How can we, as a business, deal positively with conflict? The workplace has different teams, agendas, and personalities. Conflict is inevitable. Competitions take place, and dynamics are bound to get a little complicated. How can issues get easily resolved without any repercussions. A negatively solved problem will ultimately result in retaliation. Negative, in the sense that the resolution was unnecessary. Positive, in sense that the resolution was requested.
Conflict occurs as disagreements over substantive and emotional issues. Substantive means important. Most emotional issues are important, too. Conflicts morph into complaints. These complaints will have to be resolved at some point.
For example, in our society cost of living is as important as anything else. Low pay rate as opposed to another job that would offer more, is a substantive issue. Low pay rate can be balanced with a variety of fringe benefits. Complaints will arise when the benefits disappear, though. If the two appear in conjunction with one another, there will be a deep concern for employee respect.
These are some important issues that would have to be resolved in the workplace. Some emotional issues would include too much bureaucracy, possibly a poor mentoring process, racism, sexual harassment, and any other issue that has emotional attachments. These are issues which have to be resolved at work. There is a wide array of conflicts that occur.
Modern levels of conflict are functional for performance and creativity. Too little, or too much conflict becomes dysfunctional. A modern level of conflict would be disagreements over football teams, hair colors, or even political issues. Higher-level conflict are mentioned in the employee guidlines issued by your employers. As mentioned, too little conflict means lots of idle time to play and take part in activities other than work.
Well taught superiors and managers understand that conflict may be managed through structural approaches that involve changing people, goals, resources, or work arrangements. People respond to interpersonal conflicts through different combinations of cooperative and assertive behaviors. These two tendencies work together. Being cooperative helps satisfy the others' needs while being assertive helps satisfy your own needs.
Personal conflict management tactics include avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition, and collaboration.
Avoidance-
Complete withdrawal. Personal conflict management avoidance tactical withdrawing from a conflict requires little effort from the other party. This tactic is uncooperative and unassertive. Management withdraws from the situation and remains neutral at all costs. By avoiding the conflict, you, as management, essentially pretend that it never happened. The conflict doesn’t exist. Some examples of avoidance or withdrawal include pretending there is nothing wrong, stonewalling, or completely shutting down.
Accommodation-
Smooth out the problem. Personal conflict management accommodation tactics are genuinely kind hearted. Management is cooperative, but unassertive. Differences are simply overlooked in order to maintain harmony. Accommodating the other party requires cooperation. You agree to accommodate the other party by acknowledging and accepting employee point of view or suggestion. This tactic might be viewed as letting the other party have its way. While this can lead to making peace and moving forward, it can also lead to the accommodator feeling resentment toward the other party.
Compromise-
Each party involved wins a little bit and also loses a little bit. Compromising is a big step toward conflict resolution. Both courage and consideration are used when both parties look for common ground. You agree to negotiate larger points and let go of the smaller points; this expedites the resolution process. Occasionally, the person compromising might use passive-aggressive tactics to mislead the other party, so beware.
Competition-
This is authoritative command. Stand your ground and be courageous. Be cautious with being inconsiderate. Competition requires being uncooperative but assertive. By standing your ground, you are essentially competing with the other party. Management will use anything to ensure that you win the battle. The fact is, a competitive approach offers short term rewards, but in the long term effects can be detrimental to your business. This is a win-lose competition exercised through authority.
Collaboration-
Complete problem solving. Management is cooperative and assertive, simultaneously. Collaboration plays a major role within conflict resolution and requires great courage and much consideration. Collaborating with the other party involves listening to their side, discussing areas of agreement, reviewing goals, and ensuring that all parties understand each other. Collaboration requires thinking creatively to resolve the problem, without concessions. Collaborators are usually admired and well-respected. Everyone wins.
During a lose-lose conflict nobody wins and the problems were essentially unaffected as a result. In a win-lose conflict, one-party achieves its desired outcome while the other party does not. In a win-win situation there is a favorable outcome by everybody, and everybody benefits.
Utilize your advanced skills and powerful credentials. Successfully implement effective conflict resolution techniques. Make resources available. Appeal to higher goals. Change the people. Change the environment. Use integrating devices. Provide training. Also, change rewards systems. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to excel in an executive management role.
