CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES:
There are five modes of styles for conflict managements
which are elaborated as follow:
1. Accommodating: A pleasing mode of conflict management
tends to be high in participation but low in self-assuredness. Once you utilize
this style, you resolve the contradiction by sacrificing your own needs and
wants for those of the other party. This management style might benefit your
work when conflicts are unimportant and you wish to move on quickly. At
domestic, this style works when your relationship along with your flat mate,
accomplice, or child is more vital than being right. In spite of the fact that
convenience might be ideal for a few clashes, others require a more confident
style.
2. Avoiding: When maintaining a strategic distance from, you
attempt to avoid or bypass a conflict. This style of overseeing clashes is low
in confidence and cooperativeness. Avoidance is useless for dealing with most
debate since it may take off the other party feeling like you do not care.
Moreover, if left unresolved, a few clashes become much more troublesome.
However, an avoiding management style works in situations
where:
- You need
time to think through a disagreement.
- You have
more pressing problems to deal with first.
- The risks
of confronting a problem outweigh the benefits.
3. Collaborating: A collaborating conflict management style
requests a high level of participation from all parties involved. People in a
debate come together to discover a aware determination that benefits everybody.
Collaborating works best in case you have got bounty of time and are on the
same control level as the other parties included.
4. Competing: It is the inverse of accommodating. Once you
utilize a competitive conflict management style (in some cases called
'forcing'), you put your possess needs and wants over those of others. This
fashion is high in self-assuredness and low in participation. Whereas you might
think this style would never be acceptable, it's in some cases needed when you
are in a better position of control than other parties and ought to resolve a
dispute rapidly.
5. Compromising: Compromising requests direct confidence and
participation from all parties included. With this sort of determination,
everybody gets something they need or require. This style of overseeing
conflict works well when time is constrained. Because of time constraints,
compromising isn't continuously as imaginative as collaborating and a few
parties may come away less fulfilled than others.
FACTORS AFFACTING CONFLICT STYLES:
- Gender: A few of us utilize assertive conflict modes since
of our gender and specific kind of socialization. A few guys, since they are
male, were instructed to “always stand up to somebody, and, on the off chance
that you've got to battle, at that point fight”. In the event that one was
socialized this way he will be more likely to utilize self-assured struggle modes
versus utilizing cooperative modes.
- Self-concept: The way we think and feel about ourselves and
opinions about others affects as to how we approach conflict with the other
person.
- Expectations: If we believe that our team or the other
person wants to resolve the conflict, we would be positive to resolve the
conflict? This kind of mentality directly affects the selection of conflict
style.
- Position/power: Where
do we stand in power status relationship with the person we are in conflict? It
means whether the other man is equal to, more than, or less than us in status.
- Life Experience: Through knowledge and experience we might
have gained skills about conflict and “conflict management understanding”. It
enables us to determine what conflict mode to use with the particular person
with whom we are in conflict.
- Communication skills: The fundamental of conflict resolution
and conflict management is how effectively we communicate. Individuals
utilizing viable communication will be able to resolve clashes with more
prominent ease and success.
HOW TO CHOOSE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE:
The key to effectively overseeing conflict is choosing the
proper style for each circumstance. For instance, it might make sense to
utilize avoidance or accommodation to deal with minor issues, whereas basic
debate may call for a more confident approach, like a competitive conflict
management style. When you're pondering which strategy of conflict management
to select, inquire yourself with the following questions:
- How important are our needs and wants?
- What will happen if our needs and wants aren't met?
- How much do we value the other person/people involved?
- How much value do we place on the issue involved?
- Have we thought through the consequences of using differing
styles?
- Do we have the time and energy to address the situation
right now?
The answers to these questions can help us to decide which
style to pick in a particular situation based on what we've learned about the
various conflict management styles.
STRATEGIES FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT:
Conflicts inevitably pop up when you spend time with other
people, whether at work or home. However, when conflicts aren’t resolved, they
can lead to various negative consequences. These include:
- Hurt feelings
- Resentment and frustration
- Loneliness and depression
- Passive aggression and communication issues
- Increased stress and stress-related health problems
- Low morale
- Reduced productivity
- Staff turnover
Conflict is a part of life. Knowing a few strategies for
managing conflict can help keep our home or workplace healthy. Here are a few
strategies to resolve conflict:
1. Be aware of conflict/ acknowledge the problem: Keep your
eyes and ears open for changes in workplace climate and any early signs of
developing conflict. Don’t turn a blind eye to symptoms of hidden conflict.
Conflict can only be safely ignored if it is momentary and unlikely to
escalate. Ignoring conflict may be an easy option initially, but in most cases,
it does not help and will create a more difficult situation to resolve later. In the event that somebody comes to you with a debate that
appears unimportant to you, keep in mind it may not be minor to them.
