Conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and haven't been aligned or agreed about yet, including:1. Within yourself when you're not living according to your values;2. When your values and perspectives are threatened; or3. Discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of fulfillment.Conflict is inevitable and often good, for example, good teams always go through a "form, storm, norm and perform" period. Getting the most out of diversity means often-contradictory values, perspectives and opinions.Conflict is often needed. It:1. Helps to raise and address problems.2. Energizes work to be on the most appropriate issues.3. Helps people "be real", for example, it motivates them to participate. 4. Helps people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences.Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict isn't the problem - it is when conflict is poorly managed that is the problem.
Conflict is a problem when it:1. Hampers productivity.2. Lowers morale.3. Causes more and continued conflicts.4. Causes inappropriate behaviors.
Why could conflict happen?
1. Poor communicationsa. Employees experience continuing surprises, they aren't informed of new decisions, programs, etc. b. Employees don't understand reasons for decisions, they aren't involved in decision-making.c. As a result, employees trust the "rumor mill" more than management.
2. The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient. There is:a. Disagreement about "who does what".b. Stress from working with inadequate resources.
3. "Personal chemistry", including conflicting values or actions among managers and employees, for example:a. Strong personal natures don't match.b. We often don't like in others what we don't like in ourselves.
4. Leadership problems, including inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at any level in the organization), evidenced by:a. Avoiding conflict, "passing the buck" with little follow-through on decisions.b. Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace. c. Supervisors don't understand the jobs of their subordinates.
How to minimize conflict?
1. Regularly review job descriptions. Get your employee's input to them. Write down and date job descriptions. Ensure:a. Job roles don't conflict.b. No tasks "fall in a crack".
2. Intentionally build relationships with all subordinates.a. Meet at least once a month alone with them in office.b. Ask about accomplishments, challenges and issues.
3. Get regular, written status reports and include:a. Accomplishments.b. Currents issues and needs from management.c. Plans for the upcoming period.
4. Conduct basic training about:a. Interpersonal communications.b. Conflict management.c. Delegation.
5. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include the employees' input.a. Have employees write procedures when possible and appropriate. b. Get employees' review of the procedures.c. Distribute the procedures.d. Train employees about the procedures.
6. Regularly hold management meetings, for example, every month, to communicate new initiatives and status of current programs.
7. Consider an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can provide suggestions.
How to deal with conflict?
There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict.
1. Avoid it. Pretend it is not there or ignore it.a. Use it when it simply is not worth the effort to argue. Usually this approach tendsto worsen the conflict over time.
2. Accommodate it. Give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself.a. Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in situations when you know that you will have another more useful approach in the verynear future. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time, andcauses conflicts within yourself.
3. Competing. Work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. Competitors love accommodators.a. Use when you have a very strong conviction about your position.
4. Compromising. Mutual give-and-take.a. Use when the goal is to get past the issue and move on.
5. Collaborating. Focus on working together.a. Use when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible by using mutual resources. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs.b. Use when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment.
Resource
http://www.sjsu.edu/ccg/problems/newview/
Conflict is a problem when it:1. Hampers productivity.2. Lowers morale.3. Causes more and continued conflicts.4. Causes inappropriate behaviors.
Why could conflict happen?
1. Poor communicationsa. Employees experience continuing surprises, they aren't informed of new decisions, programs, etc. b. Employees don't understand reasons for decisions, they aren't involved in decision-making.c. As a result, employees trust the "rumor mill" more than management.
2. The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient. There is:a. Disagreement about "who does what".b. Stress from working with inadequate resources.
3. "Personal chemistry", including conflicting values or actions among managers and employees, for example:a. Strong personal natures don't match.b. We often don't like in others what we don't like in ourselves.
4. Leadership problems, including inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at any level in the organization), evidenced by:a. Avoiding conflict, "passing the buck" with little follow-through on decisions.b. Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace. c. Supervisors don't understand the jobs of their subordinates.
How to minimize conflict?
1. Regularly review job descriptions. Get your employee's input to them. Write down and date job descriptions. Ensure:a. Job roles don't conflict.b. No tasks "fall in a crack".
2. Intentionally build relationships with all subordinates.a. Meet at least once a month alone with them in office.b. Ask about accomplishments, challenges and issues.
3. Get regular, written status reports and include:a. Accomplishments.b. Currents issues and needs from management.c. Plans for the upcoming period.
4. Conduct basic training about:a. Interpersonal communications.b. Conflict management.c. Delegation.
5. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include the employees' input.a. Have employees write procedures when possible and appropriate. b. Get employees' review of the procedures.c. Distribute the procedures.d. Train employees about the procedures.
6. Regularly hold management meetings, for example, every month, to communicate new initiatives and status of current programs.
7. Consider an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can provide suggestions.
How to deal with conflict?
There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict.
1. Avoid it. Pretend it is not there or ignore it.a. Use it when it simply is not worth the effort to argue. Usually this approach tendsto worsen the conflict over time.
2. Accommodate it. Give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself.a. Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in situations when you know that you will have another more useful approach in the verynear future. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time, andcauses conflicts within yourself.
3. Competing. Work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. Competitors love accommodators.a. Use when you have a very strong conviction about your position.
4. Compromising. Mutual give-and-take.a. Use when the goal is to get past the issue and move on.
5. Collaborating. Focus on working together.a. Use when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible by using mutual resources. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs.b. Use when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment.
Resource
http://www.sjsu.edu/ccg/problems/newview/
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