1. Resolving Conflict and Dealing with Difficult People
Chapter Thirteen
Resolving Conflict and Dealing with Difficult People

2. Chapter Preview: Resolving Conflict and Dealing with Difficult People
Major causes of conflict in the work setting
Assertiveness skills in conflict situations
Effective negotiation skills
The conflict resolution process
Contemporary challenges facing labor unions

3. Views of Conflict
Traditional view: a clash between incompatible people, ideas, or interests
New view: an opportunity for personal growth
Discovering resolutions to conflict may
Clarify a relationship
Broaden thinking about the source
Open people to new points of view
Too much agreement is not always healthy in an organization

4. Finding the Root of Conflict
Unless the root cause is identified, it is likely to recur
If the root cause…
Stimulates constructive conflict, it can be allowed to continue
Stimulates destructive conflict, steps need to be taken to correct the problem

5. Organizational Change
Most organizations have tension between stability and change
Too much stability and the organization may lose its competitive position in the market place
Too much change and the mission blurs and employee anxiety develops

6. Ineffective Communication
When different people work closely together, communication breakdowns are inevitable
For a misunderstanding
explain your position or provide more details
For true disagreements
persuading one or both parties to change positions may be necessary
root problem will persist until someone changes

7. Value and Culture Clashes
Conflict may be due to value differences between individuals
Work force reflects cultural diversity
Different cultural traditions can easily come into conflict in the workplace
Issues range from simple to complex

8. Work Policies and Practices
Conflict may happen when
Organizations maintain confusing or arbitrary rules, regulations and performance standards
Managers fail to recognize that employees perceive policies as unfair
Workers refuse to comply with rules or work their fair share

9. Adversarial Management
Conflict can occur when managers view employees and other managers with distrust and suspicion
View others as “the enemy”
Leads to a lack of respect by employees
Makes teamwork and cooperation difficult

10. Competition for Scarce Resources
Downsizing and cost cutting can lead to destructive competition for scarce resources
When decisions are not clearly explained, workers suspect coworkers of devious tactics

11. Personality Clashes People have differing
Communication styles
Temperaments
Attitudes
People may not be able to identify cause of dislike
Even people who get along well in the beginning of their work relationship may begin to clash after many years

12. Resolving Conflict Assertively
Conflict is often uncomfortable
People who exhibit assertive behavior skills are able to
handle conflicts with greater assurance
maintain good interpersonal relations
Nonassertive behavior ignores the problem
Aggressive behavior violates the rights of others

13. Figure 13.1 - Dealing with People You Can't Stand

14. How to Become More Assertive
You can learn to express wants, dislikes and feelings in a clear and direct manner without threatening or attacking others
In the beginning, take small steps
Use communication skills that enhance assertiveness
Be soft on people and hard on problems

15. Learn to Negotiate Effectively
Traditionally supervisors resolved conflict, today empowered workers resolve it themselves
Think win/win
Beware of defensive behaviors
Know that negotiating styles vary

16. The Win/Lose Strategy
Attempts to achieve goals at the expense of others
Short-term solution only
Doesn’t address the underlying problem
Loser feels frustrated which seeds another conflict
Use when two factions simply cannot agree or cannot talk to each other

17. The Lose/Lose Strategy
Both parties give up something and may feel frustrated
Can be applied when
There is little time to find a solution
Negotiations are at a standstill
The goal is to remove a conflict completely
Union-management disputes often fall into this trap

18. The Win/Win Strategy Fix the problem, not the blame
Work toward a mutually satisfying solution
Focus on discovering creative solutions
Listening is the most vital skill

19. Figure 13.2 - Top Negotiating Tips

20. Beware of Defensive Behaviors
When one person becomes defensive, others may mirror the behavior
Progress is stopped because people stop listening and think about defending
Prevent defensive behavior by consciously maintaining a positive image of the other people involved

21. Total Person Insight
Any method of negotiation may be fairly judged by three criteria: It should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. It should be efficient. And it should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties.
Roger Fisher and William Ury
Authors, Getting to Yes

22. Know that Negotiating Styles Vary
Style develops based on
Personality
Assertiveness skills
Past experiences dealing with conflict
Five styles combine assertiveness and cooperation

