TOPICS

Conflict Management

AUTHORED BY:

RABAB HAIDER | KNOLSKAPE EDITORIAL TEAM

In today’s world, everybody is striving to show how valuable they are to the organizations they work for. Consequently, this can lead to disputes within their team. Since conflicts are a natural part of the workplace, it is important to have folks in the organization who understand conflicts and know how to resolve them.

Conflict Management is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly, and efficiently.

Workplace conflict does not automatically mean that there are specific employees at fault, although in some cases that will be the issue. If you have employees who question the status quo and are pushing to make changes that they feel would be positive for the organization, that can indicate that your organization has a high level of employee engagement.

Conflict can also mean that employees are comfortable enough to challenge each other and that they feel as though their conflicts will be fairly resolved by the organization.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES?

It’s human to deal with conflict by defaulting to what’s comfortable. According to the professors of management at University of Pittsburgh, Ken Thomas and Ralph Kilmann, most people take one of two approaches to conflict management, assertiveness and cooperativeness. From these two initial approaches come five modes or strategies of conflict management:

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES QUIZ

Rate how often you use the following types of actions on a scale of 1 to 5:

When there is an argument, I will leave the situation as quickly as possible.
In conflicts, I discuss the situation with all parties to try and find the best solution.
I use negotiation often to try and find a middle ground between the conflicted parties.
I know the best path to take and will argue it until others see that I am correct.
I prefer to keep the peace, rather than argue to get my way.
I will keep disagreements to myself, rather than bring them up.
I find it best to keep communication active when there is a disagreement, so I can find a solution that works for everyone.
I enjoy disagreements and find satisfaction in winning them.
Disagreements make me anxious, and I will work to minimize them.
I am happy to meet people halfway.
It is important to me to recognize and meet the expectations of others.
I pride myself on seeing all sides of a conflict and understanding all of the issues involved.
I enjoy arguing my case until the other side concedes that I am correct.
Conflict does not engage me; I prefer to fix the problem and move on to other work.
I don’t feel the need to argue my point of view, it is less stressful to agree with others.

Tips:

Questions 1, 6 and 9 illustrate an avoidant style
Questions 5, 11 and 15 illustrate an accommodating style
Questions 3, 10 and 14 illustrate a compromising style
Questions 4, 8 and 13 illustrate a competing style
Questions 2, 7 and 12 illustrate a collaborative style

Add up your scores for each style, and this will show you the styles that you rely on most.

BEST PRACTICES TO MANAGE CONFLICT

Be aware of conflict

Keep your eyes and ears open for changes in the workplace climate and any early signs of developing conflict. Don’t turn a blind eye to symptoms of hidden conflict. Conflict can only be safely ignored if it is momentary and unlikely to escalate. Ignoring conflict may be an easy option initially, but in most cases, it does not help and will create a more difficult situation to resolve later. 

Take a considerate and rational approach to conflict

Stay calm and ensure that you are able to take a considered, rational and impartial approach to the situation. If you are personally involved, you may need to ask someone else to handle the issue. Avoid the temptation to adopt the instinctive reactions of ‘fight or flight’.

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Avoid passive behavior – do not take an apologetic stance and accept all points of view whether they are right or wrong. Similarly, avoid aggressive behavior – do not take an authoritarian approach and fail to listen to reasoned argument. Instead, aim to take an assertive stance, while treating all parties with respect and listening to all points of view.

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Take care with your use of language and your body language while dealing with people involved in conflict situations. Most importantly, be neutral and focus on the facts. 

Investigate the situation

Take time to find out what has happened, who is involved, how people are feeling, and what the issues are. Don’t prejudge the issue or jump to conclusions. Speak individually and confidentially to those involved and listen actively to make sure you understand their point of view.

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Try to identify any underlying causes of conflict which may not be immediately obvious. For example, a member of staff may be in apparent conflict with colleagues, while the root cause is their perception that a supervisor is treating them unfairly. Be aware that those involved may have differing perceptions of the same situation.

