Resolving Conflict Six Sigma Continuous Improvement Training Six Sigma Continuous Improvement Training Six Sigma Simplicity

Key Learning Points  Conflict is Not Always Bad  We need to Manage conflict  Need to Know Modes of Handling Conflict and when to use the Right one  Conflict is Not Always Bad  We need to Manage conflict  Need to Know Modes of Handling Conflict and when to use the Right one

CONFLICT  “We owe almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed, but to those who have differed.”  “The aim of argument or of discussion should not be victory but progress.”  “Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them.”  “We owe almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed, but to those who have differed.”  “The aim of argument or of discussion should not be victory but progress.”  “Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them.”

CONFLICT  What is conflict?  When concerns of various parties are incompatible.  When one party is frustrated or about to frustrate.  When two individuals, opinions or things attempt to occupy the same space at the same time.  What is conflict?  When concerns of various parties are incompatible.  When one party is frustrated or about to frustrate.  When two individuals, opinions or things attempt to occupy the same space at the same time.

CONFLICT Characteristics of Conflict  People hold different points of view.  People do not believe agreement is possible.  Each person wants to win.  Each person believes they are right and the other is wrong.  People focus on the power struggle, not the issue. Characteristics of Conflict  People hold different points of view.  People do not believe agreement is possible.  Each person wants to win.  Each person believes they are right and the other is wrong.  People focus on the power struggle, not the issue.

Why Conflict Should Be Managed  Major issue at interpersonal, organizational and inter- organizational levels  Can create enemies  Can decrease effectiveness  Can detract from achievement of goals  Major issue at interpersonal, organizational and inter- organizational levels  Can create enemies  Can decrease effectiveness  Can detract from achievement of goals

The Conflict Process  Frustration  Conceptualization  Behavior  The other’s reaction  The outcome  Frustration  Conceptualization  Behavior  The other’s reaction  The outcome

The Conflict Process Explained Frustration  Is an external stimulus perceived as conflicting with your goal Conceptualization  How you explain the frustration or situation to yourself Frustration  Is an external stimulus perceived as conflicting with your goal Conceptualization  How you explain the frustration or situation to yourself

The Conflict Process Explained Behavior  Is the action you take in response to your perception of the situation or frustration The other’s reaction  Is the behavior of the other person in response to your behavior The outcome  Is the result of the interaction of the two behaviors  Increased frustration – expect an early repeat of the process  Reduced frustration – offers the opportunity to resolve the conflict Behavior  Is the action you take in response to your perception of the situation or frustration The other’s reaction  Is the behavior of the other person in response to your behavior The outcome  Is the result of the interaction of the two behaviors  Increased frustration – expect an early repeat of the process  Reduced frustration – offers the opportunity to resolve the conflict

Guidelines for Handling Conflict  Restate each persons position and accept their situation (Understand)  Identify each persons interests and check for understanding (Understand)  Propose options without commitment (look for common interest)  Build agreements in small steps (Bridge)  Restate each persons position and accept their situation (Understand)  Identify each persons interests and check for understanding (Understand)  Propose options without commitment (look for common interest)  Build agreements in small steps (Bridge)

Guidelines for Handling Conflict  Restate  Paraphrase what you have heard  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Identify  Ask probing questions  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Ask each person to explain the other’s position  Restate  Paraphrase what you have heard  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Identify  Ask probing questions  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Ask each person to explain the other’s position

Guidelines for Handling Conflict  Propose  Ask probing questions  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Ask each person to explain the other’s position  Build  Address one idea at a time  Focus on agreement  Search for additional opportunities for agreement  Propose  Ask probing questions  Check for understanding of unspoken feelings  Ask each person to explain the other’s position  Build  Address one idea at a time  Focus on agreement  Search for additional opportunities for agreement

Conflict Handling Modes COMPETINGCOLLABORATING AVOIDING ACCOMODATING COMPROMISING MORE ASSERTIVE LESS ASSERTIVE LESS COOPERATIVE MORE COOPERATIVE

Conflict Survey  Complete the survey, the scoring worksheet and the graph.  Share your graph with the class.  Complete the survey, the scoring worksheet and the graph.  Share your graph with the class.

Conflict Handling Modes COMPETING “Might makes right” AVOIDING “Leave well enough alone” COLLABORATING “Two heads are better than one” ACCOMODATING “Kill your enemies with Kindness” COMPROMISING “Split the difference”

Conflict Handling Modes Explained  Competing  Is appropriate when  Quick decisive action is vital  Where unpopular actions are required  To protect yourself against those who would take advantage of less cooperative behaviour  If you are high in competing  You may be surrounded by “Yes” people?  Your colleges maybe afraid to admit ignorance and uncertainties  If you are low in competing  You may feel powerless in situation  You may have trouble taking a firm stand, even when you see the need  Competing  Is appropriate when  Quick decisive action is vital  Where unpopular actions are required  To protect yourself against those who would take advantage of less cooperative behaviour  If you are high in competing  You may be surrounded by “Yes” people?  Your colleges maybe afraid to admit ignorance and uncertainties  If you are low in competing  You may feel powerless in situation  You may have trouble taking a firm stand, even when you see the need

