IHM Network Resolving Conflict Session

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IHM Network Resolving Conflict Session

• Joyce Brown, Balkello Consulting,
  www.balkelloconsulting.co.uk 01382 320487

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Workplace Conflict

• A condition between or among workers whose jobs
  are interdependent, who feel angry, who perceive
  the other(s) as being at fault, and who act in
  ways that cause a business problem
• (Dana, D. 2001)

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Potential Positive Effects of Conflict

• Better ideas produced
• People forced to search for new approaches
• Long standing problems brought to the surface and
  resolved
• Clarification of individual views
• Stimulation of interest and creativity

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Potential Negative Effects of Conflict

• Some people feel defeated and demeaned
• The distance between people is increased
• A climate of mistrust and suspicion is developed
• Individuals and groups concentrate on their own
  narrow interests
• Resistance is developed rather than teamwork
• Increase in employee turnover

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THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF CONFLICT
Behaviour
Consequences
Triggering Event
Triggering Event
Issues
Issues
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Conflict Control Strategies

• Avoidance
• Alteration
• Feedback
• Help with consequences

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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Competing

• When quick, decisive action is vital
• On important issues where unpopular courses of
  action need implementing
• On issues vital to company welfare
• To protect yourself against people who will take
  advantage

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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Collaborating

• To find an integrative solution when both sets of
  concerns are too important to be compromised
• When your objective is to learn
• To merge insights
• To gain commitment
• To work through hard feelings

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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Compromising

• When goals are moderately important
• When opponents are strongly committed to mutually
  exclusive goals
• To achieve temporary settlements to complex
  issues
• To arrive at expedient solutions under time
  pressure
• As a back-up mode

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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Avoiding

• When an issue is trivial, of only passing
  importance
• When you perceive no chance of satisfying your
  concerns
• When potential damage outweighs benefits
• To let people cool down
• To gather more information
• When others can resolve conflict

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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Accommodating

• When you realise you are wrong
• When the issue is more important to the other
  person
• To build up social credits
• When continued competition would only damage your
  cause
• To allow staff to experiment and learn from own
  mistakes

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CONFLICT STYLES
COMPETING
COLLABORATING
Assertive
Assertiveness
COMPROMISING
ACCOMMODATING
AVOIDING
Unassertive
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
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A Particular Approach To Conflict

• If I had an argument with a player we would sit
  down for 20 minutes and decide I was right
• Brian Clough, former football manager

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7 Steps To Effective Conflict Resolution

• Explain the situation the way you see it
• Describe how its affecting performance
• Ask for the other viewpoint to be explained
• Agree on the problem
• Explore and discuss possible solutions
• Agree on what each person will do to solve the
  problem
• Set a date for follow-up

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Manager Mediation

• Decide to mediate
• Hold preliminary meetings
• Plan the context
• Hold a three way meeting
• Follow up

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Manager Mediation- Key Tasks

• Introduce the meeting set the scene
• Keep parties involved
• Look for conciliatory gestures and breakthrough
• Be quiet
• Ensure a plan for the future solution has been
  agreed

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Conflict Analysis Questions

• Objectively review the situation
• Who does this conflict affect and how?
• What do you want from it?
• What does the other party want from it?
• How important is this issue to you? Why?
• How important do you think this issue is to the
  other party? Why?

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Conflict Analysis Questions

• What is at stake? How serious is this conflict?
  Is it healthy for the organisation?
• What barriers previously prevented the conflict
  from being brought out into the open?
• What is your past experience with the other
  party? Is there a pattern of conflict?
• What are the triggering events, underlying
  issues, behaviour patterns?

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Conflict Analysis Questions

• What is the other partys preferred conflict
  style?
• What desirable outcomes might result from this
  conflict?
• What undesirable outcomes might result from this
  conflict?
• List at least three alternative courses of action
  and the probable consequences of each

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Aggressive Behaviour

• Standing up for your own rights, but doing so in
  such a way that you violate the rights of other
  people
• Ignoring or dismissing the needs, wants,
  opinions, feelings or beliefs of others
• Expressing your own needs, wants or opinions (
  which may be honest or dishonest) in
  inappropriate ways

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Based On Beliefs That

• Your own needs, wants and opinions are more
  important than other peoples
• You have rights but other people do not
• You have something to contribute others have
  little or nothing to contribute
• The aim of aggression is to win, if necessary at
  the expense of others

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Non Assertive Behaviour

• Failing to stand up for your rights or doing so
  in such a way that others can easily disregard
  them
• Expressing your needs, want opinions, feelings
  and beliefs in apologetic, diffident or
  self-effacing ways
• Failing to express honestly your needs, wants,
  opinions, feelings and beliefs

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Based On Beliefs That

• The other persons needs and wants are more
  important than your own
• The other person has rights but you do not
• You have little or nothing to contribute the
  other person has a great deal to contribute
• The aim of non-assertion is to avoid conflict
  and to please others

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Assertive Behaviour

• Standing up for your own rights in such a way
  that you do not violate another persons rights
• Expressing your needs, wants, opinions, feelings
  and beliefs in direct, honest and appropriate ways

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Based On Beliefs That

• You have needs to be met so do others
• You have rights- so do others
• You have something to contribute so do others
• The aim of assertive behaviour is to satisfy the
  needs and wants of both parties involved in the
  situation

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Everyones Personal Bill Of Rights

• Set my own priorities
• Be treated with respect
• Express my own feelings and opinions
• Be listened to and taken seriously

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Everyones Personal Bill of Rights

• Say NO without feeling guilty
• Ask for what I want
• Make mistakes
• Choose to not assert myself

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Transactional Analysis

• Parent
• Controlling
• Nurturing
• Adult
• Child
• Free
• Adapted