Decide how to tackle the conflict

Having examined the situation, decide what kind of action is appropriate. 

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Ask yourself: 

Is this a serious matter or relatively trivial? Could it become serious?
Should organizational discipline or grievance procedures be invoked?
Is the matter within your sphere of authority or should it be referred to a superior?
Are any legal issues involved? In situations where the law comes into play it is advisable to consult with your HR department before you take any action.

Would the participation of a trade union representative be appropriate?
Would it be best to make a ruling on the issue yourself, or would an informal gathering to discuss the problem be helpful? Will the parties accept your ruling?
Is time needed for heated emotions to subside before moving forward?

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The answers to these questions will help you decide what action to take. For all sorts of reasons, there may be situations where formal processes, including legal proceedings, may need to be invoked – if in doubt, consult your HR department. However, many issues can be resolved without resorting to costly legal cases. In most cases a mutually agreed mediated solution will be more effective than an imposed solution which may leave all parties dissatisfied.

Let everyone have their say

If you are able to get the parties together, you may be able to reach a satisfactory solution. Take a positive, friendly, and assertive approach to the meeting and set ground rules for the session. Assertive behavior will encourage the parties to express their thoughts honestly and openly, understand the causes of conflict and find solutions.

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Make sure that everyone has the chance to explain their point of view and concerns. People will be more willing to relinquish entrenched positions and consider compromise if they feel that their point of view has been understood and their concerns taken on board. 

Identify options and agree on a way forward

This is the most important and often the most difficult part of the process. The following steps may be helpful in reaching agreement: 

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Create an atmosphere where all parties are able to speak openly and honestly.

Acknowledge emotional issues as these are often at the heart of it and thus will need to be resolved.
Consider carefully the extent to which you need to control the meeting and intervene in the discussion.
Explore the reasons for the disagreement.
Identify any misconceptions or misunderstandings which are blocking progress.
Encourage the parties to examine their own positions and identify any common ground with others.

Look for points which may be negotiable and seek win-win solutions which take the interests of all parties into account.
Ask the parties to put forward preferred solutions.
Allow time for reflection. 
Assess each option and help the parties to agree on which represents the best way forward. 
Secure the commitment of all parties to any agreement and agree on a review point.

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If no progress is made, a period of reflection may help, but ultimately it may be necessary to bring in another manager or to consider external assistance from a specialist in mediation, ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) or arbitration. In these difficult cases, where complete consensus is impossible, you should aim for a way forward that is acceptable to all, even if it is not the preferred option for all parties involved. 

Implement what has been agreed

It is important to ensure that everyone is clear about what has been decided and takes personal responsibility for any actions which have been agreed. In some cases, a written agreement may be appropriate. Be careful here if there is any embarrassment of any of the parties involved, for example, if it involves public apologies. 

Evaluate how things are going 

Don’t assume that the issue has been finally resolved. Continue to keep an eye on the situation and evaluate how well the solution is working. If the problem reappears it may be necessary to take further action. 

Consider preventative strategies for the future 

Think about the lessons that can be learned from the conflict and the way it was handled. What could be done better next time? How could you develop your conflict management skills? You may wish to consider training or other forms of professional development on influencing, mediation or dispute resolution techniques for yourself or a colleague.

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Looking at the broader context, consider what action can be taken to improve working relationships and encourage a culture of open communication and consultation. Fostering a sense of group identity and encouraging employees to see themselves as working towards a common cause is a good way of lessening conflict in the future.

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Consider whether an organizational procedure for dispute resolution or mediation is needed. Think about whether there is something about the way the unit works that encourages this conflicting behavior and if this can be ‘fixed’. 

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

COMMUNICATION

Picture this: You task two team members with completing a project, but as the project progresses, the team members realize they just can’t get along. However, it’s not like you’re asking them to be friends. You are just asking them to complete this assignment. Two people who do not get along well still need to work together sometimes, but poor communication can exacerbate any pre-existing negative feelings toward their work partner. Remind your team members that they need to be on the same page when it comes to their work and find ways to minimize their interactions outside of what’s needed to complete good work.

