Positive and Negative
Aspects of Conflict
• Positive
• Can bring about necessary change
• Negative
• Cause stress
• Reduce productivity
• May cause harm to the organization
• Frustration
14-1
Types of Conflict
14-2
Sources of Interpersonal Conflict
• Organizational change
• Different values
• Threats to status
• Perceptions
• Lack of trust
• Personality clashes
14-3
Strategies for Managing
Interpersonal Conflict
• Compromise
• Avoidance and smoothing
• Forcing a solution
• Confrontation or problem solving
14-4
Compromise
• Settling on a solution that gives each person
part of what he or she wants; no one gets
everything, and no one loses completely.
• Does not really solve underlying problem
• Most useful for relatively minor problems and
when time is limited.
14-5
Avoidance and smoothing
• Avoiding refuses to deal with the conflict
• Smoothing pretends it does not exist or allows
it to continue
• Most useful for conflicts that are not serious
and for which a solution would be more
difficult than the problem.
14-6
Accommodating
• Giving in to other viewpoint and accepting
their solution
• Appropriate if other side is right or more
invested in outcome
• May increase resentment on part of
accommodating person
14-7
Forcing
• Supervisor imposes solution or decides the
outcome
• Relatively fast way to manage conflict, and
can be best approach in an emergency.
• Can leave bad feelings, which may lead to
future conflict.
14-8
Confrontation/Problem
Solving/Conflict Resolution
• Most direct, and sometimes difficult, way to
manage conflict
• Confront problem and solve it.
• Requires listening to both sides and attempting
to understand, rather than to place blame.
• Parties in conflict need to identify areas in
which they agree and ways they can both
benefit from possible solutions
• Both parties should examine feelings and take
time at reaching solution
14-9
Focus on behavior not on the person
Respect people, attack problems….
Attack the problem, not the person….
14-10
Focus on behavior
Focus on person
You spelled three customer
You’re a poor speller
names incorrectly on the report.
You were late four times in the
last month
You’re lazy
Your voice was very loud and
you were using profanity.
You’re a jerk
We’ve went to the movies three You’re such a loser. All you
times in the last week.
want to do is eat popcorn.
14-11
Trust
Trust Builders
Trust Destroyers
Follow through with promises
Break a promise
14-12
Controlling Emotions
• Take a deep breath
•
•
•
•
Sit/recline comfortably
Breathe deeply
Hold for ¾ seconds
Slowly exhale
• Stretch
•
•
•
14-13
Body Language
• Be aware of personal space
• Don’t point fingers
• Keep eye contact that is not threatening or
demeaning
14-14
Communicate Assertively
Non-Assertive
Assertive
Aggressive
Ignores own rights
and feelings
Stands up for his/her
rights
Ignores the rights of
others
Hopes to avoid
confrontation
Expresses feelings,
needs and ideas
Expresses feelings,
needs, ideas at
expense of others
Wants people to like
him/her
Speaks with courage
Tries to dominate or
humiliate
Poor self-image
Feels good about
himself/herself
Thinks he/she has all
of the answers
14-15
Initiating Conflict Resolution
14-16
Adopt a Win/Win Attitude
Lose-Lose
Lose-Win
Win-Lose
Both parties
lose
One party wins Other party
and one loses wins and one
loses
Both parties
win
AX
AY
BY
BX
Win-Win
14-17
Win – Win Approach
• Recognize individual differences
• Be open to adapting one s position in the light
of shared information and attitudes
• Attack the problem, not the people
• Look at underlying needs of people involved
(conflict map)
• Courtesy: Conflict Resolution Network
•
http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_1
14-18
Conflict Mapping
• A story is commonly told about two children
fighting over an orange. Both children take the
position that they need (and deserve) the whole
orange.
• If the mother listens to the two children's'
positions, she will likely decide that one child
deserves the orange more than the other-giving the whole orange to one--or she will cut
the orange in half, giving each a part.
14-19
• But the story goes on to explain that one child
actually wanted the orange to eat, while the
other wanted the rind for a science project.
• Had the children explained their underlying
reasons for wanting the orange-that is, had
they explained their interests-a win-win
solution could have been found that would
have given both children everything they
wanted.
14-20
Mapping
• Find out what people really want from a
situation.
• What is the history of the conflict?
• Find out what each person needs
• Find out what concerns each person
• Find out what they are interested in as well as
their position (They are interested in fairness
as well as advocating for a pay increase)
• Try to frame the conflict in a way that all
needs can be met
14-21
Reframing the problem
• Try to see the situation in a new way or reword
the problem from a different perspective
• Try to understand other parties’ viewpoints
and the assumptions that are underlying those
viewpoints
• Discuss perceptions
• Avoid attacking the other party
14-22
• Two project teams were vying for a single
HTML programmer
• They had framed the problems as which team
would get the programmer, and which project
would be delayed.
• Instead, the problem was reframed and the two
teams brainstormed a solution.
• The HTML programmer advised the work of
one of the systems–savvy people on the first
team. At the same time, she worked for the
other team nearly full–time. Both projects
moved ahead – clearly a win–win for them and
their organization
14-23
Example
• In a session I was facilitating, an older, more experienced
woman was arguing with an angry young man. They
disagreed about what to discuss at an upcoming meeting of
their professional organization. The argument was heating
up.
I turned to the flip chart, and scribed both his topic and
her topic on the flip chart page. Then I turned to them
and said: “I am sure relieved that we've solved our major
problem.”
They stopped arguing, looked at me like I was mad, and
asked “how have we solved our problem?”
• “Well, our major problem has been finding enough topics
of interest. But you have been passionately discussing
these two topics for some minutes now. Sounds like you
are committed enough to present these at our meetings.”
14-24
• “Yes,” said the young man. “Yes of
course,” said the woman. “But we still
disagree on which topic should be
discussed.”
I smiled and said “The only thing you have to
agree on now is who will present their topic at
the next meeting, and who will present at the
one following it!”
14-25
Responding to a Conflict
• Understand the problem
• Listen to the complaint
• Interpret the problem in terms of actions and effects
• Agree with something the other person said
• Work on a solution
• Find a solution together
• Be creative
• Remember underlying needs
14-26
• Agree on how to carry out the solution
• Implement the solution
14-27
Initiating Conflict Resolution
14-28
Mediating Conflict Resolution
1. Begin by establishing a constructive environment.
2. Ask each person to explain what the problem is.
3. When the problem is understood, have individuals
state what they want to accomplish or what will
satisfy them.
4. Restate in your own words each person’s position.
5. Have all participants suggest as many solutions as
they can.
6. Encourage the employees to select a solution that
benefits all of them.
7. Summarize what has been discussed and agreed on.
14-29