Conflict Handling Modes Explained  Avoiding  Is appropriate when  When an issue is trivial, or when other more important issues are pressing.  When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns.  When the potential damage of confronting a conflict outweighs the benefits if its resolution  To let people cool down  When gathering more information outweighs the advantages of an instant decision  When others can resolve the conflict more effectively  If you are high in Avoiding  You may find that coordination suffers because people have trouble getting your inputs on issues  You may find that you are using a large amount of energy by exercising too much caution  You may find that decisions are made by default  If you are low in Avoiding  You may find yourself hurting people’s feelings or stirring up hostilities  You may often feel overwhelmed by a number of issues  Avoiding  Is appropriate when  When an issue is trivial, or when other more important issues are pressing.  When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns.  When the potential damage of confronting a conflict outweighs the benefits if its resolution  To let people cool down  When gathering more information outweighs the advantages of an instant decision  When others can resolve the conflict more effectively  If you are high in Avoiding  You may find that coordination suffers because people have trouble getting your inputs on issues  You may find that you are using a large amount of energy by exercising too much caution  You may find that decisions are made by default  If you are low in Avoiding  You may find yourself hurting people’s feelings or stirring up hostilities  You may often feel overwhelmed by a number of issues

Conflict Handling Modes Explained  Collaborating  Is appropriate when  To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised  When your objective is to learn  To merge insights from people with differing opinions  To gain commitment by incorporating other’s concerns into a consensus decision  To work through hard feelings which have been interfering with a relationship  If you are high in Collaborating  You may spend time discussing issues in depth that do not deserve it  Your behaviour may fail to elicit collaborative responses from others  If you are low in Collaborating  You may find it hard to see differences of opinion as opportunities for joint gain or solving problems  You may find that colleagues are not committed to your decisions  Collaborating  Is appropriate when  To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised  When your objective is to learn  To merge insights from people with differing opinions  To gain commitment by incorporating other’s concerns into a consensus decision  To work through hard feelings which have been interfering with a relationship  If you are high in Collaborating  You may spend time discussing issues in depth that do not deserve it  Your behaviour may fail to elicit collaborative responses from others  If you are low in Collaborating  You may find it hard to see differences of opinion as opportunities for joint gain or solving problems  You may find that colleagues are not committed to your decisions

Conflict Handling Modes Explained  Accommodating  Is appropriate when  You realize that you are wrong. To allow a better position to be heard  When the issue is much more important to the other person. To satisfy the needs of others. As a gesture of goodwill to maintain a cooperative relationship  To build up social credits  When you are losing or when continued competition would damage your cause  To aid development of others, by allowing them to experiment  If you are high in Accommodating  You may feel that your own ideas are not getting much attention  You may find that discipline is lax  If you are low in Accommodating  You may have trouble building goodwill with others  You may be considered as unreasonable  You may have trouble admitting when you are wrong  You may have trouble recognizing exceptions to the rule  You may not know when to give up  Accommodating  Is appropriate when  You realize that you are wrong. To allow a better position to be heard  When the issue is much more important to the other person. To satisfy the needs of others. As a gesture of goodwill to maintain a cooperative relationship  To build up social credits  When you are losing or when continued competition would damage your cause  To aid development of others, by allowing them to experiment  If you are high in Accommodating  You may feel that your own ideas are not getting much attention  You may find that discipline is lax  If you are low in Accommodating  You may have trouble building goodwill with others  You may be considered as unreasonable  You may have trouble admitting when you are wrong  You may have trouble recognizing exceptions to the rule  You may not know when to give up

Conflict Handling Modes Explained  Compromising  Is appropriate  When goals are moderately important  When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutual exclusive goals  To achieve temporary settlement to complex issues  To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure  As a backup mode when collaborating or competition fails.  If you are high in Compromising  You may concentrate upon the tactics of compromise that you sometimes lose sight of the larger issues.-Principles, values, objectives.  You may find that an emphasis on bargaining and trading creates a cynical atmosphere of gamesmanship.  If you are low in Compromising  You may find that you are too sensitive or embarrassed to be effective in bargaining situations  You may find it hard to make concessions  Compromising  Is appropriate  When goals are moderately important  When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutual exclusive goals  To achieve temporary settlement to complex issues  To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure  As a backup mode when collaborating or competition fails.  If you are high in Compromising  You may concentrate upon the tactics of compromise that you sometimes lose sight of the larger issues.-Principles, values, objectives.  You may find that an emphasis on bargaining and trading creates a cynical atmosphere of gamesmanship.  If you are low in Compromising  You may find that you are too sensitive or embarrassed to be effective in bargaining situations  You may find it hard to make concessions

Exercise  In your team - discuss either how you would manage the following situation, or an actual potential conflict situation you are experiencing with your team  A team member has failed to provide the data the team requested at the last meeting  What conflict style does this team member exhibit?  In your team - discuss either how you would manage the following situation, or an actual potential conflict situation you are experiencing with your team  A team member has failed to provide the data the team requested at the last meeting  What conflict style does this team member exhibit?

Resolving Conflict