Mediating Conflict Your Job as a Leader

What is Conflict? It is an emotional reaction to a situation or interaction that signals disagreement of some kind Conflict emotions can include: Anger, Bitterness, fear, hopelessness, and sadness The reason for conflict is often to get one’s needs met Example: You get in trouble by your parents for staying out past curfew. The need your parents are trying to have met is not worrying about you being out late and getting into trouble. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpDnXYIFjo

Conflict will happen… Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, at school, in your placement, with friends, and with your family. Wherever and whenever there is a group of people conflict is always a possibility As leader you need to know how to recognize and deal with conflict in an effective manner

Can conflict be a good thing? Helpful if… Gets issues to the table for discussion Encourages the team to discuss issues and find solutions Helps people reassess procedures and rules Harmful if… Diverts energy from important issues & tasks Deepens differences in values Weakens or destroys morale Polarizes groups

Typical Responses to Conflict Avoid the Person Change the Subject Try to understand the other persons POV Seek out a judge or arbitrator Whine and Complain Apologize Give in Play the Martyr Fight it out Pretend to agree Try to find common ground Admit you are wrong Turn the conflict into a joke Work towards a mutually agreeable solution

Identify how you respond to conflict Refer to the 4 statements posted around the class “In a conflict I…” Avoid the person Fight it out Whine or Complain Admit you are wrong Which of the 4 options generally suits you best when involved in a conflict? Move to that location On a sheet of chart paper, as a group list why you respond this way and the pros and cons of your choice when responding to conflict

Triggering Conflict In your assigned groups use the chart paper to identify the causes or “triggers”of conflict within these 3 separate groups You and Friends, Peers, or Acquaintances in School You and other teachers in the school You and family/guardians (i.e: Siblings, Parents, or Legal Guardians) *****Upon completion post your chart paper at the front of the room

Mediating and Solving Conflicts Your job as a leader is to ensure that conflicts are dealt with and solved in a timely manner Allowing conflict to continue or go unrecognized can be detrimental to your goals as a team “The slow burn”. If issues are ongoing it can eventually explode into major problems

Creating a “How to Solve Conflicts for Dummies” Guide Now that you have identified the triggers of conflict your task is to create a solution to an assigned conflict scenario You must clearly create a series of steps in how you would deal with this conflict as a leader Be sure to organize your thoughts

Solving problems before they can really start… The Pareto Principal states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes Example in leadership: You notice that some of the students in your placement: Have trouble focusing Talk when they should be working Do not want to complete the assigned work Misbehave The above actions of a student will usually lead to conflict between you and the student, or the teacher and the student

Using the Pareto Principal Poor leaders will focus on all of the above behaviours and come up with short term interventions or punishments, but this will not solve the problem and is very inefficient as these issues are likely to resurface On the other hand, if you can get to the source of the problem (i.e finding a subject, or way of teaching the material that interests the student) you can correct all of the behaviours with one step (This is the 20% cause - lack of interest) Good leaders never chase the 80% instead will focus on solving the 20% causes, this is very efficient

Solving problems after they have happened…Suggestions There is no cut and dry way to deal with conflict simply because all conflicts are different, as are the people who are involved Here are a few best practices you might want to implement when attempting to deal with conflict

Solving Conflict Suggestions Ensure everyone involved in the conflict is involved in the resolution process Identify why a solution is necessary Help each party see the problem from the other’s point of view Identify the key issues and concerns. Determine what would constitute an acceptable solution. Agree to the resolution and a follow-up meeting.