Conflict Handling

Conflict handling is a complex endeavor that requires people with differing personalities to work together. Most conflict is rooted in personal feelings and perceptions rather than genuine organizational objectives. In order for any group to be effective at conflict resolution, individuals must be capable of communicating and resolving conflict. Effective conflict handling skills involve interpersonal communication, group dynamics, and leadership.

Conflict management is basically the act of consciously limiting the negative effects of conflict while simultaneously increasing the positive effects of conflict at all levels of the organization. The goal of conflict handling is to improve group performance or learning, which includes overall effectiveness or productivity within an organizational environment. Individual performance at the team level is also affected by the way people feel about the conflict they are involved in and their ability to resolve it in a positive manner. Achieving this goal may require changes at the individual level such as self-talk, increased leadership skills, increased understanding, or a combination of these approaches. Team building and conflict resolution are usually intertwined because some people lack skills to effectively deal with conflict whereas others are naturally more successful at it.

One of the most important elements to successful conflict handling is effective communication. Unassertive communication, or "non-confrontational" communication, has been shown to increase feelings of satisfaction rather than conflict and makes it easier for people to resolve conflicts. A common example of an assertive communication is giving instructions to a subordinate or speaking to a coworker about a certain problem in the workplace without taking into account the other person's feelings or opinion. A much more effective method of conflict handling is one that involves an atmosphere of mutual trust where there is a healthy and positive exchange of ideas.

The goal of group conflict resolution is to handle conflict effectively by affecting change in the desired direction. This requires the involvement of everyone within the group to make significant contributions toward the achievement of the goal. Group conflict resolution requires that you work together to decide what changes need to be made, when they need to be made, and how those changes should be communicated. It also requires that each person take responsibility for the aspects of the conflict that he or she is responsible for solving.

This type of conflict-handling is often called "interpersonal conflict management." Basically, successful interpersonal conflict resolution requires that all members of a team work with respect for each other. Interpersonal conflict occurs when there are competing goals or desires between people on a team. In this situation, leaders have to set boundaries and expectations for their followers to work within.

There is another way of thinking about conflict that goes along with the "never ending cycle of conflict." Although conflict occurs between individuals and departments, it can also occur between organizations. An organization-wide conflict arises when leaders of a company do not have clear standards for the performance of other employees. This can be a challenge for the company's leaders because everyone must know what is expected of them in order for the business to run as smoothly as possible. This type of conflict often leads to a negative outcome because no one is able to properly communicate expectations to the other employees.

Another important consideration in effective conflict-handling is that there must be an alignment of interests. All good leaders make sure that they share a common purpose and goal. The more aligned the interests of leaders, the better their chances of conflict resolution. There must also be an attempt to set goals that are not only attainable but measurable. Leaders must also ensure that they have clearly defined expectations for their followers. If leaders fail to clearly define their expectations, this can lead to conflicts between followers who may not be aligned with their own vision.

A further important aspect of conflict management involves the use of symbolism. It has been found that displaying images that symbolize a common goal has a powerful psychological effect on people. For example, seeing a picture of a person holding the flag of the United States and another holding the flag of France causes some to feel loyal to the American group and want to work with them. Seeing a picture of two boats side by side can cause people to see cooperation as the key to resolving conflict rather than the conflict itself. This is especially true when leaders show strength rather than power. Having an effective conflict management strategy makes it easier for employees to work together instead of feeling divided.