Conflict ManagementConflict Management

"The best general is the one who never fights."--Sun Tzu, Chinese military strategist

ConflictConflict

• Happens in all spheres of life

• At different levels- Micro level

intra-personal

- Macro level international

At different levels

- Micro level

intra-personal

At different levels

At different levels- Macro level

international

ConflictConflict

• Conflicts are often thought of as disagreements or problems at an interpersonal level. But these aren’t necessarily conflicts.

• On the other hand, a problem exists when there is a divergence of opinion that does affect behavior, decisions or the ability to accomplish a task. If there is also a belief that the interests or goals of the parties involved cannot be achieved simultaneously, then the problem has become a conflict. The ability to differentiate these various possibilities is an important first step in developing a conflict resolution strategy

WhatWhat is Conflict

Conflict is defined by 2 things:

The issue or goal upon which the conflict is based and the relationship between the conflicting parties.

Types of ConflictTypes of Conflict

Concern

Goals

Resources

Power

Ideology

Norms

Relationships

Different views on Different views on conflictconflict

Traditional View

Behavioral View

Interactionist View

Effects Of ConflictsEffects Of Conflicts

• Loss of Morale

• Missing of Deadlines

• Reduced Productivity

• High Employee Turnover

Effects Of ConflictsEffects Of Conflicts

• Distrust

• Increased stress

• Abusive behavior

• Reduced collaboration

Why Conflict Is Not Addressed

• managers and executives often fail to recognize what constitutes real conflict in their organizations

• general discomfort in dealing with issues involving strong emotions, some managers won’t intervene unless situations go to extremes, or will ignore conflict (consciously or unconsciously) fearing that if they intervene, they assume responsibility for the resolution.

Why Conflict Is Not Addressed

• Some employees fear that if they bring attention to conflict issues they will be labeled as hard to get along with or simply not "team players".

• Most disputants who have not developed career related negotiation skills (such as sales or purchasing) have little ability to negotiate effectively.

Steps towards conflict resulition

• Detect potential sources of• Discuss the effects of conflict

on both the individual employee and the workplace environment

• Identify techniques for reacting to conflict

• Identify and apply communication skills that will aid in the resolution of workplace conflicts

“Education Is Better Than Persuation”

Conflict Resolution Management

Avoidance Mode

Resignation

Withdrawal

Diffusion

Appeasement

Conflict Resolution Management

Approach Mode

Confrontation

Compromise

Arbitration

Negotiation

Conflict Resolution Management

Contingency Approach

Power Play

Bargaining

Collaboration

Setting up of effective conflict mgt. Sys

A corporate policyDocumentation TrainingMonitoring, Evaluation, & Course correction

Setting up of effective conflict mgt. Sys

• Conflict prevention is the first goal. is. • resolved as quickly as possible. • Conflicts are best addressed as directly• Conflicts should be dealt with at the most

informal level • Arbitration and litigation are always options

for resolving conflicts.• A conflict be resolved through informal

dialogue between the parties or in mediation than having to resort to the more formal

Tips to Keep in mind

Keep a reasonable perspectiveTake the time to surveyInitiate negotiations. Sense of humor-this can diffuse the tension that may inhibit a solutionAvoid "win-lose" outcomes. With most conflicts, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. Use your creative brain to come up with alternative solutions.

Tips to Keep in mind

• Don't get defensive. See point directly above.

• Remove your ego from conflict. • Don't maintain constant eye contact. • If things get out of control, become too

heated, or are going nowhere, it might be a good idea to suggest that the issue be addressed at a later date

• Message: 5• Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002

00:57:26 -0700 (PDT)• From: Ashish Bubna

<bubna_ashish@yahoo.co.in>• Subject: Re: Conflict

Management

• Hi,

• Hope this ppt will be useful..

• Regards,

• Ashish