ACTIVE LISTENING

Our minds run at a mile a minute. That makes it pretty easy to get distracted when someone is speaking to you. And that’s a surefire way to face conflict later when you don’t follow through on what you and the person discussed. Active listening can help you avoid this struggle.

When you listen actively, you notice someone’s exact phrasing and points made. You might then respond with similar phrasing or ask questions to clarify. This way, the person with whom you’re speaking will know you’re on the same page as them. 

PATIENCE

Some conflicts are simple to overcome, while others can take time to resolve and make people pretty angry. That’s why patience is such an important conflict management skill.

For example, conflicts stemming from stubbornness might test your patience. You may also feel challenged by rushing impatiently to a solution, which may inadvertently leave someone out of the resolution. 

No matter how, or by how much, a conflict tests your patience, you should never get angry. You can be firm and stern, but obvious frustration will always worsen the problem. And if you do deliver what’s seemingly a “final verdict” angrily, you’ll likely upset your team enough that resentment builds. And resentment is a perfect breeding ground for future conflicts.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Conflict can stem from you and your team members not being on the same page emotionally. That comes into play a lot in conflict management. If you can’t tell when someone is frustrated, you won’t know when to put your conflict management skills to work. 

Likewise, if you can’t perceive that your management style is stressing your team out, you might wonder why their motivation is in the gutter. The thing is, you’re the problem in this case. However, if a lack of emotional intelligence causes you to blame the employee instead, you’ve now worsened the conflict. Always read the room and encourage emotional openness and hold empathetic problem-solving conversations.

OPEN DISCUSSION

When conflicts are serious enough, you might want to take steps to address them the moment you sense them. A great way to do so is to invite all the people involved to a meeting. At this meeting, the conflicting parties can openly discuss the circumstances and how they feel about them.

As a team leader, you can use this moment as a springboard for conflict resolution. When everyone’s thoughts are out in the open, problem-solving conversations might flow naturally, and everyone might walk away happy.

IMPARTIALITY

While having a favorite team member is frowned upon, it’s inevitable that you’ll grow closer with some people than others. Yet the team members with whom you’re close can make mistakes too. If you resolve conflicts in ways partial to them, then you’re not really solving conflicts. You’re just playing favorites.

Impartiality is the key here. No matter who’s involved in a conflict, take a step back from it and figure out who’s done what. Then, figure out how those actions affected the other parties. Then, make a call: Who needs to do what to resolve this conflict? When you step back like this, better outcomes are possible for everyone.

7 MANTRAS OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

TAKEAWAY

Conflict is an unavoidable reality in the workplace. Smart organizations know this and prepare their management with the proper conflict management skills to handle and resolve workplace conflicts quickly and peacefully. If groups of people always saw eye to eye, the world would look a lot different, and so would your workplace. Conflict is indeed inevitable, but you and your team can learn and grow from it. Doing so requires conflict management skills, teamwork, and a space in which both can develop. However, each style of resolution is different yet useful, depending on the situation. One may be weaker in a particular scenario than the other and it then falls on the
leadership to use the correct strategy for the apt situations and resolve the conflict.

KNOLSKAPE has a huge portfolio of learning programs and simulations that empower organizations, leaders, and the workforce in the area of Conflict Management which, inter alia, include:
·        Managing Conflict in The Workplace
·        Building Trust
·        Influencing Skills for Leading Without Authority
·        Developing Emotional Intelligence
·        Happiness@Work
·        Leading Virtual Teams
·        Agile Way of Working
·        Developing An Unbiased Approach

Click here to view the suite of our most popular learning programs for the leaders and the workforce.

TOPICS

Conflict Management

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES?

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES QUIZ

Tips:

BEST PRACTICES TO MANAGE CONFLICT

Ask yourself:

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

7 MANTRAS OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

TAKEAWAY

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