calm in a conflicting situation, which may help you reach a neutral point
of view to resolving the conflict.
3.
Use a
soft tone: The worst thing in a conflicting situation is to be
over-reactive, use inflammatory language, and not listen to the other side.
Listen carefully and use the correct tone when responding. Your tone should be
such that the information is less emotionally laden.
4.
Analyze:
Analyze the conflict by trying to find answers to these questions. What are the
triggers? Are you afraid of losing something? Why are you angry? Who are you
angry with? Is your anger exaggerated? Are you willing for a resolution? How
can the conflict be resolved?
5.
Maintain
confidentiality: Rumors can further escalate the conflict. It is best to encourage
the conflicting sides to deal directly with each other, instead of venting to
others, and maintain confidentiality. Airing your views to others only fuels
the rumor mill, which can escalate the conflict. Encourage both sides to work
out a plan to settle their differences and also quell rumors that are part of
the conflict.
6.
Be clear
about your requirements: It is a good conflict management skill to be
specific about your needs. It is irrational and illogical to expect others to
understand what you need, without being told about it. They need to be told
about your specific requirement. Do you want them to say sorry or you want them
to give the rest of the weekend to rethink and introspect.
7.
Communicate
with the opposition: In conflicting situations, when the tension is running
high, the best strategy to resolve conflict is to find common ground with the
opposition and reach compromises or agreements.
8.
Hit
conflict head-on: The key to resolving conflict lies with preventing them
in the first place. Seek out areas of potential conflict. Is a situation ripe
that could lead to serious conflict? It would be a good decision to proactively
intervene so that conflict is prevented before it could erupt. However, if a
conflict does flair up, your intervention would minimize its severity.
9.
Don’t use
coercion, force, or intimidation: Coercion or emotional outbursts may only
help to stop the problem temporarily. You should not be surprised if the same
problem resurfaces. Sometimes intimidation may cause the problem to balloon out
of control. Wait for your angry emotions to cool down and tell yourself that
you want peace of mind, and the conflict would only ruin your inner peace.
Emotional self-control is a trick that can come in handy in such situations.
10.
Establish
guidelines: Keep the communication open and let the conflicting sides agree
to the established guidelines before conducting a formal meeting between them. The
best way is to let each side express themselves calmly and unemotionally. Let them
know that if they violate the guidelines, there would be no end to the conflict.
Convince them to spend some time to understand each other’s perspective.
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Conflict Management Quotes
1.
“We need to learn and to show others that there
are tried and tested, powerful ways of containing and resolving conflict which
do not require the use of force.” -- Scilla Elworthy
2.
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone,
there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your
relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." -- William James
3.
“During a negotiation, it would be wise not to
take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be
able to see opportunities more objectively.”-- Brian Koslow
4.
"Bringing a problem to resolution and
closure through continued discussion and compromise is an honorable act as it
shows respect for the needs of both partners." -Lynne Namka
5.
“You will not be punished for your anger; you’ll
be punished by your anger.”- Buddha
6.
“Conflict cannot survive without your
participation.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
7.
“To practice the process of conflict resolution,
we must completely abandon the goal of getting people to do what we want.”
–Marshall B. Rosenberg
8.
“A positive attitude may not resolve all our
issues or eliminate all our stressors, but it is the only attitude which can
shine light on the way out, or the way through.” – Doe
9.
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the
triumph.” – Thomas Paine
10.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the
vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” – Mark
Twain
Conflict Management Tools:
1.
Thomas-Kilmann
Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI®):
TKI helps you understand how conflict arises and assesses an
individual’s behavior in conflict situations. The tool provides information on
different conflict-handling styles that influence group and interpersonal
dynamics and to empower conflicting individuals to choose the appropriate conflict
handling styles for a specific situation.
2.
LBi HR
HelpDesk: This is a web-based HR
case management solution, where managers can easily access every case’s
workflow, notes, documents, data, and history of transactions for review and resolution.
With an automated HR help desk, it is simple to the relevant case documents
with the appropriate people.
3.
Notredamonline:
This course is designed for all kinds of workplace conflicts. Learn key
negotiation and conflict management tools and techniques so that your team
works in a harmonious environment!
4.
Plural
Sight: In this course, you will learn how to identify conflict before it becomes
a crisis. The course teaches some practical tools that will help you prevent conflict
before it balloons out of control.
5.
HRIS:
If employees get into a confrontation, you can leverage this software to get
access to fact-based data. The information can help you ease the situation and resolve
the issue from aggravating further. You can use the tool to provide real
answers to the issues concerning the conflicting employees.
6.
Core
plus: The workplace conflict resolution plus program provides you with a
safe environment to raise workplace concerns and explore conflict resolution
options. The program is aimed at building productive teams and reducing
workplace tensions.
7. Resolve:
The conflict manager is designed to help users learn how to identify
potential workplace conflicting situations and prevent problems before they take
the form of tragedies. Designed with efficient workflow capabilities, Resolve
offers users a revolutionary communication platform for resolving conflicts.
8.
WorkinItOut:
This soft skill training program is useful for non-traditional workers to
prepare for the challenging demands of today’s workplace. It helps participants
learn how to resolve conflicts and improve interpersonal relationships.
9.
LearningExpress:
The workplace skill development course offers an array of interactive resources
for participants to enhance soft skills needed for success at work.
Image credit: http://blog.vistage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Conflict-Management.jpg
Image 2: http://www.expertbusinessanalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/manage-the-conflicts-300x300.jpg
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