| Conflict management is an integral part of successful | | | | addressing and dealing with an issue directly. A |
| business administration. Research shows that | | | | manager who gives in to the conflicting party often |
| managers often spend as much as 20 percent of their | | | | sacrifices his or her own goals and hurts the company |
| work day trying to resolve conflict. Although conflict is | | | | in the long run. This is why it is often healthier to have |
| a common workplace issue, it is important to recognize | | | | conflict out in the open than to have people think there |
| the sources of conflict and implement strategies to | | | | is harmony when there really is not.Forcing is the |
| solve problems. This can help businesses overcome | | | | opposite of accommodating. The manager who |
| the harmful aspects of conflict and benefit from the | | | | forces his or her employees to accept a solution to a |
| positive results conflict can produce.There are four | | | | problem or forces them to drop the issue will seldom |
| basic elements of conflict. These include:1. The | | | | find the best long-term solutions. This type of behavior |
| involvement of two or more parties2. A perception of | | | | can be competitive or even aggressive in nature. The |
| incompatible goals3. Differing values or perceptions4. A | | | | manager (or co-worker) wants to compete to see |
| continuation of the conflict until both sides feel satisfied | | | | who's right and who's wrong, so he or she attempts to |
| with the results.Conflict in the workplace can take | | | | force an opinion on the opposition to "win" the |
| many forms. However, it always requires at least two | | | | argument. This hardly ever fixes the problem and |
| parties. Often, one of the parties is unaware of the | | | | usually produces more anger.Compromise is often |
| conflict. They are a part of it nonetheless. From the | | | | seen as the best way to deal with conflict. However, it |
| perspective of management, it is best to identify the | | | | can often leave both sides feeling like they've lost. This |
| two parties and separate them initially. The first step is | | | | is especially true when managers are the ones who |
| to accept that there is a problem and to define what it | | | | decide what the compromise will be.In order to |
| is and who is involved.It is often difficult to realize that | | | | successfully implement the problem solving strategy, |
| problems are stemming from a perception of | | | | there must be certain common beliefs that the two |
| incompatible goals. Individuals may have specific goals | | | | parties can agree on, such as:1. Cooperation is better |
| for their department or the organization as a whole. | | | | than competition |
| Those goals may be quite different than the goals that | | | | 2. Parties can be trusted |
| someone else in another department might have. It is | | | | 3. Status Differences can be minimized |
| often easier for an individual to see him or herself as | | | | 4. Mutually acceptable solutions can be foundIt is |
| the "good guy" and see the person who is a threat as | | | | better to get the parties in a conflict involved if you are |
| the enemy. The important thing to keep in mind, | | | | to reach a long term solution to their problems. The |
| however, is that the other person may have goals that | | | | likelihood of a solution working is greatest when the |
| have not even been considered. In many instances, | | | | parties come up with it than when it is created by |
| finding a way to satisfy both individuals will ultimately | | | | management. However, such a solution can only be |
| be good for the company.Conflict is normal. That is | | | | found when the parties realize that cooperation is in |
| because each individual in an organization brings certain | | | | their best interest.As values and perspectives differ, it |
| values and perspectives to the table that are unique to | | | | can be easy for some individuals to distrust each |
| him or her. These can enrich the organization by | | | | other. This is often the result of a breakdown in |
| allowing for a more diverse dialogue and | | | | communication or a failure to realize the goals of |
| decision-making process. Unfortunately, they can also | | | | others. Managers can increase their ability to gain the |
| spark opposition and contribute to communication | | | | trust of their employees by actually trusting them. This |
| difficulties. Still, they are healthy problems to have. In | | | | will give them the ability to communicate successfully |
| fact, a truly dysfunctional operation would be one | | | | and help employees recognize and solve problems |
| where everybody gets along.Often conflicts will go on | | | | together.Status differences often prevent |
| for long periods of time. This is especially true when | | | | communication and lead to conflict. When employees |
| one or more parties keep their thoughts and feelings to | | | | feel that management is different than them, they |
| themselves. This can come from a desire to avoid the | | | | often decide not to communicate openly and problems |
| conflict, or can just be the result of neither side feeling | | | | can grow over time. This will be especially true if the |
| satisfied with the solutions, if any.It is important for | | | | manager tends to use the forcing technique to |
| managers to recognize and deal with conflict. | | | | problem management.Believing that solutions can be |
| Sometimes it is best to just let things be. If a manager | | | | found which will satisfy all parties is the first step |
| feels that not dealing with the problem would be better | | | | toward successfully solving a problem. The parties |
| than if he or she did, then perhaps that is the best | | | | need to admit that there is a problem and get it out in |
| course of action. Unfortunately, most problems don't | | | | the open. Management should encourage this and let |
| just go away, and festering anger can eat away at | | | | employees know that conflict is normal. The problem |
| morale and get in the way of effective | | | | should be analyzed by both parties, with the manager |
| decision-making.There are five main strategies for | | | | as the intermediary. By accepting employees' |
| resolving conflict. These are:1. Avoidance | | | | concerns, managers can encourage an attitude that |
| 2. Accommodating | | | | will help problem solving. The parties can then come up |
| 3. Forcing | | | | with options for solving the problem and agree on a |
| 4. Compromise | | | | final solution.Managing conflict is a normal aspect of |
| 5. Problem SolvingAvoidance is sometimes the best | | | | business operations. Although managers do have to |
| course of action. Often time will fix whatever problem | | | | dedicate much of their time to conflict management, |
| has existed and trying to fix it yourself will just make it | | | | successfully doing so can be good for the long-term |
| worse. Still this rarely works. More often than not, | | | | performance of the company. To effectively solve |
| avoiding conflict is just a sign of an inability to | | | | conflicts, managers need to recognize the factors that |
| successfully manage problems. The conflict avoider | | | | cause it and try to implement strategies for solving |
| often develops rationales for the conflict, dodges | | | | problems in a constructive way.Justin Elza is the |
| meetings or conversations where conflict is present, | | | | owner of J. Allan Writing and Design Studios, a |
| and hopes the conflict will resolve itself on its | | | | full-service creative firm that helps clients save time |
| own.Accommodating is an approach which rarely | | | | and money while developing consistency in all their |
| leads to the problem being solved. Although this can | | | | written, visual, and web-based marketing |
| help solve the immediate problem, the basic issue | | | | communications. From business cards to billboards, |
| remains. Accommodating and avoidance are similar | | | | memos to manuscripts, J. |
| techniques. They both come from a fear of | | | | |