Copyright 1998 - 2009
Managing Conflict Skills Dealing with conflict or dealing with difference or dealing with the frustration of not getting all that we want in a situation is a normal part of workplace existence. We can do it well or poorly - it is our choice. But it is an essential managerial skill. We learn to deal with conflict in the same way we learn many things - in informal ways through past experience, family rules, cultural norms. These ways may or may not be appropriate when dealing with or faced with conflict in the workplace. With an increasing emphasis on effective teamwork in the workplace, and also for effective Project Management, dealing with conflict in a skilled, caring and business-like manner is essential. For management personnel as a whole dealing with conflict efficiently is a time saver and morale booster for all in the workplace environment. In order to be effective in dealing with situations involving conflict we have to be willing to examine our own attitudes about conflict and question whether we have the flexibility and the skills required to deal with it appropriately. If the answer is no, we should look on it as any managerial skill that must be learned and practised in order to do it effectively. It is not necessarily a natural skill for many of us, but it certainly can be learned. Skills in dealing with conflict: Basically the skills needed to deal with conflict can be summed up as:
