Resolving Conflict
Six Sigma
Continuous Improvement Training
Six Sigma Simplicity
Key Learning Points

Conflict is Not Always Bad
 We need to Manage conflict
 Need to Know Modes of Handling
Conflict and when to use the Right one
CONFLICT

“We owe almost all our knowledge not
to those who have agreed, but to those
who have differed.”

“The aim of argument or of discussion
should not be victory but progress.”

“Opinions cannot survive if one has no
chance to fight for them.”
CONFLICT

What is conflict?
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When concerns of various parties are
incompatible.
When one party is frustrated or about
to frustrate.
When two individuals, opinions or
things attempt to occupy the same
space at the same time.
CONFLICT
Characteristics of Conflict

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People hold different points of view.
People do not believe agreement is
possible.
Each person wants to win.
Each person believes they are right
and the other is wrong.
People focus on the power struggle,
not the issue.
Why Conflict Should Be Managed

Major issue at interpersonal,
organizational and interorganizational levels
 Can create enemies
 Can decrease effectiveness
 Can detract from achievement of
goals
The Conflict Process

Frustration
 Conceptualization
 Behavior
 The other’s reaction
 The outcome
The Conflict Process Explained
Frustration

Is an external stimulus perceived as
conflicting with your goal
Conceptualization

How you explain the frustration or
situation to yourself
The Conflict Process Explained
Behavior

Is the action you take in response to your
perception of the situation or frustration
The other’s reaction

Is the behavior of the other person in
response to your behavior
The outcome

Is the result of the interaction of the two
behaviors
Increased frustration – expect an early repeat of
the process
 Reduced frustration – offers the opportunity to
resolve the conflict

Guidelines for Handling Conflict
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Restate each persons position and
accept their situation (Understand)
Identify each persons interests and
check for understanding (Understand)
Propose options without commitment
(look for common interest)
Build agreements in small steps (Bridge)
Guidelines for Handling Conflict

Restate

Paraphrase what you have heard
 Check for understanding of unspoken feelings

Identify

Ask probing questions
 Check for understanding of unspoken feelings
 Ask each person to explain the other’s
position
Guidelines for Handling Conflict
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Propose
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Ask probing questions
Check for understanding of unspoken feelings
Ask each person to explain the other’s
position
Build
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Address one idea at a time
Focus on agreement
Search for additional opportunities for
agreement
Conflict Handling Modes
MORE
ASSERTIVE
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
COMPROMISING
LESS
ASSERTIVE
AVOIDING
LESS
COOPERATIVE
ACCOMODATING
MORE
COOPERATIVE
Conflict Survey

Complete the survey, the scoring
worksheet and the graph.
 Share your graph with the class.
Conflict Handling Modes
COMPETING
“Might makes right”
AVOIDING
“Leave well enough alone”
COLLABORATING
“Two heads are better than one”
ACCOMODATING
“Kill your enemies with Kindness”
COMPROMISING
“Split the difference”
Conflict Handling Modes
Explained

Competing
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Is appropriate when

Quick decisive action is vital
 Where unpopular actions are required
 To protect yourself against those who would take advantage of less
cooperative behaviour

If you are high in competing
You may be surrounded by “Yes” people?
 Your colleges maybe afraid to admit ignorance and uncertainties
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If you are low in competing
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You may feel powerless in situation
 You may have trouble taking a firm stand, even when you see the
need
Conflict Handling Modes
Explained
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Avoiding
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Is appropriate when
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When an issue is trivial, or when other more important issues are pressing.
When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns.
When the potential damage of confronting a conflict outweighs the benefits if
its resolution
 To let people cool down
 When gathering more information outweighs the advantages of an instant
decision
 When others can resolve the conflict more effectively

If you are high in Avoiding
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You may find that coordination suffers because people have trouble getting
your inputs on issues
 You may find that you are using a large amount of energy by exercising too
much caution
 You may find that decisions are made by default
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If you are low in Avoiding
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You may find yourself hurting people’s feelings or stirring up hostilities
You may often feel overwhelmed by a number of issues
Conflict Handling Modes
Explained
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Collaborating
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Is appropriate when
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To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too
important to be compromised
When your objective is to learn
To merge insights from people with differing opinions
To gain commitment by incorporating other’s concerns into a
consensus decision
To work through hard feelings which have been interfering with a
relationship
If you are high in Collaborating

You may spend time discussing issues in depth that do not deserve
it
 Your behaviour may fail to elicit collaborative responses from others
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If you are low in Collaborating

You may find it hard to see differences of opinion as opportunities
for joint gain or solving problems
 You may find that colleagues are not committed to your decisions
Conflict Handling Modes
Explained

Accommodating

Is appropriate when
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You realize that you are wrong. To allow a better position to be heard
When the issue is much more important to the other person. To satisfy the
needs of others. As a gesture of goodwill to maintain a cooperative
relationship
 To build up social credits
 When you are losing or when continued competition would damage your
cause
 To aid development of others, by allowing them to experiment
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If you are high in Accommodating
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You may feel that your own ideas are not getting much attention
You may find that discipline is lax
If you are low in Accommodating
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You may have trouble building goodwill with others
You may be considered as unreasonable
You may have trouble admitting when you are wrong
You may have trouble recognizing exceptions to the rule
You may not know when to give up
Conflict Handling Modes
Explained
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Compromising
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Is appropriate
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When goals are moderately important
When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to
mutual exclusive goals
To achieve temporary settlement to complex issues
To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure
As a backup mode when collaborating or competition fails.
If you are high in Compromising

You may concentrate upon the tactics of compromise that you
sometimes lose sight of the larger issues.-Principles, values,
objectives.
 You may find that an emphasis on bargaining and trading creates a
cynical atmosphere of gamesmanship.
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If you are low in Compromising
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You may find that you are too sensitive or embarrassed to be
effective in bargaining situations
You may find it hard to make concessions
Exercise
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In your team - discuss either how you
would manage the following situation, or
an actual potential conflict situation you
are experiencing with your team
A team member has failed to provide the
data the team requested at the last
meeting
 What conflict style does this team
member exhibit?
Resolving Conflict