Conflict Management
Conflict Management Overview
There are many factors that can cause conflicts. A conflict may arise because of personality clashes, poor communication, change of responsibilities, change of leadership, dissatisfaction, disagreements, and poor management style. Although it is best to be able to avoid and prevent conflicts, it is really something that is considered inevitable especially in environments where two or more people are working together hence the need for effective conflict management.
Conflicts can be very difficult to deal with especially if you do not have sufficient experience in managing people and in managing yourself. It is not rare for managers to get into a conflict or a disagreement with his or her subordinates. It is also not uncommon for employees to get into conflicts with each other. The truth is that conflicts are a normal part of business operations and these things are bound to happen sooner or later.This section on Conflict Management contains a multitude of information regarding conflict management, particularly on how to resolve conflicts, how to mediate, how to manage team conflicts, and essentially, how to possess the skills needed to resolve and manage conflicts.
Training Objectives
By the end of this self-paced training, you will be able to:
Gain a complete understanding of the reasons why conflicts arise
Master the warning signs of conflict
Know the different types of conflicts and how to deal with each one
Learn some tips on how to avoid conflicts
Understand the common reasons why team conflicts arise and know how to handle them
Learn essential conflict resolution tips for both managers and employees
Target Audience
Conflict Management training provided here is very helpful to managers and employees in developing their skills and abilities to manage and effectively deal with conflicts in the workplace.
In an organizational process, the management has many aspects to consider for a workplace to be harmonious and successful. One of these things that should not be left unattended is any presence of conflict. Conflict happens when individuals or groups do not meet their needs and when they do not find satisfaction to their own wants or self-interest. Conflict can be internal when the conflict is only within the individual; it is external if it is between two or more individuals or between groups. Some people are not aware of the need and react negatively toward the situation unconsciously. Some…
Conflict is a natural disagreement and a clash of interests, ideas, goals, and values of individuals and groups. Once any form of dispute or difference arises, conflict is bound to occur. This has always been a natural part of life in every individual, just as successes and achievements are. We all deal with conflict at home, in our society, and in the workplace. The quick resolution of an existing conflict depends on how a person or a group handles the situation. But a very important process is to be able to identify the signs of a rising conflict. Let us…
Many of us are not really comfortable getting involved in a disagreement with another individual. Some would rather please and accommodate instead of engaging themselves in a heated discussion. When we sense that conflict is starting to build up, there are people who just walk away from it. Seeing smiles and hearing friendly voices are what we really want to witness, not criticisms and confrontations. But even with the existence of conflict, we can turn the situation into a positive one and learn from it. Conflict may be unproductive at times, but it is also constructive when properly handled. A…
Conflict is inevitable, yet it can be controlled and minimized. How an individual or a group responds to conflict and the behavior towards the situation determines the negative or positive outcome of the disagreement. If conflict is mishandled or not properly managed by the parties involved, then an unproductive and unlikely result will be generated. Have you ever been in a fight or argument with an office colleague because of clash of interest or attitude and you cannot seem to meet in the middle? We call this destructive conflict. This type of conflict produces poor quality decisions from the individuals,…
Though conflicts are inevitable in our lives, getting in such a situation causes stress and the amount of stress a person gets depends on the intensity of the conflict. Nevertheless, conflict is a source of stress, and when it becomes severe, stress can be destructive on an individual. While there is a way to avoid conflict especially if it is unnecessary and unproductive, do so and be practical. There are many ways to do so depending on the situations. In the workplace conflict, for example, the approach to resolving it should not be personal. A diplomatic and civil way to…
September 1, 2009
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Exforsys
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Conflict in the workplace is but a natural and normal part of every working individual’s life. People get into conflict due to pursuance of personal goals and satisfaction of needs. Conflicts are truly unavoidable but it is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, effectively resolved conflicts can promote personal and professional development. Not a lot of us may know that conflict resolution takes skills. The positive or negative results are defined by proper conflict resolution skills. With an effectively resolved conflict, not just one issue is solved but differences in attitudes and values. Moreover, it offers some advantages that…
September 2, 2009
