Dealing with Conflict

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Dealing with conflict - an important social and managerial skill

If you disagree with us then please let us know - in a way to avoid major conflict of course.

Conflict Handling

People and personalities play a part in every aspect of management, so being able to get the best out of all sorts is crucial to success. However, most managers will at some time find themselves coping with conflict between individuals. Having the skills firstly to identify when conflict is destructive and then to manage and resolve it is essential if you are to get the most from people.

This article offers an introduction to principles of handling conflict and tips for how to address conflict in the workplace.

There are a range of factors that are known to create conflict in the workplace, such as the breaking of relationship rules, differing patterns of communication, use of power tactics and manipulation. Conflicts, when they arise, are unlikely to be totally one-sided and, as a result, it's often best if all parties concerned are involved in finding solutions to the issue.

Principles of managing conflict

Firstly, decide whether the issue needs to be dealt with: some conflict can actually be quite productive! Situations which must be confronted are those where important goals conflict, where trust is undermined and/or where there is a lack of willingness on both sides to recognise there is a problem and take responsibility for resolving it.

The ideal way to resolve conflict is to involve both parties in finding a win-win solution. The way to negotiate this is to help them to:

• Acknowledge the problem and commit to dealing with it.
• Understand each other's position.
• Discuss the problem and generate possible solutions.
• Develop a mutually acceptable solution.

• Finding out how the conflict developed and how the present impasse came about. Ask how it originally arose, how long it has lasted and how it has changed over time. Conflicts are not static and the original reason for the conflict may no longer be the cause of the current tension.
• Examining the context and scope of the conflict. Is it just a one-off, or do the people concerned experience similar problems elsewhere?
• Placing the conflict in a broader organisational context. Think about who might be fuelling the conflict and who will gain if the conflict develops.
• Identify specific points of disagreement. This will help you to get those involved to think about the cause, the implications and ultimately the resolution.