1. “Speaking without thinking is like shooting without aiming.”
Chapter 11
Managing Conflict
“Speaking without thinking is like shooting without aiming.”
~ Ancient Proverb
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

2. Chapter Objectives Handle unresolved anger in a constructive way.
Identify the source of conflict as it is occurring.
Understand what your natural conflict style is and know which strategy to adopt in a conflict situation.
Change your attitude toward conflict and treat it as a normal and potentially beneficial part of relationships.
Prevent conflict when appropriate.
Learn how to manage conflict personally and professionally.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

3. What is Conflict?
Conflict is a form of interaction among parties who differ in interests, perceptions, goals, values or approaches to problems.
Conflict arises when we begin to feel that the other person is interfering with our ability to attain a certain objective.
Conflict is any situation in which there are incompatible goals, cognitions or emotions within or between individuals or groups that lead to opposition or antagonistic interaction.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

4. What is Conflict? (cont)
Conflicts may involve individual or group disagreements, struggles, disputes, quarrels, or even physical fighting and wars.
Conflict is a fact of life in organisations.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

5. Is Conflict Normal? Three perspectives on managing conflict:
Traditional view
Human relations view
Interactionist view
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

6. Why is Conflict Management Important?
Conflict is a normal part of life.
Conflict is a given.
Conflict can either be positive or negative.
Conflict is constructive when it leads to better decisions, creativity and innovative solutions to long-standing problems.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

7. Positive Conflict Conflict is viewed as positive when it results in:
Increased involvement
Increased cohesion
Increased innovation and creativity
Positive personal growth and change
Clarification of key issues
Value clarification
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

8. Negative Conflict Conflict is viewed as negative when it results in:
Unresolved anger
Personality clashes
Low self-esteem or self-confidence
Unclear or opposing views on who is or should be responsible for what
Problems of efficiency
“Unfinished business”
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

9. Sources of Interpersonal Conflict
Limited resources
Differences in goals/objectives
Miscommunication
Differing attitudes, values and perceptions
Style differences
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

10. Conflict Management Strategies
Avoiding
Accommodating
Compromising
Competing
Collaborating
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

11. Tips for Managing Conflict
Control your temper and emotional response
Understand the issues
Pick your battles
Search for a common goal or common ground
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

12. Conflict Prevention Techniques
Team-building skills
Setting clear objectives
Developing shared goals
Establishing team norms
Understanding the stages through which teams progress
Clarifying expectations
Planning projects and meeting deadlines
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

13. Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Diversity training
Self-awareness of personal prejudices and stereotypes
Individual differences and how they develop
Valuing differences
Maximising each person’s strengths and capabilities to the advantage of the organisation
Understanding and reducing discrimination
Legal guidelines for dealing with issues such as sexual harassment
Cross-training and cross-functional team training
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

14. Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Open communication
Regular staff meetings
Internal newsletters
Employee attitude surveys
360-degree feedback
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

15. Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Conflict management training
Handle conflict constructively
Respect the legitimacy of others’ points of view, feelings and perceptions
Listen actively and communicate assertively
Problem-solve collaboratively and support conflict constructively
Help others avert unnecessary strife
Use communication skills to influence the way in which conflict is handled
Anticipate and act accordingly
Be aware of potential problems and deal with them while they are still minor
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

16. Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Resource allocation
Seek new ways in which resources can be obtained and allocated.
Have an open process by which resources are allocated.
Establish rewards at the highest level.
Involve key players in resource allocation decision processes.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

17. Individual Conflict Prevention Techniques
Communication
Use “I” language—take responsibility for your communication
Pay attention to nonverbal cues
Know when it’s best to express your opinion, or “agree to disagree” and table the matter
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

18. Individual Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Managing others’ expectations
Set limits to help manage your boss’s expectations and avoid a future conflict
Communicate consequences if you’ve tried reasoning, clarifying the issue, and asserting the team’s needs but nothing has changed
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

19. Individual Conflict Prevention Techniques (cont)
Focusing on others first
Anticipate the other’s disagreement or objection and explain how your proposal takes this issue into account
When you are looking to change or improve organisational processes, consider first how others might benefit from the change
Appeal to the other’s self interest
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

20. Summary Conflict is inevitable. Not all conflict is dysfunctional.
Practicing conflict prevention techniques can help you eliminate or diffuse conflicts before they surface.
You can manage your response to conflict and improve your interaction with others by knowing:
Likely sources of conflict
Appropriate strategies for dealing with different types of conflict
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak