Conflict Management Strategies

Conflict management strategies are important for all businesses. Small business owners need to understand that unresolved workplace conflict can have a negative effect on the business.

For many businesses, the role of human resources is to help coach or mentor those involved in conflict or help mediate workplace conflict.

Conflict is a fact of life, not only in the workplace but in personal life. Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing; conflict can help initiate change in organizations and in people; and it can lead to personal and professional growth.

Managing conflict through effective conflict management strategies and conflict resolution strategies will maximize the positive and minimize the negative aspects of conflict.

In many cases, effective conflict resolution strategies and skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. If conflict is not managed and if it continues to grow, the work environment may grow hostile or fractured, and non-productive.

Interestingly, while conflict can have a significant, negative impact on your business, there is little training for small business owners or managers to learn to manage conflict. Build your own conflict management strategies and use them to minimize the negative impact of conflict in your business.

The good news is that by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the problems that the conflict has brought to the surface, as well as getting benefits that you might not at first expect (in some cases, relationships can be strengthened; through compromise, a better outcome for the business can be reached; workplace conflict can raise issues that have been underground and unattended for a while; better understanding of the issues will be developed; provide support in managing change in your business and more).

Take a positive approach to conflict. Focus on the issues, not on the people. Be calm and respectful to all sides; actively listen to what the participants have to say.

What is Conflict? Conflict arises from disagreements and misunderstandings about opinions and points of view.

Conflict will arise when:

• Values are overlooked: people are typically passionate about their values. Conflict can arise when an individual feels that their individual values (e.g. for truth and honesty) are being ignored or trampled. It can also arise when an individual views the business' value statement as being ignored or contravened.
• Emotions, which can be tied to totally unrelated events, come bubbling to the surface. People are often led by emotion, which is very powerful, rather than be reason. Conflict can arise when an individual feels that their emotions are being belittled or overlooked.
• Needs are ignored. For example, needs for safety, shelter, food.
• Individuals develop a differing view of reality; that is, when perceptions differ.
• There is an abuse of power. For example, when a co-worker behaves like a supervisor, resentment and conflict may arise.

Conflict Management Strategies:

Communication plays a big role in building effective conflict management strategies. Set up rules before meeting with the individuals involved: rules such as focus on the issues, not the people; active listening to what everyone has to say; try to determine the objective facts; work together to find resolution (rather than make a decision to be implemented).

1. Collaborate: this strategy matches the needs of the individuals to build commitment and reach consensus. Collaboration can take time and energy and requires an environment of trust. In this strategy, both sides win.
2. Compromise: this strategy involves some giving and some taking on both sides; not a perfect outcome but one that works if both sides are willing and flexible. Often achieving a compromise can be done more quickly than collaboration.
3. Competition: this strategy puts one individual’s (or group’s) interests ahead of the other (often seen in labor disputes). While the conflict might be resolved for a time, the losers do not feel satisfied and the conflict may escalate into different areas. I believe this to be the riskiest strategy – it will minimize future cooperation.
4. Accommodate: this strategy involves one individual (or group) giving in or admitting they were wrong. For example, you might ‘agree to disagree’.
5. Avoid: this strategy puts the conflict on the ‘back burner’ to be dealt with at a later time (often with the hope that the issue will disappear on its own). This is most often used when the conflict is not a large issue and/or when there are other issues in the forefront. Sometimes not dealing with the conflict through avoidance can result in the issue growing, rather than disappearing.

There will always be some conflict in every day life, and in the workplace. Some thoughts on conflict: Manage the conflict, don’t ignore it and hope it will go away. If the conflict is more than one issue, or there are a number of conflicts in progress, deal only with one at a time. Start with one that can be easily solved first (if possible). Try to defuse the anger in the communications – people say things in the heat of the moment that they will regret later. Don’t rush to problem solve; sometimes the first answer is not the best answer. Let people think it over and discuss the next day. Don’t set the conflict up as a right/wrong; win/lose situation – someone will leave the discussions unhappy. Use your human resources staff to help you manage the situation or consider the advantages of outsourcing (if you have no human resources staff, this might be a necessity).

There are times when you need to agree to disagree, and move forward.

Return From Conflict Management Strategies to the Role of Human Resources.

Or Return From Conflict Management Strategies to More For Small Business.