Types of Conflict

 Conflict arises when there is a disagreement about how to best solve a particular problem It may be about something that is really personal orIt may be about something that is really personal or It can result from a disagreement between two or more peopleIt can result from a disagreement between two or more people  Finding the best solution to to a conflict involves Rationally considering the various possibilities Rationally considering the various possibilities Showing empathy for the points of view of the involved parties Showing empathy for the points of view of the involved parties

Personalized versus Depersonalized Conflict Depersonalized  When a conflict stems from a difficult situation or problem  A rational resolution process without emotion is possible  Often can become invested in a particular point of view Personalized  When people are in opposition to one another  Emotional reactions and feelings often arise and having to work with this person may be annoying, confrontational, or offensive to the people involved  Most important, it may cause an unproductive work environment

Intrapersonal versus Interpersonal Conflict Intrapersonal  Internal conflict, or having to make a tough decision all on your own  A person who has developed a clear set of personal values and a strategy for making decisions faces less stress than these dilemmas often present for others less prepared Interpersonal  Conflict between two or more individuals, where each hold an opposing view

Intragroup versus Intergroup Conflict Intragroup  When a group is split on an issue  The decisions that are most strongly supported afterwards are those where the group reaches a consensus i.e. by the time the vote is taken, the decision is unanimous i.e. by the time the vote is taken, the decision is unanimousIntergroup  When entire groups are in conflict with each other

Common Causes of Conflict

Differing Goals, Needs, or Values  If your goals differ from those of the people you are interacting with you may place different value on various outcomes  For example, if you value group harmony, and you are working in a group with someone who is more concerned about getting a task completed than about keeping group members happy, your group may experience conflict

Rivalries and Personal Ambitions  If you are at a tryout for a basketball team and don’t pass the ball to an open competing player, then try for an improbable layup to outshine others, you might be putting personal ambition ahead of the needs of the team

Avoidance of Responsibility  You might feel conflict if group members do not complete their responsibilities  For example, if your group assigned a task to someone and she didn’t meet her timeline, you might blame her for the poor mark you got on the task  Working with people who do not complete the work they are assigned can cause confusion and it ultimately leads to frustration and low group morale

Carelessness in Job Performance  If our personal work expectations are not matched by the others in the group, then you may have trouble trusting the quality of the work submitted be the other group members  You may be tempted to do all the work yourself, or you might be really demanding on the other members to ensure their work is up to your standards  In either case, conflict is very likely to occur

Overlap in Job Responsibilities  If more than one person or group is assigned to the same task when planning an event, conflict and disorder may arise if they do not work on the task in a coordinated manner  The different individuals or groups involved may think they are “wasting their efforts” because of the duplication or may feel they are not trusted to fulfill their responsibilities  If both groups assume the other is doing the work and don’t communicate the task may not get done at all and the timelines may not be met  As well, the message that each of these groups sends out to the target group may differ, causing confusion as well as conflict

Personal and Group Stress  Stress often brings out the worst in people  We often experience problems with both our intrapersonal and interpersonal communication skills Our listening skills that suffer first Our listening skills that suffer first We often have trouble empathizing with their situation We often have trouble empathizing with their situation We may be more verbally aggressive or self-serving than normal We may be more verbally aggressive or self-serving than normal  Stress can change how you look at situations and you need to be careful to be assertive and not aggressive or passive

Prejudice  Whenever someone judges another person based on race, religion, colour, gender, or sexual orientation, conflict is almost inevitable  When Jackie Robinson broke the “colour barrier” in 1947, the conflict within the sport of baseball, and even with his own teammates on the Brooklyn Dodgers, was well documented

Misunderstandings  Often result from poor communication within a group  If a group doesn’t use clear messages and there is a misunderstanding, clarifying the situation will be difficult  For example, gossip is a dangerous method of communication, and the message invariably gets changed extensively before it ever completes the full circle. Feelings are often hurt as a result of the misunderstandings that arise from gossip, and it should be avoided

Techniques to improve you Conflict Management skills

Conflict Management  In any group or team conflicts are an inevitability  The ability to properly handle these conflict situations is an important skill for a leader  There are a number of widely used approaches to conflict resolution and good leaders will use more than one depending on the situation

Active listening  Involves asking approp=riate quesitons to better understand how someone else is feeling and why Allows the other person to tell you more Allows the other person to tell you more  More than just listen to hear, it requires trying to understand a person’s needs  By asking questions such as: How would you like things to be done? How would you like things to be done? Would you like things to be different? Would you like things to be different?

