1. How Effective Leaders Manage Conflict Mark Federle Associate Dean for Academic Affairs OPUS College of Engineering and McShane Professor in Construction Engineering and Management Department of Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering (414) 288-4531 mark.federle@marquette.edu

2. Learning Objectives Diagnose the focus and source of conflicts Utilize appropriate conflict management strategies Resolve interpersonal confrontations through collaborations

3. Conflict Management Styles Competing Collaborating Avoiding Accommodating A s s e r ti v e n e s s High Low Compromising Conflict Management Styles Based on Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Cooperation

4. Know your options – Page 1 See Chart Avoidance: Just withdraw from the conflict. This is best when the issue is trivial, when emotions are running high and time is needed to cool them down, or when the potential disruption from a more assertive action outweighs the benefits of resolution. Accommodation: Maintain harmonious relationships by placing another's needs and concerns above your own. This strategy is most viable when the issue under dispute isn't that important to you or when you want to build up credits for later issues. Forcing: Satisfy your own needs at the expense of the other party. Most common when superiors use their formal authority to resolve a dispute. Forcing works well when you need a quick resolution, on important issues where unpopular actions must be taken, and where commitment by others to your solution is not critical.

5. Know your options – Page 2 Compromise: Requires each party give up something of value. This is typically the approach taken by management and labor in negotiating a new labor contract. Compromising can be an optimum strategy when conflicting parties are about equal in power, when it is desirable to achieve a temporary solution to a complex issue, or when time pressure demand an expedient solution. Collaboration: Ultimate win-win solution. All parties seek to satisfy their interests. Characterized by open honest discussion among parties, intensive listening to understand differences, and careful deliberation over a full range of alternatives to find a solution that is advantageous to all. It is the best strategy when time pressures are minimal, when all parties seriously want a win-win solution, and when the issue is too important to be compromised

6. Approaches and Objectives Forcing: To get your way Avoiding: Avoid having to deal with conflict Compromise: Reach an agreement quickly Accommodating: Don’t upset the other person Collaborating: Solving the problem together 7 -

7. Types of Conflict Source of Conflict Issues People Informational Differences Incompatible Roles Personal Differences Environmental Stress Focus of Conflict

8. Rules of Engagement Work with more information Focus on the facts Develop multiple alternatives Share agreed-upon goals Inject humor Maintain a balanced power structure Resolve issues without forcing consensus

9. Steps in Conflict Resolution 1.Understand your underlying conflict- handling style 2.Be judicious in selecting the conflicts that you want to handle 3.Evaluate the conflict players 4.Assess the source of the conflict 5.Know your options 6.Select the "best option"

10. Be judicious in selecting the conflicts that you want to handle Every conflict doesn't justify your attention. You can improve you overall management effectiveness, and your conflict-management skills in particular, by avoiding trivial conflicts. Choose you battles judiciously, saving your efforts for the ones that count.

11. Evaluate the conflict players: Your chances of success in managing a conflict will be greatly enhanced if you're able to view the conflict situation through the eyes of conflicting parties.

12. Conflict Focus People-focused: “In-your-face” confrontations in which emotions are fueled by moral indignation Issue-focused: negotiations in which participants agree how to allocate scarce resources

13. Four Sources of Interpersonal Conflict Personal Differences: Conflicts stem from personal values and needs Informational Deficiencies: Conflicts evolve from misinformation and misunderstanding

14. Four Sources of Interpersonal Conflict Role Incompatibility: From the perception that assigned goals and responsibilities compete with those of others. Environmentally Induced Stress: Results from the stressful events of the organizational environment.

15. Situational Considerations The approach that is used may depend upon, Issue importance Relationship importance Relative power Time constraints

16. Types of Conflict – where is it? Approach should be different Source of Conflict IssuesPeople Informational Differences Incompatible Roles Personal Differences Environmental Stress Focus of Conflict

17. Selecting the Right Strategy Two Perspectives on Negotiation: Distributive: “Dividing up a fixed pie” Integrative: “Expanding the pie” 7 -

18. Selection Factors Personal Preference – Ethnicity – Gender – Personality 7 -

19. Situational Considerations The approach that is used may depend upon: – Issue importance – Relationship importance – Relative power – Time constraints 7 -

20. A ‘Default Strategy’ Of all the approaches, collaboration is the best. However, it is the difficult to implement. 7 -

21. Framework for Collaborative Problem Solving Establish superordinate goals Separate the people from the problem Focus on interests, not positions 7 -

22. Framework for Collaborative Problem Solving (continued) Invent options for mutual gains Use objective criteria for evaluating alternatives Define success in terms of real gains, not imaginary losses 7 -

23. Four Phases of Collaborative Problem Solving 1.Problem Identification 2.Solution Generation 3.Action Plan Formulation and Agreement 4.Implementation and Follow-Up 7 -

24. Phase 1: Problem Identification Initiator Maintain personal ownership of problem Describe problem in terms of behaviors, consequences, and feelings Avoid drawing conclusions and attributing motives Persist until understood Encourage two-way discussion 7 -

25. Phase 1: Problem Identification Responder Establish a climate for joint problem solving Seek additional information by asking questions Agree with some aspect of the complaint 7 -

26. Phase 2: Solution Generation Responder Ask for suggestions of acceptable alternatives 7 -

27. Phase 1: Problem Identification Mediator’s Role Establish a problem solving framework Maintain a neutral posture regarding the disputants Serve as facilitator, not judge Insure discussion to ensure fairness 7 -

28. Phase 2: Solution Generation Initiator Focus on commonalities as the basis for requesting a change 7 -

29. Phase 2: Solution Generation Mediator Explore options by focusing on interests; creates agreement on action plan and follow-up 7 -

30. Summary Model of Conflict Management Insert figure 7.6 7 -

31. Behavioral Guidelines Collect information on the sources of conflict Examine relevant situational considerations 7 -

32. Behavioral Guidelines Take into consideration your personal preferences for using the conflict management approaches Utilize the collaborative approach unless conditions dictate the use of an alterative approach 7 -

33. Power may justly be compared to a great river; while kept within its bounds, it is both beautiful and useful; but when it overflows its banks, it is then too impetuous to be stemmed; it bears down on all before it, and brings destruction and desolation wherever it comes. Alexander Hamilton once said:

35. French and Raven’s Bases of Power Reward Power – Control of Valued Resources Coercive Power – Threats used to influence behavior Legitimate Power – Subordinate's obligation to boss Expert Power – Subordinate’s perception of special expertise or knowledge held by power holder Referent Power – Admiration and desire for approval allow influence to occur

36. Power and Outcomes

37. Questions ?

38. Mark Federle McShane Professor in Construction Engineering and Management Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs College of Engineering Marquette University (414) 288-4531 mark.federle@marquette.edu