www.lifehack.org: It takes a lot to lead people who have the same desire, dream, and vision. It is even more challenging to lead transformation and change in people who are deeply entrenched in tradition and have a rigid way of thinking. As a result, it is not uncommon for conflict to arise in the marketplace due to a difference in opinion and communication styles.
However, not all conflicts in the workplace are bad.
7 comments:
I think the article starts off with a good point that not all conflict is bad and that conflict can perhaps be healthy and help the group find the best solution for the project. After reading this article, it seems to me that conflict management can be handled with pretty basic strategies of communication and preparation. This article touches on several similar topics that I discussed and learned in my recent negotiation class but is in a little bit of a mixed order. I think the most important thing is trying to avoid negative conflict from the start by making preventative measures and procedures for when conflict does arise. I think the article brings in a good tip that wasn't mentioned in my class reasonably, but that is the option to bring an outside conflict manager. This is an option for companies to avoid biased decisions and minimize further resentment.
The perspective from which this article was written concerning conflict is very interesting. I have never heard anyone say that conflict can be healthy and if there isn't any conflict, "is an indication that critical thinking and a quest to question existing processes is missing in the organization." I have been conditioned to see conflict as bad and as a result never thought about healthy conflicts. So, it was interesting to read about that for the first time. The article was very informative and helpful. The tips given can be applied to so many different aspects of life not just work. The author gave some good points and the point that I connected with the most was holding face to face meetings. People are so technologically driven and this sometimes can lead to communication issues and having face to face contact can resolve the whole problem (which might not have been a problem in the first place).
Obviously, this article is correct when they say that conflict is a healthy and natural part of being in any kind of relationship, including a working relationship. The best conflict advice I've ever gotten is "Remember, It's you against the other person, it's you two against the problem." Also, I very strongly agree with the author's assessment that you should always hold face-to-face meetings when resolving conflicts. We all know the dangers of approaching serious topics over text as it can be so easily misinterpreted, however, addressing these issues over the phone is also really difficult because body language plays such a big role in communication, particularly in tense situations where people will be very carefully choosing their words. The other most important point this article brings up, in my opinion, is avoiding assigning blame, which is a really tricky line to tread because you need to identify where things went wrong and that often involves describing other people's actions and how they negatively impacted the situation. Good resolutions are able to do this by getting people to just report the facts of what happened
Life hacks have been coming out with some pretty far-fetched articles these days. When you read an article titled “resolve any conflict” you better have some serious research to back it up. Honestly, I think the report does bring a lot of good points to light, and there are students, and faculty, at this school, in this program, that would benefit from ready this article. People often are not cognizant of what they are saying and sometimes take conflicts a little too far. A system, or set of ground rules, for the most part, keeps people in line and conscious of what is being said. One problem that I suffer from is shifting the blame. It is an easy out that often gets you in more trouble with the person. Overall the article has made me think about how I act when in conflict and causes me to reflect on conflicts and figure out potential ways to improve the way I approach them.
I think the most important section of advice this article gives is that meetings, when possible need to be held in person. The article points out that "It is challenging to convey emotions in emails because the effect of nonverbal communication is lost behind computer screens and mobile phones." I have seen or been a part of so many miscommunications that have arisen from e-mail or text when're intention and emotion was misconstrued or misunderstood and all of that could have been solved by simply having an face to face meeting. Additionally, the article suggests making sure that your organization has a conflict management policy, and that "there needs to be a documentation of acceptable behavior and steps to take should interpersonal conflict get out of hand." I couldn't agree with this more--the framework of how to protect employees should be present before a conflict happens so that people feel safe having dissenting opinions from the get go.
Conflict resolution skills can be an extremely useful tool in any situation. For instance in my high school english class we would peer edit each other's papers and were encouraged to use the same skills. We also were encouraged to separate the action from the person (for example instead of “your grammar is terrible.” vs “there are some grammatical mistakes). This tool and many of the tools in the article are useful because it prevents the second party to going into the defensive mode where they are much less likely to admit mistake and come to a mutual decision. I use these skills outside the school setting all the time when I need to resolve a conflict. Something that is challenging for me when it comes to conflict resolution is avoidance, I tend to avoid talking about small issues until they bubble up and become a larger issue, this is something im working on myself and it was surprising that the article barely mentioned it.
To me the word conflict always has a negative connotation attached to it. Most of the time conflict arises because of difference of opinion and I never realized that some conflict can be good. This article brings an interesting perspective to the word conflict. They rise the point that “An absence of conflict is an indication that critical thinking and a quest to question existing processes is missing in the organization.” Basically, things cannot change and get better if you are not trying to change and grow in the company. As a manager one of the most important tasks of the job is conflict management. In your last year in the SM program you even take a class on conflict since it is so important. The strategies listed in the article to help end conflict are really great. I think the most important strategies is the hold a face to face meeting. I think when trying to resolve conflict it is always better to do it in person face to face to make sure that there are no misunderstandings or miscommunication issues.
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