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Conflict Management: Coping Strategies

M Sutapa Lakshmanan19/11/2010

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Coverage Role of Manager

Strategies for resolving Conflict

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Role of Manager

Recognize the symptoms of conflict

Recognize own style for dealing with

conflict Adopt appropriate strategies for resolving

conflict

Work with organizational procedures forconflict management

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Recognizing symptoms of conflict

Open Vs hidden conflict Symptoms- Hidden Conflict

A deteriorating atmosphere

People making unpleasant comments aboutcolleagues or other teams

People avoiding or refusing to talk to each

other

An increase in e-mails flying around the

office

An us and them attitude towards other parts

of the organization

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Six Symptoms of Conflict

Poor communication :decision based on wrong

information

Inter-group hostility and jealousy: they never

tell us anything

Inter-personal friction

Escalation of arbitration

Proliferation of rules and regulations, norms andmyths

Low Morale: not feeling positive about work

Source: Charles Handy(1993)

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Strategies for resolving conflict

Find root causes

Talk with the person or people involved

Probe to get at the real issue

Talk to all involved- individually or together

Easy/Difficult issues

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Strategies for resolving conflict

Confront difficult issues (requires

courage)- Examples

Someone consistently letting team down Someone behaving inappropriately towards

other people in the team

Problems related to behaviour towards

internal or external customers

Someone failing to work to performance

standard

Value problems(prejudice or bias)

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Strategies for resolving conflict

Confront Issues- Constructive Feedback

Focus on behaviour, not the person

Describe the behaviour, not judge

Give specific examples

Seek the other persons explanation

Look beneath the problem

Look for alternative ways forward

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Strategies for resolving conflict

Raise emotional literacy

Self-awareness

Identifying, expressing and managingfeelings

Controlling impulses to act on the spur of the

moment

Handling stress and anxiety

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Techniques for tackling problems Positioning exercises

Step into each others shoes

Imagine interaction from two/three different

perspective

Your own point of view

Point of view of the other person Point of view of an observer

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Techniques for tackling problems

Estrangement exercises

A member of a team mentally steps back out

of the team

Observe team from the perspective of an

external observer

Seek to identify and feedback to the team

What the team is doing well and should build on What the team is not doing well and change

The one main issue they would like the group to

address

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Organizational procedures

Organizations have standard procedure to

manage conflict(Disciplinary and Grievance

Handling Mechanism)

Other mechanisms(reference Charles Handy)

Rules and regulations

Arbitration to resolve conflict between teams

and individuals Creating a position to liaise between

conflicting teams

Separating conflicting groups or individuals

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Actions to minimize Conflict

Job description and Role clarity

Internal Communication

Work-life balance Personal Development

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Group Presentation Guidelines

1. Briefly describe the problem

2. Find out root causes

3. Perceptions of parties involved in theconflict and the reasons for it.

4. How was the conflict resolved?(Any

particular technique used)5. Suggest an alternative solution.

6. What you have learned.