23. Figure 13.3 - Behavioral Styles for Conflict Situations

24. Negotiating Styles Vary
Avoidance style
Uncooperative/Nonassertive
Accommodating style
Cooperative/Nonassertive
Win/lose style
Uncooperative/Aggressive

25. Negotiating Styles Vary
Problem-solving style
Assertive/Cooperative
Compromising style
Moderately assertive/Moderately cooperative

26. Conflict Resolution Process
The conflict resolution foundation requires
Application of assertiveness skills
Understanding how to deal with difficult people
Supporting the win/win approach
Learning how to negotiate
The conflict resolution process consists of five steps

27. Follow These Steps
Step 1: Decide whether you have a misunderstanding or a true disagreement
A misunderstanding is the failure to accurately understand another’s point
A disagreement is a failure to agree in spite of accurate understanding

28. Follow These Steps Step 2: Define the problem and collect facts
Everyone needs to focus on the problem, not what happened as a result
Establishing the problem can expose real cause of conflict
Separate facts from opinions or perceptions

29. Follow These Steps Step 3: Clarify perceptions
Interpretation of the facts surrounding the situation you encounter
Attempt to see the problem as others see it

30. Follow These Steps Step 4: Generate options for mutual gain
Generate options that will fix the problem
People often want to negotiate for a single solution
Use brainstorming
Process that encourages generation of a wide variety of ideas and possibilities

31. Follow These Steps Step 5: Implement options with integrity
Finalize a solution or agreement that offers a win/win strategy
Establish timetables for implementation
Avoid the temptation to implement quick-fix solutions

32. Alternative Dispute Resolution
Some conflicts between workers and employers cannot be resolved
Alternative dispute resolution programs, or ADRs can involve
An open door policy
Toll-free hot line
A peer panel review
A third-party mediator
An arbitrator

33. Labor Unions in Conflict Resolution
Disputes escalate when employment contracts expire and need to be negotiated
Procedure that defines the rights and privileges of both sides involved and establishes the terms of employment and length of contract

34. Collective Bargaining
If labor and management cannot come to an agreement, they may submit their disputes to:
Mediation
Voluntary arbitration
Compulsory arbitration

35. Collective Bargaining
As a last resort, unions may recommend that their members vote to strike
Generally lose/lose situation
Virtual strikes: wages and salaries go into an escrow account
Neither side gets money unless they settle
Customers and suppliers experience no change
Especially viable for public services

36. Contemporary Issues Facing Labor Unions
The percent of Americans who are members of a labor union has declined
The future of unions depends on union organizers’ ability to attract new members
Many employers actively strive to keep workers happy and productive so they don’t want to unionize
The “card-check neutrality” process allows eligible unions to negotiate the employees’ next labor contract

37. Contemporary Issues Facing Labor Unions
As labor unions strive for survival, they must address the needs of the current and future work force
Adopt global mentality
Address executives to employees pay gap
Provide affordable health care
Re-train to create higher paying jobs
Provide membership to temporary and contract workers

38. Chapter Review Major causes of conflict
Poor communication
Values and culture clashes
Confusing work policies
Competition for scarce resources
Adversarial management
Coworkers who refuse to do their share of work or have a difficult personality
A difference of opinion may force people toward a creative solution

39. Chapter Review Assertiveness skills in conflict situations
Assertiveness skills are necessary but avoid being overly aggressive
Build assertiveness skills by tackling relatively minor issues first
Use “I” statements rather than “you” statements
Focus on fixing the problem rather than attacking the person

40. Chapter Review Effective negotiation skills
You can improve your human relations skills by learning five negotiation styles:
Avoidance style
Accommodating style
Win/lose style
Problem-solving style
Compromising style

41. Chapter Review The conflict resolution process
When people cannot solve their conflicts informally many organizations create solutions through a conflict resolution process
The five-step process is dependent on a clear outline of the steps to resolve the conflict
Often an ADR program can resolve conflicts that might otherwise lead to legal action

42. Chapter Review Contemporary challenges facing labor unions
Finding new ways to cooperate
Flexible, innovative styles are effective
Each side may submit their disputes to mediation, voluntary arbitration or compulsory arbitration
Labor unions today must respond to
Executive to employee wage gap
Health care cost
Retraining to high-paying jobs
Containing jobs competition
Temporary and part-time workers