CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

By Syeda Nazish Hasan,

M.S. Department of Education, University of Karachi

1. What is a conflict

       A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.

       A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash.

       Psychology A psychic struggle, often unconscious, resulting from the opposition or simultaneous functioning of mutually exclusive impulses, desires, or tendencies.

Three Elements to Understand Conflict

Just as it is useful to be able to label the type of conflict, it also helps to know that most conflicts, large or small, interpersonal or international, follow pretty much the same pattern, characterized by three important elements.

Conflict arises when we discover our differences and perceive them as a threat to our needs. It is fuelled with the usually strong emotional response we give to this perception — our combustibility — and sustained by the unequal distribution of power between human beings. Difference, Combustibility and Power are the key elements present in every conflict.

Perceiving differences as a threat	Conflict arises when we perceive differences as a threat to what we most value or when we believe these differences will prevent us from meet our basic needs.
Combustibility	Some people have a strong facility to make sparks fly in their interactions with other people. Other people have a strong facility to make sparks grow and turn them into a fire (big combustibility). Finally, some people have a certain control of their emotions and leave sparks to extinguish by themselves.
Power abuses	The unequal power distribution among people and the different ways we use our own power influences considerably the number and nature of our conflicts.

 

 

 

Bell and Hart's Eight Causes of Conflict

 According to psychologists Art Bell and Brett Hart, there are eight common causes of conflict in the workplace. Bell and Hart identified these common causes in separate articles on workplace conflict in 2000 and 2002.
The eight causes are:

1. Conflicting resources.
2. Conflicting styles.
3. Conflicting perceptions.
4. Conflicting goals.
5. Conflicting pressures.
6. Conflicting roles.
7. Different personal values.
8. Unpredictable policies.

 1. Conflicting Resources

We all need access to certain resources – whether these are office supplies, help from colleagues, or even a meeting room – to do our jobs well. When more than one person or group needs access to a particular resource, conflict can occur.

If you or your people are in conflict over resources, use techniques like Win-Win Negotiation or the Influence Model to reach a shared agreement.

You can also help team members overcome this cause of conflict by making sure that they have everything they need to do their jobs well. Teach them how to prioritize their time and resources, as well as how to negotiate with one another to prevent this type of conflict.

If people start battling for a resource, sit both parties down to discuss openly why their needs are at odds. An open discussion about the problem can help each party see the other's perspective and become more empathic about their needs.

2. Conflicting Styles

Everyone works differently, according to his or her individual needs and personality. For instance, some people love the thrill of getting things done at the last minute, while others need the structure of strict deadlines to perform. However, when working styles clash, conflict can often occur.
To prevent and manage this type of conflict in your team, consider people's working styles and natural group roles when you build your team.

 3. Conflicting Perceptions

All of us see the world through our own lens, and differences in perceptions of events can cause conflict, particularly where one person knows something that the other person doesn't know, but doesn't realize this.

If your team members regularly engage in "turf wars" or gossip, you might have a problem with conflicting perceptions. Additionally, negative performance reviews or customer complaints can also result from this type of conflict.

Make an effort to eliminate this conflict by communicating openly with your team, even when you have to share bad news. The more information you share with your people, the less likely it is that they will come up with their own interpretations of events.

Different perceptions are also a common cause of office politics. For instance, if you assign a project to one person that normally would be someone else's responsibility, you may unwittingly ignite a power struggle between the two. Learn how to navigate office politics, and coach your team to do the same.

4. Conflicting Goals

Sometimes we have conflicting goals in our work. For instance, one of our managers might tell us that speed is most important goal with customers. Another manager might say that in-depth, high-quality service is the top priority. It's sometimes quite difficult to reconcile the two!

Whenever you set goals for your team members, make sure that those goals don't conflict with other goals set for that person, or set for other people.

And if your own goals are unclear or conflicting, speak with your boss and negotiate goals that work for everyone.

5. Conflicting Pressures

We often have to depend on our colleagues to get our work done. However, what happens when you need a report from your colleague by noon, and he's already preparing a different report for someone else by that same deadline?

Conflicting pressures are similar to conflicting goals; the only difference is that conflicting pressures usually involve urgent tasks, while conflicting goals typically involve projects with longer timelines.

If you suspect that people are experiencing conflict because of clashing short-term objectives, reschedule tasks and deadlines to relieve the pressure.

6. Conflicting Roles

Sometimes we have to perform a task that's outside our normal role or responsibilities. If this causes us to step into someone else's "territory," then conflict and power struggles can occur. The same can happen in reverse - sometimes we may feel that a particular task should be completed by someone else.

Conflicting roles are similar to conflicting perceptions. After all, one team member may view a task as his or her responsibility or territory. But when someone else comes in to take over that task, conflict occurs.

If you suspect that team members are experiencing conflict over their roles, explain why you've assigned tasks or projects to each person. Your explanation could go a long way toward remedying the pressure.

You can also use a Team Charter to crystallize people's roles and responsibilities, and to focus people on objectives.

7. Different Personal Values

Imagine that your boss has just asked you to perform a task that conflicts with your ethical standards. Do you do as your boss asks, or do you refuse? If you refuse, will you lose your boss's trust, or even your job?

When our work conflicts with our personal values like this, conflict can quickly arise.

To avoid this in your team, practice ethical leadership: try not to ask your team to do anything that clashes with their values, or with yours.

There may be times when you're asked to do things that clash with your personal ethics. Our article on preserving your integrity will help you to make the right choices.

8. Unpredictable Policies

When rules and policies change at work and you don't communicate that change clearly to your team, confusion and conflict can occur.

In addition, if you fail to apply workplace policies consistently with members of your team, the disparity in treatment can also become a source of dissension.

When rules and policies change, make sure that you communicate exactly what will be done differently and, more importantly, why the policy is changing. When people understand why the rules are there, they're far more likely to accept the change.

Once the rules are in place, strive to enforce them fairly and consistently.

  

Stages of conflict are evident, and can be tracked as they occur.

1. Tension Development - Various parties start taking sides.
2. Role Dilemma - People raise questions about what is happening, who is right, what should be done. They try to decide if they should take sides, and if so, which one.
3. Injustice Collecting - Each party gathers support. They itemize their problems, justify their position and think of revenge or ways to win.
4. Confrontation - The parties meet head on and clash. If both parties hold fast to their side, the showdown may cause permanent barriers.
5. Adjustments - Several responses can occur, depending on the relative power of each party:
• domination - when one party is weak and the other strong
• cold war - neither party decides to change, but attempts to weaken the other
• avoidance - one party may choose to avoid the other, while the conflict continues
• compromise - each party gains a little and loses a little
• collaboration - active participation resulting in a solution that takes care of both parties' needs

The 8 Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution
by Dudley Weeks, Ph.D

1.                               Create an effective atmosphere

-determine an appropriate time and place (i.e. do not meet in your office)

-establish ground rules (i.e. take risks, maintain confidentiality, listen w/ respect)

2.       Clarify perceptions

-talk to the right person, agree to be direct, open and honest

3.                               Focus on individual and shared needs

-allow for give and take

4.       Build positive shared power

-use “I” messages and practice active listening

5.       Look to the future, then learn from the past

-talk about dealing with conflict in advance

6.       Generate options

7.       Develop “Doables”: The stepping-stones to action

8.       Make mutual-benefit agreements

 Characteristics of Successful Agreements

1. Balanced

2.  Clear

3.  Fair

4.  Realistic

5.  Specific

6.  Concise

7.  Forward looking and

8.  Commitment to return if there is a future problem