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It takes skill to learn how to deal with workplace conflicts even for those trivial misunderstandings among employees. These skills are simple but they are not learned and used well by most of us as we grow up. Especially for managers, being in their position, they must understand the two essential areas in learning conflict management skills: conceptual aspect and skill competence aspect. Conceptual skills pertain to an individual’s knowledge of the causes, styles, strategies, and ways in managing conflict. Knowing how and why conflicts develop, when it normally happens, and how to resolve it are important concepts for conflict…
September 3, 2009
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Conflicts normally just involve two parties who are in a disagreement over their perceptions or having differences in attitudes and values. Trivial conflicts can be settled over a quick discussion but larger conflicts may require a mediator or an intervener. Mediation is a process wherein a third party gets in the way of the conflicting parties. Mediators act like facilitators in a session who guide the members in the process until an agreement is achieved. Organizational conflicts are usually large and may require the help of conflict mediation as an approach to conflict resolution. Basically, as a communication facilitator, the…
September 4, 2009
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A misunderstanding or any form of dispute may be coming from two individuals or from group differences. This situation is especially true in a team. More commonly though, team or group conflicts occur in a workplace situation. If the group or team members work together in resolving conflicts rationally and effectively, conflict management is a lot easier for similar situations in the future. However, with individual differences and diversity among the individuals, some team conflicts require extra efforts to reach a negotiation for a common resolution. Being able to resolve any disagreement is the key objective in the nature of…
September 5, 2009
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According to a theoretical supposition in behavioral research, when we work together with others, we do so unselfishly in order to achieve a common objective. This assumption can be best applied to project management and in organizations. Unfortunately, this is not how the people and organizations do it in reality. Instead, certain conditions and workplace issues are encountered. Due to some work discrepancies, political conflict among managers is prevalent and abuse of power occurs. There is lack of open communication, low level of trust and respect, and lack of mutual support. Resentment and hostility among individuals is widespread. Existing organizational…
September 7, 2009
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In most organizations, the higher management is expected of bigger and more challenging responsibilities. Even in the rise of employee conflicts, managers act as mediators. They can step up as the authority figure for members who are involved in a conflict. Just imagine an office without efficient managers to intervene and act as “referees” during times of arguments or quarrels. Being a manager, you should be able to identify arising conflicts and take pre-emptive measures using your abilities. Those in the higher management should understand the nature and causes that may develop conflict among their members as well as the…
September 8, 2009
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Workplace conflict is an unavoidable situation that can occur to every employee in the organization. Misunderstanding can happen between employees or even the employer and employees. If the goals of the employees are not in line with that of the management, this usually becomes the common root of conflict. Dealing with this kind of conflict is easy because between the two parties, the management takes the lead in getting to a resolution. However, in cases wherein employees disagree with each other, managing the conflict may be quite challenging. In some situations, if the employees possess the proper conflict resolution skills,…
September 9, 2009
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The workplace is one of the most common places for conflicts. Considering the workplace situation, employees establish a kind of relationship among each other that keeps a diplomatic approach but usually does not go beyond personal level, though there are other relationships that develop into a deeper stage. Employees have to socialize with their coworkers because people in the workplace work collaboratively. Each individual and department does not have their own rules and goals. Everyone works and takes an effort to achieve a common goal for the benefit of the organization. Office departments are interrelated in their functions. Even the…
September 11, 2009
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Conflicts in organizations do not necessarily equate to a negative and unproductive environment. In fact, disagreements and arguments that lead to conflict are essential for individuals to grow and mature in their work performance. With the existence of conflicts, people realize their mistakes, understand differences in one another, and they strive to make a better organization. However, in cases when conflicts are mismanaged, the results are adverse. In order to resolve a conflict, sometimes a third party is needed and this is especially true for group conflicts. With the help of the mediator, the individuals or the groups are able…
September 12, 2009
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