When conflict management styles clash, it can make trouble for the employees involved, as mixed messages are sent, and the situation may not be resolved in the most effective and timely manner. Conflict management, or the way someone chooses to respond to a situation, can be handled in several different ways with varying results. When two or more different strategies come into play, tensions can be heightened, not resolved.
Different Conflicts, Different Strategies
Among the conflict management strategies are competing, compromising, avoiding or collaborating. Competing is when someone's interests and opinions are put forward ahead of someone else's. Compromising is giving a little to each side, and avoiding is ignoring or purposefully being passive in the conflict. Each strategy has its place in resolving conflicts, but when two different people implement their own conflict management strategies to a situation, there will be a disconnect on the resolution. Collaborating is considered the most effective conflict management strategy as it acknowledges each party's concerns and makes a solution that completely satisfies each side possible.
Choosing the appropriate conflict management strategy for a conflict situation is important. Consider factors such as time pressure (how quickly the conflict must be resolved), issue (how important the problem is), association (how valuable the relationship is) and authority (the power levels of each party).
Solving the Problem
When conflict management styles clash, each party should stop and try to focus on the problem. By clearly identifying each person's goals, the foundation is set for resolution. Other options when conflict management styles clash is to resort to predefined rules and regulations for a resolution, to bring in a mediator who is neutral to the conflict, to hold negotiations and to reassess each strategy if there is no resolution.
Avoid several ineffective conflict management strategies such as secrecy, ignoring the problem, delaying resolution, judging the conflict to be a waste of time and personally attacking another in order to undermine the problem. These actions are stumbling blocks to an otherwise effective conflict management resolution.
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Workplace conflict is commonplace, but managers who can incorporate certain types of conflict management strategies that work will soon be able to achieve their goals and minimize disruptions. |
When faced with employee conflict, managers can implement several of the following tips and strategies for the most satisfactory resolutions. |
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