Managing Conflicts

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• Managing Conflicts

Dr. Bindu Singhal SIHMC Gwalior
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Clearing the space
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How to clear the space

• Define the thing whats in the background
• Define the emotion my emotion is
• Put the emotion aside Im going to put that
  aside
• Clear at least three things each

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Warm up Learning from each other

1. Take 1 minute each to think of an example of a
   conflict that you have dealt with constructively
   and another of one that ended in destruction
   (physical, mental, professional, personal, etc.).
2. Find a partner you DO NOT know very well.
3. Each one of you has 3 minutes each to present the
   2 scenarios, describe the context and share how
   things were managed. Repeat for the other one
   too!

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What animal best characterizes your style during
conflict?

• Example, one person
• may be like an ostrich -
• prefers to hide and bury
• their head in the sand
• Turn to the person next to you and discuss your
  choice for 1-2 minutes.
• Be ready to share at your table the animal that
  you thought of and why

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Conflicts

• A situation where there are at least two
  differing perspectives, and where each party is
  emotionally invested in the results
• May be a clash between ideas, principles or
  people
• An inevitable by-product of relationships
  personal and professional
• A recurring part of our lives
• Can be made worse by our approaches / responses
  to conflict itself

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Conflict

• A process that begins when one party perceives
  that another party has negatively affected, or is
  about to negatively affect, something that the
  first party cares about.
• Is that point in an ongoing activity when an
  interaction crosses over to become an
  inter-party conflict.

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Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict
(Positive)
Functional Conflict Conflict that supports the
goals of the group and improves its performance.
Dysfunctional Conflict Conflict that hinders
group performance.
(Negative)
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Types of Conflict
Task Conflict Conflicts over content and goals of
the work.
Relationship Conflict Conflict based on
interpersonal relationships.
Process Conflict Conflict over how work gets done.
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The Conflict Process
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Stage I Potential Opposition or Incompatibility

• Communication
• Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and
  noise
• Personal Variables
• Differing individual value systems
• Personality types

• Structure
• Size and specialization of jobs
• Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity
• Member/goal incompatibility
• Leadership styles (close or participative)
• Reward systems (win-lose)
• Dependence/interdependence of groups

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Stage II Cognition and Personalization
Perceived ConflictAwareness by one or more
parties of the existence of conditions that
create opportunities for conflict to arise.
Felt ConflictEmotional involvement in a conflict
creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or
hostility.
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Stage III Intentions
Intentions Decisions to act in a given way.

• Cooperativeness (Concern for relationships)
• Attempting to satisfy the other partys concerns.
• Assertiveness (Concern for personal goals)
• Attempting to satisfy ones own concerns.

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Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions
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Stage III Intentions (contd)
Competing/Controlling A desire to satisfy ones
interests, regardless of the impact on the other
party to the conflict.
Collaborating A situation in which the parties to
a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the
concerns of all parties.
Avoiding The desire to withdraw from or suppress
a conflict.
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Stage III Intentions (contd)
Accommodating The willingness of one party in a
conflict to place the opponents interests above
his or her own.
Compromising A situation in which each party to a
conflict is willing to give up something.
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Stage IV Behavior
Conflict Management The use of resolution and
stimulation techniques to achieve the desired
level of conflict.
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Conflict-Intensity Continuum
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Stage V Outcomes

• Functional Outcomes from Conflict
• Increased group performance
• Improved quality of decisions
• Stimulation of creativity and innovation
• Encouragement of interest and curiosity
• Provision of a medium for problem-solving
• Creation of an environment for self-evaluation
  and change

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Stage V Outcomes

• Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict
• Development of discontent
• Reduced group effectiveness
• Retarded communication
• Reduced group cohesiveness
• Infighting among group members overcomes group
  goals

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The Conflict Process
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Conflict Management Styles Survey

• Administration 10-15 min
• Honesty -gt Self learning
• Bear with repetitiveness.
• Some answers may not fit, still
• Wait quietly for others to finish!

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Conflict Management Styles

• Awareness of ones own style the pre-requisite
  for selecting an appropriate course of action
• Preferences become more rigid during conflicts
• Rigidity and inflexibility inhibit conflict
  resolution

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Conflict Management Style Survey

• The highest number typically represents the
  conflict management style you perceive yourself
  to use most. (Most people see themselves as
  collaborators.)
• Look at the second highest number. It
  typically more accurately represents your
  strongest conflict management style!
• The lowest number represents the style in
  which your skills are typically the weakest.
• Outline a plan to strengthen your weakest
  conflict management style.

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Understanding Your Results

• Collaborating (column C) allows for win/win with
  a focus on both task and relationship but takes
  time
• Compromise (column B) is intermediate might
  mean splitting the difference or making more
  concessions but it is quicker
• Accommodating (column D) might take the form of
  selfless generosity or truly yielding to
  anothers view
• Competing/Controlling (column A) may mean
  defending a position which you believe is right
• Avoiding (column E) may mean postponing or
  side-stepping but means there is no effort at
  task or relationship

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Conflict Handling Style Sequence

• Your Style Sequence
• 1 _____________
• 2 _____________
• 3 _____________
• 4 _____________
• 5 _____________

• Preferred Style Sequence
• 1 Collaborator
• 2 Compromiser
• 3 Accommodator
• 4 Controller
• 5 Avoider

Preferred style sequence based on research by
Leadership Center at Washington State University
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One right style?
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• To be continued..

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T H A N K S
Dr. BinduSinghal SIHMC,GWL