Managing Conflict in the Workplace

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Managing Conflict in the Workplace

• Christine Marchioro
• IML Legislative Associate

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What is Workplace Conflict? Conflict is like
water too much causes damage to people and
property too little creates a dry, barren
landscape devoid of life and color. (1)

• Conflict is defined as incompatible attitudes,
  motives, values, expectations or activities.
• Workplace conflict is defined as an expression
  of dissatisfaction or disagreement with an
  interaction, process, product, or service. (2)
• Loosely translated conflict is inevitable!

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Not All Conflict Is BadProperly Managed
Conflict Can Bring About Great Results!!

• Stimulate innovation, creativity, and growth
• Provide for better organizational decision making
• Individual and group performance can be enhanced
• Relationships can be improved (3)

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Unmanaged Conflict Can

• Cause job stress, burnout, and dissatisfaction
• Reduce communication
• Damage relationships
• Create atmosphere of distrust and suspicion (4)

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Unmanaged Conflict Can Also

• Cost you in terms of time, money and
  productivity.
• Time wasted spent involved in conflict
• Conflict related absenteeism
• Conflict affects decision-making ability
• Potential restructuring around the conflict

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How Do We Manage It?Is this a private fight or
can anyone join? -Old Irish Saying

• You as The Third Side
• Bring parties to the table
• Facilitate communication
• Listen and acknowledge
• Help employees search for a solution (5)

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Examples of Workplace Conflict

• Individual
• The expectations of the employee and the employer
  differ
• Two or more employees
• Personality or work ethic differences
• Groups
• Disagreements between labor and management

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Scenario 1 Youve asked an employee to perform
a task that they perceive is not within their job
description.

• If they dont comply with your request, how do
  you respond?
• If they do comply, but question their
  responsibility to follow through, what do you do?

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Addressing the Problem

• Technique of Role Analysis
• Purpose of Role
• Expectations of employee
• Expectations of employer
• Role profile (6)

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Scenario 2 Two or More Employees Simply Cannot
Get Along

• Separate people from the problem
• Focus on interests, not positions
• Invent options for mutual gain
• Use objective criteria (7)

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Tips for Prevention

• Why Conflict Starts
• Frustrated needs
• Poor skills
• Weak relationships

• How to Prevent Conflict
• Provide
• Teach
• Build (8)

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References

• (1) Cathy A. Constantino and Christina Sickles
  Merchant, Designing Conflict Management Systems
  (San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass, Inc., 1996) xiii
• (2) M. Afzalur Rahim, Managing Conflict in
  Organizations (Westport, CT Quorum Books, 2001)
• (3) Rahim 7
• (4) Rahim 7
• (5) William Ury, The Third Side (New York, NY
  Penguin Group, 2000) 140-168
• (6) Rahim 104-114
• (7) Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes
  Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (New
  York, NY Penguin Group, 1991) 15-93
• (8) Ury 114-139