Effectively tune in to assist the other individual feel listened; at that point
choose what to do around the circumstance.
2. Gather the necessary information/Investigate the situation:
You can't resolve a conflict unless you've investigated all sides of the
problem. Take the time you need to understand all the necessary information.
This way, you'll choose the best conflict management style and find an optimal
resolution. Take time to discover out what has happened, who is
included, how individuals are feeling, and what the issues are. Don’t prejudge
the issue or bounce to conclusions. Talk independently and privately to those
included and tune in effectively to create beyond any doubt you get it their
point of view. Try to recognize any fundamental causes of conflict which may
not be instantly obvious.
3. Set guidelines: Whether discussing a conflict with a spouse
or intervening for two employees, setting a few guidelines before you begin is
essential. Participants should agree to speak calmly, listen, and try to
understand the other person's point of view. Agree up front that if the
guidelines aren't followed, the discussion will end and resume at a later time.
4. Let everyone have their say: In case you're able to urge the
parties together, you'll be able to reach a palatable arrangement. Take a positive,
neighborly and confident approach to the assembly and set ground rules for the
session. Self-assured conduct will energize the parties to precise their
considerations truly and straightforwardly, get it the causes of struggle and
discover solutions. Make beyond any doubt that everybody has the chance to
clarify their point of view and concerns. Individuals will be more willing to
give up entrenched positions and consider compromise in case they feel that
their point of see has been caught on and their concerns taken on board.
5. Identify options and agree on a way forward: This is the
most important and often the most difficult part of the conflict management
process. The following steps may be helpful in reaching agreement:
- Create an environment where all parties are able to speak
openly and honestly.
- Acknowledge emotional issues as these are often at the heart
of it and thus will need to be resolved.
- Consider carefully the extent to which you need to control
the meeting and intervene in the discussion.
- Explore the reasons for the disagreement.
- Identify any misconceptions or misunderstandings which are
blocking progress.
- Encourage the parties to examine their own positions and
identify any common ground with others.
- Look for points which may be negotiable and seek win-win
solutions which take the interests of all parties into account.
- Ask the parties to put forward preferred solutions.
- Allow time for reflection.
- Assess each option and help the parties to agree on which
represents the best way forward.
- Secure the commitment of all parties to any agreement and
agree on a review point.
If no progress is made, a period of reflection may help, but
ultimately it may be necessary to bring in another manager or to consider
external assistance from a specialist in mediation, ADR (Alternative Dispute
Resolution) or arbitration. In these difficult cases, where complete consensus
is impossible, you should aim for a way forward that is acceptable to all, even
if it is not the preferred option for all parties involved.
6. Implement what has been agreed: It is important to ensure
that everyone is clear about what has been decided and takes personal
responsibility for any actions which have been agreed. In some cases, a written
agreement may be appropriate.
7. Keep emotion out of discussion: An angry outburst may end a
conflict, but it's only temporary. Talk things out calmly to avoid having the
dispute pop up again.
8. Evaluate how things are going: Don’t assume that the issue
has been finally resolved. Continue to keep an eye on the situation and
evaluate how well the solution is working. If the problem reappears it may be
necessary to take further action.
9. Take a considerate and rational approach to conflict: One of
the best practices to manage conflicts is to stay calm and ensure that you are
able to take a considered, rational and impartial approach to the situation. If
you are personally involved, you may need to ask someone else to handle the
issue. Avoid the temptation to adopt the instinctive reactions of
‘fight or flight’. Avoid passive behavior - do not take an apologetic stance
and accept all points of view whether they are right or wrong. Similarly, avoid
aggressive behavior – do not take an authoritarian approach and fail to listen
to reasoned argument. Instead, aim to take an assertive stance, while treating
all parties with respect and listening to all points of view. Take care with your use of language and your body language
while dealing with people involved in conflict situation. Most importantly, be
neutral and focus on the facts.
10. Be decisive: Once you've talked through a dispute and
evaluated the best approach, take action on the solution you've identified.
Letting others in on what you decide let them know that you care and are moving
forward.
11. Consider preventive strategies for future: Think about the
lessons that can be learned from the conflict and the way it was handled. What
could be done better next time? How could you develop your conflict management
skills? You may wish to consider training or other forms of professional
development on influencing, mediation or dispute resolution techniques for
yourself or a colleague.
Looking at the broader context, consider what action can be
taken to improve working relationships and encourage a culture of open
communication and consultation. Fostering a sense of group identity and
encouraging employees to see themselves as working towards a common cause is a
good way of lessening conflict in the future. Consider whether an
organizational conflict management process or mediation is needed. Think about
whether there is something about the way the unit works that encourage this
conflicting behavior and work your way through conflict management.
