Conflict management

Creating a good atmosphere isn’t just only easy but also essential. If your stuff are sullen and despondent and depressed and surly – it shows. It shows in their work, in the way they handle customers and colleagues, the way they relate to each other and most importantly the way they work with you and for company. That’s why it is vital to keep good atmosphere in a workplace. But human nature is complicated thing, and sometimes conflicts appear. As a really professional manager, you should know how to solve such problem as workplace conflict.

Sources of Conflict

There are many causes or reasons for conflict in any work setting. Some of the primary causes are:

• Poor Communication: different communication styles can lead to misunderstandings between employees or between employee and manager. Lack of communication drives conflict ‘underground’.

• Different Values: any workplace is made up of individuals who see the world differently. Conflict occurs when there is a lack of acceptance and understanding of these differences.

• Differing Interests: conflict occurs when individual workers ‘fight’ for their personal goals, ignoring organizational goals and organizational well-being.

• Scarce Resources: too often, employees feel they have to compete for available resources in order to do their job. In a resource scarce environment, this causes conflicts – despite awareness of how scarce resources may be.

• Personality Clashes: all work environments are made up of differing personalities. Unless colleagues understand and accept each other’s approach to work and problem-solving, conflict will occur.

• Poor Performance: when one or more individuals within a work unit are not performing - not working up to potential – and this is not addressed, conflict is inevitable.

Addressing Conflict

There are a number of ways that can be utilized to address workplace conflict:

• Avoidance: ‘hiding our head in the sand’, hoping the conflict will go away.

• Collaboration: working together to find a mutually beneficial solution.

• Compromise: finding the middle ground whereby a ‘little is given and little is gotten’.

• Competing: ‘may the best person win’.

• Accommodation: surrendering our own needs and wishes to please the other person.

It is generally believed that either collaboration or compromise are the most productive forms of addressing conflict because there is not a winner or loser but rather a working together for the best possible solution.

Conflict Resolution

Arriving at a positive resolution of conflict is always the ultimate goal. In resolving conflict, it is important to make sure you do the following:

• Clearly articulate the causes of the conflict – openly acknowledging there will be differing perceptions of the problem(s).

• Make a clear statement of why you want the conflict resolved and reasons to work on conflict.

• Communication of how you want the conflict resolved.

• Address the issues face-to-face (notes, email correspondence, memos are not a productive way to resolve differences).

• Stick to the issues. In trying to resolve conflict, it is tempting to resort to name calling or bring up issues from the past. It is important to address specific behaviors and situations if change is to take place.

• Take time out if necessary. In the resolution of a conflict, our emotions may interfere with arriving at a productive resolution. If this transpires, take a time-out and resume resolving the conflict at another designated time.

Avoiding conflict is often the easiest way to deal with it. It does not however make it go away but rather pushes it underground, only to have it resurface in a new form. By actively resolving conflict when it occurs, we can create a more positive work environment for everyone.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 809