Conflict management

key management skill

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Agree or disagree?

 Conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 When there is a conflict, it’s best to keep things rational rather than show
your emotions.
 The most common kind of workplace conflict is between colleagues of the
same grade.

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What is Conflict Management?

 The term “conflict management” simply means how you manage

conflicts.
 Managers and leaders can use interventions which reduce the likely-
hood of conflict
 Conflict can be encouraged, yet managed so things don’t fall to
pieces

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 Group work: collaboration

 Define conflict, present three examples of where and how conflict

occurs.
 How does conflict show up for you (from observation, between 2 or
more people)?
 What is your reaction to conflict towards you (when it occurs)?
 What is your typical reaction to someone who has done wrong by you?
 How does passive- aggressive behaviour usually reveal itself to you
(from someone else towards you)?
 Who annoys you the most? (people who do what)
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Group collaboration

 Discuss and decide what is at the foundation of these reactions?

 Why do you default to one or more of these reactions?
 What would you recommend is the most productive reaction? Why?
 How would you suggest someone do this?
 How each reaction type can stimulate new kinds of conflict,
 How would you recommend to manage when someone does wrong by
you?

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Conflict can also be healthy!

 Two companies vie for the top market share of a particular product
 Several sales teams work to get first place
 Multiple football teams work towards winning a championship

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Process by which disputes are resolved

 negative results minimized

 positive results are prioritized.

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

 1. When there is an argument, I will leave the situation as quickly as possible

 2. In conflicts, I discuss the situation with all parties to try and find the best solution
 3. I use negotiation often to try and find a middle ground between the conflicted parties
 4. I know the best path to take and will argue it until others see that I am correct
 5. I prefer to keep the peace, rather than argue to get my way
 6. I will keep disagreements to myself, rather than bring them up
 7. I find it best to keep communication active when there is a disagreement, so I can find a solution that
 works for everyone.
 8. I enjoy disagreements and find satisfaction in winning them
 9. Disagreements make me anxious and I will work to minimize them
 10. I am happy to meet people halfway
 11. It is important to me to recognize and meet the expectations of others
 12. I pride myself on seeing all sides of a conflict and understanding all of the issues involved
 13. I enjoy arguing my case until the other side concedes that I am correct
 14.
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 15. I don’t feel the need to argue my point of view, it is less stressful to agree with others
Add up your scores for each style, to show the styles that
you most rely on.

 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

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 Styles of conflict management

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Style of management

 In order to address conflict we draw from a collaborating, competing,

avoiding, harmonizing or compromising style of management.
 None of these strategies is superior in itself.
 How effective they are depends on the context in which they are
used.

 A leader who must deal with conflict on a regular basis, may find
his/her style to be a blend of styles.
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1. Accommodating
other parties needs before one's own

 Pros
 Small disagreements easily handled
 Minimum effort
 Easy going
 Cons
 Viewed as weak if done too often
 inappropriate for important issues

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2. Avoiding
ignoring, removing, evading
 Pros:
 time to calm down
 much-needed perspective
 Cons:
 seem incompetent - overuse avoidance

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3. Compromising
middle ground - both parties to concede some aspects: lose-lose *can lead to resentment

 Pros:
 set the stage for collaboration (later)
 Issues can be resolved quickly
 Conflicting parties- better understanding other’s perspective
 facilitating agreement, being hands-on and finding solutions.
 Cons:
 No one leaves completely happy

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 4. Competing
reject compromise

 Pros.
 Strong - no backing down
 Quick solution
 Cons:
 Unreasonable/authoritarian.
 Unhappy/unproductive employees
 best solutions not found in most cases.

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5. Collaboration
best long-term results/most difficult and time-
consuming./win-win
 Pros
 solution that actually solves the problems
 Everyone happy
 Cons:
 time-consuming
 Possible delays to processes/projects

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Techniques/styles

 temperament
 personality
 environment
 education
 experience

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Do you consider yourself a good listener?

 “Getting to Yes”: Roger Fisher & William Ury

 1. not talking to each other

 2. don’t pay enough attention to what people say
 3. misunderstanding (compounded when different languages used)

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Proposed solution

 Active listening:
 acknowledgement/question assumptions
 Understanding is not agreeing
 Unable to grasp their point of view – unable to explain yours

 Maximise constructive dialogue

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Active listening

 Paraphrase and summarise

 Show understanding
 Encourage someone to keep talking

 Listen to conversation between 2 work colleagues

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group:
Recall a time when you made assumptions:

 What prompted your opinion?

 What is at stake if you don’t have an opinion?
 How can or did you validate your opinion?
 Discuss with a partner, then share “aha” moments?

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Who is right? Who is wrong?

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What do you see?

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The ladder of inference is metaphorical model, created by
Chris Argyris (1923–2013),

 of how people take action based on an often unconscious process of inference

from the a pool of observable "data"

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The ladder of inference

 The ladder of inference (6.39 min)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA94chykm-c

 The Ladder of Inference Creates Bad Judgment (3.33)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9nFhs5W8o8

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Meeting/negotiation
role play: cutting costs

 Cutting costs roleplay on Sakai- resources

 Read background information “Cutting costs roleplay pdf”
 Only open your role when all distributed
 Distribute the 9 roles giving either 2 or 1 to each participant.
 Facilitator prepare a basic Agenda (30 min meeting)
 Participants prepare your role

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Meeting/negotiation
roleplay: speeding up meetings

 Managers in the US claim that 90% of meetings are a waste of time, as most spend
10- 15 hours a week in meetings, ways need to be found of speeding up meetings.
 The facilitator is role D
 Other roles are distributed one per participant(all must not be used)
 Use own creative ideas as well as role card.

 Agenda
 Presentation of proposals to make meetings quicker
 Proposal discussion
 Recommendations for future meetings
 AOB
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