Conflict Management

Tensions and misunderstandings are inevitable. However, if they occur in the workplace and go unresolved they often result in stress, hostility and wasted resources. Eventually unresolved workplace conflict has a negative impact on the bottom line of a company. It any case it is a time-consuming problem for managers and a source of job dissatisfaction for employees.

Workplace conflicts can result from limitation of resources, personality clashes, miscommunications, perceptions of hidden agendas, dirty politics and backbiting (real or perceived), or disagreement about in the direction and goals of the company. When examined closely workplace conflict is often the result of a significant disagreement over goals or needs of different employees, and behaviors such as hostility, avoidance, gossip and the like.  Unresolved workplace conflict may result in a drop in productivity. Creativity and innovation are significantly damaged in an environment of workplace conflict.

The traditional view was that all conflict at work is bad. More recently the human relations view has replaced the traditional view in that conflict is considered natural and inevitable when people are involved in any enterprise. Managed properly by both leaders and by employees, conflict can become a positive force and actually result in improved performance of the group.

In the workplace three types of conflict occur:

• Relationship conflict
• Task conflict
• Process conflict

Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships. Such conflicts are often very nasty and almost always do significant damage. Task conflicts are about what the work goals should be and about achieving those goals. If properly managed this kind of conflict can help the group perform better. Process conflict is about the best way to get the work done. Again when properly managed this kind of conflict can be productive. The key is keeping the conflict level under control and creatively managing the conflict to assure that organization goals are served. Both supervisor and employees must play a constructive role in resolution of conflicts at work.

There are a five ways that conflicts are commonly resolved.

Competing – a style of conflict management in which the effort is to resolve conflict by dominating the opposition. There is a winner and a loser.

Collaborative – a style of conflict resolution which involves an effort to satisfy at least some of the desires of all sides so all get something.

Compromising – a style of conflict management in which a third party may negotiate with each party to get them to give up something in the interest of a solution.

Avoiding – a style of resolution in which one party simply abandons their position in the service of a solution.

Accommodating – a style of conflict resolution in which one side changes their position to permit the other side to gain something of significant importance and this resolves the conflict.

The best way to avoid conflict is to promote team work. Some tactics that foster teamwork are:

• Clarity in organizational mission and goals
• Employees see themselves as team members
• Employees understand why what they is doing is important
• Employees can voice how they feel about projects and express concerns they have
• Consensus decision making or at least participation

• Constructive outcomes including achievable timelines
• Employees know what is expected of them and where they stand

MANAGING CONFLICT IN YOUR STAFF

Conflicts between teams or departments may be handled using various strategies. The most important factors in determining how to handle a conflict are the relative importance of the issue and the relative power of the disagreeing parties. The more important the issue the more likely a supervisor will be to act authoritatively. In less critical situations it may be more appropriate to be more accommodating to the needs and demands of both sides.

Various types or combination of conflict resolution strategies are helpful in various situations. The following information may be helpful:

Competing – Competition between departments or executives can significantly weaken and damage a company. Thus competition (dominance) should be reserved for emergency situations; for unpopular but necessary demands or changes such as employees being required to work during a hurricane or a holiday in order to be able to satisfy customers; or when inter-organizational competition is a good thing, for example, in an auto service shop, where having competitive teams encourage employees to be more productive and reduces absenteeism. Use the dominance strategy only when the winning policy is in your own best interest and when you can afford for the conflict to arise again.

Collaborative – Collaboration is helpful to allow an opportunity to learn and to benefit from the insights made possible from having different perspectives available. For example, if a company is trying to market its goods to a new group of customers, input from potential customers is extremely important. Collaboration also offers an opportunity to get people to work together by integrating concerns. Collaborative solutions tend to last

Compromising – The goal is to reach a middle point. Compromising is useful in the workplace when the initial goals of an individual party aren’t worth disrupting the workplace; when the two parties compromising are of relatively equal power; to provide a temporary solution for a complex problem, especially under time constraints; and as an option when other strategies fail.

Avoiding – Avoiding may be appropriate when an issue is not very important, and you have no chance of resolving an issue to your advantage. Avoiding also allows time for feelings to become less inflamed and for both sides to have a clearer perspective on the issues at hand. For example, while a supervisor should get involved in major conflicts between employees, minor problems are often left to the employees to solve on their own.

Accommodating –Sometimes leaders will use accommodation when the issue is more important to the other side than to their side in order to promote goodwill, cut losses when there is no chance for success, to encourage harmony, and to allow an opportunity to learn if mistakes have been made. For example, it is often wise to give an irate customer a full refund in order to maintain customer loyalty and to quiet the unrest caused by their anger.

Once you, as a supervisor, become aware of a conflict it is essential that you meet with the people and attempt to define the facts of the situation. Consider these guidelines:

• Ask about the problems they are having but don’t look for or offer solutions at this point. Remember most people are frightened by conflict and don’t know how to handle it. You need to have a clear overview of the issues before you can offer recommendations.
• Encourage people to look at the positive. Ask them information about their shared and individual goals. Then ask more information about problematic areas.
• Once you have a better understanding of the problem and what each side wants you will be more likely to come up solutions with which they are most likely to comply. Brainstorm options with them. Point out the actions and objectives that the two individuals share before you address the problem areas. Help them to distinguish between real and perceived problems. Is it possible that a perceived slight was not intended?  Help them move from, “I am tired of my ideas being stolen. I never get credit for anything I do,” to “You give me credit sometimes; I wish you would do it more often.” Focus on positive strategies to improve the situation and get them to commit to trying them.
• Try to gauge a sense of the individuals’ willingness to comply with the suggestions being made. It is especially important that they understand that the outcome is ultimately their responsibility. Also be sure that they understand the possible impact to the company if they do not resolve their dispute.
• Establish a date when you will re-evaluate the decisions that have been made and the progress that has or has not been made. Remind them again that that they are accountable for making these changes.
• End the meeting on a positive note. Offer a brief summary of their positive goals, what each wants and what you and the company expects of them.