Win-Win  In a compromise situation, one party will give up some of what he really wants and take less to allow the other party to get some of what she wants With compromise, there is no clear loser, but there is no clear winner either With compromise, there is no clear loser, but there is no clear winner either Sometimes compromise is the best soluition as each paty intends to give up something Sometimes compromise is the best soluition as each paty intends to give up something  In a win-win situation, you must “think outside the box” and explore how to fully meet the needs of both parties at the same time The challenge is to do everything possible to make your solution win- win The challenge is to do everything possible to make your solution win- win Example, Both Tim and Sally need the last lemon. After further discussion, it turns out that Tim wants to make a cake using the lemon rind, and Sally want the pulp of the lemon to make lemonade Example, Both Tim and Sally need the last lemon. After further discussion, it turns out that Tim wants to make a cake using the lemon rind, and Sally want the pulp of the lemon to make lemonade

Using “I” Messages and Being Assertive  A person effectively uses an “I” message when he communicates his emotions, identifies the situation that is causing these feelings and proposes a solution  Without blaming anyone directly and not at the expense of compromising anyone else’s needs  Example: “Dad, when I am studying in my room and you yell at me from the kitchen to “empty the trash right now.” I fell annoyed because I think studying is important. It makes me feel that you think I can’t manage my time or my chores, but I think I am quite capable of it. In the future, I would appreciate it if you came to my room and asked me to do the chore, and I will do it when I take my next break from studying”

Mediation  A process in which a neutral third party (a mediator) helps the participants resolve their conflict without aggression or coercion  The mediation process has several steps Establish a respectful environment Establish a respectful environment Identify the problem Identify the problem List the alternatives List the alternatives Select the best alternative Select the best alternative Write out a plan Write out a plan Evaluate at a later date Evaluate at a later date

Adjudication  A process in which a neutral third party listens to all sides of a dispute and then makes a judgment based on the available information  This takes responsibility for resolvng the conflict from the disputants and hands it over to the adjudicator  The adjudicator must have her autority accepted be all parties or else her decision will be ignored  Example: Web a professional athlete feels he should be paid the same as other players in the league who are at the same talent level, and the team management believes the athlete is not worth the money he is asking for. So the player and the team agree to arbitration to solve the problem. The arbitrator decision is final.

Avoidance  Another method of dealing with conflict is to avoid it  This does not offer a permanent way of resolving the conflict, but it is an extremely popular short- term solution It gives conflicting parties a chance to cool down It gives conflicting parties a chance to cool down It may solve the problem; it can intensify an issue and delay the resolution It may solve the problem; it can intensify an issue and delay the resolution  Example: Walking out of a group meeting because you don’t agree with the event your student council is planning for the senior prom

Accommodation  When one of the conflicting parties makes a conscious decision to place another person’s needs before or above her own It sometimes involves making personal sacrifices, often at the expense of your own needs It sometimes involves making personal sacrifices, often at the expense of your own needs May also involve an element of empathy towards an opponent May also involve an element of empathy towards an opponent  When an individual acknowledges a personal mistake, or accepts another person’s point of view because this second viewpoint is backed by others If we always accept everyone else’s viewpoints just to avoid conflict, then we are acting passively, and this method may encourage the conflicting party to expect similar compliances in different situations in the future If we always accept everyone else’s viewpoints just to avoid conflict, then we are acting passively, and this method may encourage the conflicting party to expect similar compliances in different situations in the future  Example: Discontinuing a full-court press in basketball to keep the score from getting too high by putting in bench players