SOURCES OF CONFLICT AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM THE SOLUTIONS GROUP

OBJECTIVES FOR THIS CLASS Identify common sources of Workplace Conflict Learn methods to manage conflict

DEFINING CONFLICT “Interpersonal conflict is a symbolic product of human communication. It is a process of interactions between two or more interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference in achieving the goals.” From the International Journal of intercultural Relations

TYPICAL CONFLICT SOURCES 1.Interpersonal 2.Organizational 3.Trends/Change 4.External Factors

1.Office politics, gossip, rumors 2.Language and personality styles 3.Strong ethno-cultural and racial sources 4.Gender conflict 5.Stresses from home 6.Different attitudes about work-related achievement INTERPERSONAL FACTORS

ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS 1.Power differences 2.S upervisory styles 3.Resource allocation 4.Distribution of duties, workload and benefits 5.Different levels of tolerance for risk 6.Varying views on accountability

TRENDS/CHANGE  Technological change  Changing work methodologies  Reorganization

EXTERNAL FACTORS  Economic pressures  Political pressures

ROOTS OF CONFLICT - #1 Poor communication! Lack of communication, poor communication, no information, or misinformation The cure – Clear, concise, accurate, and timely communication

ROOTS OF CONFLICT - #2 Emotions – Letting emotions drive decisions Need for emotional superiority

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT CONFLICT?

IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR YOU Is conflict inherently bad?

BENEFITS OF CONFLICT 1.Allows team to come to terms with difficult situations 2.Allows team to synthesize diverse perspectives 3.Helps to ensure that solutions are well thought-out 4.It is the source of true innovation 5.It leads to a critical process in identifying and mitigating risks

COMMUNICATING SUCCESSFULLY 1.Talk with the other person 2.Focus on behavior and events, not personalities 3.Listen carefully 4.Identify points of agreement and disagreement

COMMUNICATING SUCCESSFULLY 5.Prioritize areas of conflict 6.Develop plan to work on each conflict 7.Follow through on your plan 8.Build on your success

THE EPM FORMULA Empathize Pinpoint problems Move forward

EMPATHIZE We may not always be able to understand the other person but we can always understand feelings. It is key to see the issue from the other person’s point of view. We want to demonstrate that we can be reasonable and respectful.

PINPOINT PROBLEMS Be specific- use numbers or behaviors. Apply conscious thought and clarity. Be clear about what you want and/or need before confronting the person.

MOVE FORWARD Our goal is to improve the situation together - not in spite of each other. Peers can move forward by opening a discussion. Supervisors can move forward by giving instructions or assignments.

EXAMPLE SUPERVISOR TO EMPLOYEE E- “Steven, I know that paperwork is not your strength at this time. P- The fact is completing the client intake forms is an expectation of the job. M- Please ensure that all intake paperwork is complete by the end of the month.” OR – “Tell me how you think you can be more successful in reaching this goal.”

EXAMPLE FOR PEER E- “Marsha, I know that the month of January is very busy. P- The fact is we are expected to provide an analysis of the new equipment at Juan Tabo by February 15 th and you have rescheduled two of our meetings. M- What process do you suggest that will ensure we complete the analysis?”

IMPROVING YOUR DELIVERY Use “and” instead of “but” when you need to disagree. Add your reality Be collaborative instead of combative Ask, “What are our options?” Example: “You think that we need to respond immediately, and I’m concerned that we need to gather more information first. What are our options?”

MORE DELIVERY POINTERS Use hypotheticals Get them to imagine. Begin with their suggestion and ask them what that would look like. “If you get what you are proposing, how would that play out?” Imagining is the opposite of defending,, opens up possibilities for understanding Ask about the impact using an open-ended question: “How will that affect our budget for supplies?” instead of saying, “That will destroy our supply budget.”

Discuss the underlying issue. Try to understand what’s behind the suggestion. “I’m surprised you suggested we release the sales figures to the whole team. What is your goal in doing that?” Ask for help. Genuine, open questions to help you understand will help you to move into a positive direction. You can be a little self-deprecating when you do this.

ADVICE FOR MANAGERS A.Define acceptable behavior B.Hit conflict head-on C.Understand the WIIFM factor D.The importance factor E.View conflict as opportunity

MANAGE CONFLICT a)Accept inevitability of conflict b)Don’t be a conflict avoider c)Stay calm d)Maintain moral high ground e)Partner with HR f)Document meticulously g)Don’t think in terms of “winning” but of “constructively resolving”

GOOD LUCK AS YOU CONTINUE TO MANAGE CONFLICT MORE CONFIDENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY!