Assignment 2

Complementary Partners

BUS302
 Leadership Trait for Conflict Management

Effective communication is a vital leadership trait that facilitates the resolution of

conflicts within an organization. Features of effective communication include competent

speaking and writing, empathetic listening, appropriate nonverbal communication, and cross-

cultural knowledge (Barrett, 1, p.10) Eloquence in communication promotes the assessment

of the conflict through asking the right questions. On the same note, the leader identifies the

source of conflict by interacting with the employees. Therefore, it is only through

establishing the root course of conflict facilitated through effective communication can a

leader resolve disputes within an organization.

In resolving conflicts, leaders set expectations that employees are expected to fulfill.

The approach of communication in this matter determines employees’ perception of the

leader’s intent (Everse, 2). Empathetic listening refers to compassion practiced by leaders

when employees present their grievances. Most importantly, workers are more willing to

open up if they perceive their leaders as compassionate. This tactic promotes candid feedback

from workers in the process of conflict resolution. Also, the warring parties are bound to

follow guidelines presented by their leaders during conflict resolution. Therefore, setting

expectations for employees is ideal for reducing conflicts.

Appropriate nonverbal communication determines the effectiveness of discussions

during conflict resolution. The leader should be endowed with skills in reading non-verbal

cues from his employees (Everse, 2). Cross-cultural intelligence is a vital aspect of

communication in that it equips the leader with knowledge on how to deal with conflict

arising from different members of the organization. This concept coupled with empathy

influences the level of respect a leader obtains from the organization. Therefore, non-verbal

cues are equally important in conflict resolution.

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Strategies for Improving Communication at the Workplace

Enhancing the credibility of communication is an essential strategy that leaders can

execute in refining communication in an organization. Credibility is enhanced by making the

messages “worth of belief” and promoting the right mindset (Barett, 1, p.11).

Communication can be made “worthy of belief” by enhancing clarity and honesty,

acquisition of related facts, and avoiding errors (Barette, 1, p.12). Leaders should adopt a

simple language and technique of presenting messages in making them more explicit to

employees. Most importantly, the relaying of these messages should be accompanied by facts

in enhancing their credibility. Leaders should practice honesty by conveying candid feedback

on employees’ output. They should cultivate a reputation for honesty in enhancing their

credibility to employees. Lastly, the leader should avoid errors as that can impede message

delivery and ruin the leader’s reputation. Hence, ensuring credibility is ideal for improving

communication as this attracts trust, honesty and clarity.

Effective leaders foster the right mindset among employees by affirming the

organization's culture, understanding their needs, and developing the content of messages in a

way that enhances effective delivery. Part of the leader’s obligation is cultivating a promising

organizational culture (Everse, 2). This initiative inspires the organization towards the

realization of its vision, mission and goals. Motivation is another leader’s crucial role that can

only be achieved through understanding employee needs. Through effective communication,

the leader accurately established the employees’ needs, which can be addressed through

motivation and inspiration. Most importantly, understanding the employees equip leaders

with competencies of managing group behavior and resolving organizational conflicts.

Lastly, managers are tasked with developing the right content for the messages in enhancing

their clarity. These messages are meant to enable the leader to better execute his or her

responsibilities.

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Approaches to Employee Motivation

Rewards, motivation, delegation, and coaching are among the fundamental

approaches to employee motivation. Rewards should be performance-based and are used in

controlling group behavior in an organization (Everse, 2). For instance, the manager could tie

different achievements with rewards at both individual and departmental levels. Rewards can

be in form of salary raises, stock options promotions, bonuses, promotions, among others.

Through rewards, a leader can create the behavior appropriate for an organization, especially

since employees are motivated and encouraged to be in their best versions as the organization

demands.

Coaching is an employee development technique aimed at empowering workers with

the necessary skills in accomplishing tasks. Similar to rewards, coaching follows feedback

(Barette, 2, p.15). Performance appraisal is employed in evaluating employee’s output.

Through this technique, a leader identifies the "Achilles hills" in his workers that form a basis

for his training. Coaching is meant to improve workers’ productivity in the organization.

Training is undertaken individually or through teams where the manager is the team leader.

Through training and coaching, workers gain competent skills that enable them to scale

greater heights in their careers.

Delegation is a key trait in transformational leadership that allows employees to

undertake managerial tasks. After effective training, the manager then allows an environment

of active decision-making by, for instance, planning the daily operations (Everse, 2). This

task is a crucial motivator among employees as it grants them a feeling of significance in the

organization. As a result, employees are enthusiastic about maximizing their output since

they feel valued as essential assets for the organization. Delegation also encourages Inclusion

in decision-making, and this is essential for continuous organizational change. Even the low-

level employees are asked to contribute to the process. This inclusion reduces employees'

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resistance during organization change. Therefore, delegation goes a long way in promoting

not only employee motivation but also creating an ideal surrounding for environmental

change.

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 Sources

1. Deborah Barrett. 2008. Leadership communication. p 1-37.

https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/csu_content/courses/business/bsl/

bsl4040/12d/uniti_chapter1presentation.pdf

2. Georgia Everse. 2011. Eight Ways to Communicate Your Strategy More

Effectively. https://hbr.org/2011/08/eight-ways-to-energize-your-te