Role of Coaching and use of ICF competencies in Conflict Management Name: Mahesh Godbole Date: 16 October 2012 Email:

mahesh.godbole@hrpartnersindia.com

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 This article provides thought for the reader on how can the skills learned in Coaching be applied for resolving conflict in a group which is working towards a common objective, but has different perspectives and engagement drivers. The article also makes a case that the the ICF competencies to coaching are an appropriate tool to deploy in conflict Management situations. A dictionary meaning of conflict is conflict verb (used without object) 1. to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash. 2. to fight or contend; do battle. Conflict by a common understanding denotes that there a divergence of ideas between 2 or more parties as to how they see moving forward. It means reaching cross roads .Managing conflict means resolving the disagreement and making choice on which path to take A conflict can at times be also between oneself when choosing between alternatives is difficult, specially when one alternative needs to be jettisoned. We will not worry too much about this in the present context. Here we are more interested in understanding conflict between 2 or more Individuals or groups and how coaching can help in addressing conflict. In order to to do that let us look at what conflict actually means, what are points of origin and the manifestation of conflict as is seen Conflict is a felt struggle between two or more interdependent individuals over perceived incompatible differences in beliefs, values, and goals, or over differences in desires for esteem, control, and connectedness. This definition emphasizes several unique aspects of conflict (Wilmot & Hocker, 2011). 1. Conflict is struggle :- It is the result of divergent forces coming together and the need of those divergent forces to stay together for a period of time, or for the purpose of completion of a task or an action 2. Interdependence:- There needs to be interdependence of parties on each other. If the same is not required, the situation will not stand test of being called as a
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conflict. Indifferent parties, with even extreme views cannot have conflict as they seldom need to work together 3. Differences:- In all types of conflict there are differences between parties that bring about a conflict. The differences can stem out of various origin points such as values and beliefs, needs and the role one needs to play Further conflicts can be based on Content or Relationships

Some examples of Relationship conflict can be the ones arising out of Issues of Esteem :- Stems out of the need to be respected and given space as one thinks his position demands. In Organisations it is driven more by power and Position . A superior can feel that he needs to be heard and respected at work. This at times gets carried in non work areas as well . There is a need of control amongst all of us and the degree of control can vary from time to time and situation to situation. However, this degree of control when starts trespassing on others perceived territory conflict can result Conflict at the Content Level This can be at two sublevels
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Values and Beliefs :- While we come to work together in teams and are supposed to perform certain predetermined tasks, we also bring a long list of values and beliefs we carry and use those as a tool to judge others. If we were mechanical in our work life and had no history, (baggage) possibly conflict could have been less. Goals and Objectives:- Many a time by design and in many organizations, goals for one group may and will conflict with goals of others. At a simple level one may see the goal of a Production Manager to have no down time and thereby wanting to have enough inventory and on the other level the role of a purchasing Manager is to keep as low inventory as possible. Is it possible that there will not be conflict every time they interact? On a more divergent level, there are various groups who work within the ecosystem of the Organisation who have clearly defined opposite views and positions on many things and yet need to work together.. Eg. The employee Unions and the Management. The question I have attempted to answer is how will Coaching help in Managing and Resolving conflicts in general and what ICF Competencies can be useful in coaching a group with conflict Management issues.. Let us first review the key Characteristics of a situation of a group where conflict is present Lots of emotions and areas of disagreement Most of the stakeholders very firm on their positions and genuinely believe that their prescription on way forward is appropriate. Unreasonable expectations from others Strong sense and understanding that this is not the right situation , but not willing to compromise Artificial postures leading to confusion on what is real and what is not. A very strong analysis on how the others position is not right . In most cases the group members know exactly how others should do their job. Willingness to make a move with realization that the team has to work together but not willing to make the first move for reconciliation.

Coaching influence on the above 1)Definition of Coaching The International Coach Federation defines coaching in the following way: Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives. Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and
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creativity that the client already has. The ICF coaching definition suggests that coaching is partnering with the client and the job of the coach is to bring the best out in the client from the skills, knowledge the client already has. This cannot be more truer in a situation where there is conflict. The client (group) has all the skills , knowledge , needed to resolve the issue, they are probably looking at the problem from a different perspective. If the coach can help alter the perspective there is every possibility that the client can look at his individual issue as a opportunity for the group.. Let us also examine the ICF defined competencies the Coach should have and how those competencies can help the client in a conflict Management Situation A. Setting the Foundation :- The coach will emphasise and demonstrate the ethical standard that will be practiced all Through. This is an important competency as in a conflict coaching environment, no one individual or group needs to be felt that the coach has mandate for others. The clarity of understanding that the coach is not an Arbitrator in conflict cases will also help immensely for building a non threatening environment B. Co creating the Relationship : A successful beginning is one which is created on trust and intimacy. By achieving this the coach will ensure that the client will get comfort that the openness in the relationship is non threatening and will not be misused C. Communicating Effectively a. Active Listening :- The biggest enabler for conflict to happen and continue to simmer is that there is very poor listening within the stake holders. The Coach who listens with a fresh and new ear and an open mind in all probability be able to start thinking in the speaker as he is being listened to without a counter argument coming b. Powerful Questioning :- Active Listening can allow good , pertinent questions to be asked. These questions can go to the basic of conflict and challenge where it is arisen from. In a real conflict situation there are times when the group has forgotten the source of conflict in the first place and are holding on to positions even if the source has become irrelevant. This is typically true in Organisations where perceptions are
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stronger than facts. (The reader can relate to this in case where mergers happen between Global companies , even after years which company employee behaves how, is a gospel truth. c. Direct Communication :- With a positive undertone can help in creating options and persuing the same D. Facilitating Learning and Results a. Creating Awareness:- These competency is by far the most powerful competency as it will enable the clients in a conflict situation to evaluate sources of information and come with multiple options. b. Designing Action :- The natural outcome will be designing an action plan based on changed perceptions and more clarity. c. Planning and Goal Setting:- The multiple interactions with various stake holders will enable the client individually as well as the group with setting goals which are more inclusive of divergent needs and thereby enabling more ownership d. Managing Progress and Accountability :- The coach will leave the implementing to the clients and allow them to share the fruits of the tree which they have planted together.

Summary The intent of this article is to bring about the application of Coaching into areas where conflict prevails within a group in Organisations. It is also a submission that conflict ultimately leads to progress and improvement. The basic theme is that conflict is inevitable, it is good and it needs to be managed in a way that it acts as a catalyst for progress and improvement. It is a seen that Organisations in many cases use the services of Mentors, Counsellors to reduce conflict which is become more personal. There are Organisations which engage consultants to clear the bottlenecks and areas where conflict has become systemic and needs some kind of surgical (process) intervention. This article makes a submission that in all cases conflict needs to be managed and used well and not seen as fundamentally bad and avoidable.
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The solution for resolving conflict lie within the group or the individuals. Therefore in all cases , interventions like counseling, consulting may not be able to use the expertise of the group . Coaching, on the other hand will ensure that the final outcome is the result of the efforts and commitment of the group and therefore more permanent and acceptable.

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