Supervisory mediation can result in one side “winning” and obtaining the lion’s share of resources or in both sides obtaining some things they want and a share of the resources. Remember the ultimate goal of mediation is to satisfy the fundamental interests of both sides. “Winning” it all may work in a one-encounter or short-term relationship,  but a “win-win” solution  is more important in long-term relationships. For example, it might be worth renegotiating an extremely valuable employee’s contract to give them more money if you discover that another company is interested in them and willing to pay more. In this case your employee gets more money, the company keeps an asset and the overall costs are less than would be the case if you lost the employee and had to search for and train a replacement.

Managing conflict with co-workers

If you are having significant conflicts with another employee it is often wise to seek help in achieving a negotiated settlement either through your supervisor or human resources. However, if you are wise you will get prepared to present your side of the issue before you make your move. This preparation will involve doing some homework. You need to think through and document:

• What has lead up to the current problem? Do you have or can you develop a factual timeline of the problem’s evolution? (This is particularly true in the case of a sexual harassment or other such claim.) Are there other employees who will back you up?
• Is there a company policy or a set of procedures to follow for the problem you are experiencing? Will you elect to use this option?
• Who are the other people who are involved and what is your perspective on their role in the problem and its resolution? What would each of them think about the situation? Would your viewpoints differ substantially? Can you see any truth in the other side(s) perspective?
• How do you want this problem to be resolved?
• What goals are important to you?
• What do you expect the other side to ask for?
• How entrenched are your demands and those of the other party or parties?
• Can you tell if there are  hidden  agendas that  your co-workers might have, such as wanting you job?
• What do you think each side might be willing to settle on?

Once you have some understanding of your adversary’s position you will be better equipped to predict their arguments and to prepare for them. Once you have gathered this information use it in developing your own strategy.  If your issue is serious you need to establish a track record of having tried to resolve the problem within the organization unless the problem is so serious that you fear for your safety and immediate outside intervention seems imperative.

The following information may be helpful in preparing yourself for some of the possible strategies that might be used in an attempt to resolve your problem.

Competing – In this country we are proud of being competitive and thus we may use this approach too often. It is the strategy of dominance. There can be only one winner. Keep in mind that the losers may stay around to fight you another day. Use the competitive approach only when winning is very, very important to you. Use it when you core values are at stake. And since you may lose be sure you have a back up strategy for recovery. Competing is the high risk conflict resolution strategy so use is sparingly.

Collaboration– In this conflict resolution strategy you seek a win-win strategy by discussing the conflict directly with whoever may have the opposing point-of-view. The best way to approach it is to say, “I would like for both (or all) of us to get something worthwhile rather than a winner take all approach.” You must identify what the goals or aims of your opponent may be and then frankly tell about your own. If there is a way for both of you to win, then take that pathway.

Compromising – Use this method of resolving conflict when you and you opponent are of roughly equal power. You might find it useful to ask a third party to become involved as a mediator or negotiator to help work out the details of an approach somewhere in between your position and that of the opposition.

Avoiding – One of the principles of the Art of War by Sun-Tzu is to avoid losing by avoiding the battle all together. All great generals know this. You might be better advised to live beyond this battle to fight another day. Look at the risk of losing and consider carefully whether going down in a blaze of glory is worth the risks. With this strategy you have complete control, you just do not show up for the fight.

Accommodating –Changing your position to come closer to a resolution of the conflict is to take an accommodating approach to the conflict. The opposition may very well hold to their position. But you modify your own in an effort to move toward resolution. By using this approach you still hold out for the possibility of a resolution that might be a win-win alternative.

“Winning” at All Costs vs. a “Win-Win” Solution

Negotiations can result in one side “winning” and obtaining the lion’s share of resources or in both sides obtaining some things they want and a share of the resources. Remember the ultimate goal is to satisfy the fundamental interests of both sides. “Winning” it all may work in a one-encounter or short-term relationship,  but a “win-win” solution  is more important in long-term relationships.

Regardless of the track you follow to have your grievance/problem with another employee heard, knowledge of possible negotiating strategies is to your advantage, especially if you can think of ways to frame what you want so that it fits into several of these strategies. In any case it is always to your advantage to:

• Not begin a negotiation with completely outlandish demands

• Focus on underlying interests, not disputed positions, i.e.,  how can your solution benefit the workplace and its environment

Above all remember that a short-term win may be exciting but if it perpetuates the conflict or delays a future battle it may be a Pyrrhic victory.

You can serve your organization better by making every effort to avoid making any conflict with other employees a relationship conflict. Those kinds of conflicts are most difficult to redress. If you feel you have fallen into that sort of pattern and you believe the conflict could have a damaging effect on work performance or productivity you may want to bring the matter to your supervisor. If you do so be open to taking your share of the blame. Do not go in pointing fingers or you may find yourself unemployed.