Skip to main content

5 Part 1: Conflict management - For workplace purposes

I mentioned in article 3 that I had gone to 2 workshops; one of them being the "Work readiness skills programme" that was hosted by Mr Melane. The aim of the programme is to equip us students with skills and knowledge that will help us prepare for the work place; things that are not taught in lectures or in an academic textbook.

In this article I share the concept of conflict management that was shared at the workshop: what conflict means, the different styles of handling conflict, when it is appropriate or inappropriate to use the styles, and an exciting exercise that will help us figure out which style we often use. I also share a suggested process to resolve issues, and skills for managing conflict.

P.S: This article, "Part 1", will include the styles of handling conflict and when to use them; the second part of the article, "Part 2", will have the exercise; and "Part 3" will have the suggested process of resolving issues and the skills for managing conflict.

http://www.losethepointer.com/site/tag/team-management/
Conflict is the one thing that we all experience in our lives; whether it is at the workplace or in our personal lives. It is inevitable. However it is important to resolve conflict for a number of reasons. For example: when conflict arises at a work place within a team that is working together for a particular project, the conflict has to be resolved so that the team can function effectively and ensure a successful project.

Ms Caroline Poole, a sociologist at SOREASO who worked in collaboration with Mr Melane at the workshop, shared the different styles of conflict.


Image: madamenoire.com
A. The different styles of handling conflict are:
  1. Avoiding- when one does not address the conflict, postpones the issue or simply withdraws from a threatening situation
  2. Competing- when one pursues his or her own concerns at the expense of the other person
  3. Collaborating- when one attempts to work with the other person to find a solution to fully satisfy the concerns of both persons without compromising or giving something up.
  4. Compromising- when one finds a solution to a conflict that will benefit both the concerns of the parties involved, even though something has to be given up for the sake of resolving conflict.
  5. Accommodating- when one neglects his/her concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other person
Now, Ms Poole and Mr Melane did point out that there is no ONE RIGHT WAY of handling conflict. Every situation is different and thus different styles are required for different situations. Below is a summary of when to use which style:

B. When to use which style




Style
Appropriate when:
Inappropriate when:
Avoiding
  • The issue is unimportant
  • Potential damages outweighs the benefits of resolving the issue
  • Time is short and a decision is not necessary
  • Others will benefit from hearing the information
  • Avoiding the issue may lead to more important issues that need to be addressed

Competing
  • The issue is unimportant and the others don’t care
  • A decision needs to be made quickly
  • An emergency comes up
  • You think you are right and being right is more important than preserving relationships
  • Cooperation from others is important
  • Self-respect for others is diminished needlessly
Collaborating
  • The issues and the relationship are both significant
  • Different perspectives can lead to a better solution.
  • Time is short
  • The issue is important
  • The goals of the other person are certainly wrong
Compromising
  • Both goals of the individuals are dependent on each other
  • You can’t live with the consequences
  • Giving everyone what they want won’t satisfy them
Accommodating
  • You really don’t care about the issue
  • You are powerless and have no wish to block the other
  • You are likely to feel resentment
  • Used regularly to gain acceptance


So how are you finding it so far? "Part 2" of the article will help to establish which style we use most of the time; and to find out which styles we need to work on to ensure that we use the correct style in the correct situation.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7. Employability: a qualification alone might not be enough - part 1

When I entered university for the first time, graduate attributes were the last thing on my mind. I did not even know what a graduate attribute was. I entered university with the mentality of getting the degree, proceed further to obtain a higher qualification so that I could complete my training and get a permanent job. Apparently, that is not all that is required to be an employable graduate. I only heard about graduate attributes during my second year at university from Mr Rodrique E. George, my then lecturer of the ‘Intensive Reading and Writing’ module. Graduate attributes are the qualities, skills and knowledge that we as students must develop while at university. Some graduate attributes include: the ability to use knowledge to solve problems; the ability to use and apply information effectively; the ability to interact with people from different backgrounds and being able to understand their views, to name a few. There are characteristics and skills that stem from gra
2 comments
Read more

24. Experience versus qualification

This is a topic I feel very strongly about, especially now that I have entered the working world and see the need for both experience and qualification. Qualification I believe that a qualification, be it a diploma or a degree, is merely a resource to assist one in whichever field they intend to work in, for that particular occupation/(s). The concern I have is when we spend years to obtain a qualification that we don't even know how we will use it, or even worse - obtain knowledge that may not be used at all! Obtaining a qualification is good for getting knowledge, a foundation, a background of the field of work and/ or area of expertise one intends to be in. I realized that through the B.com Accounting degree I obtained. However, it is not enough alone, and that's where the need for experience comes in. Experience I feel that experience is better than a qualification. Let me tell you why: A person with experience obtains knowledge, the actual knowledge required for th
2 comments
Read more

22. Cooking

This is most probably the one topic you wouldn’t have expected from this blog, hey? Well, I didn’t think I’d find myself writing it either, but it is quite relevant. As much as some of us cook for ourselves at university, some still buy ready-made food from the dining halls. It may also be that some never had the opportunity or took the chance to cook while at home. Eventually, we'd have to get into the habit of cooking, especially because there will be a need to do so when we start living on our own. How I started cooking I was always cooked for – from the time I was a child right up until I started my first year at university. I confidently started my cooking journey at university and I loved it! I even went to the extent of making samp - umngqusho as we call it in the Xhosa language: do you have any idea how long that takes?! I didn’t care, as long as I was cooking. I suppose it was the excitement of starting something I did not do before. I did not like buying at the dining
2 comments
Read more