Manage HR Magazine | Monday, July 01, 2024
Without a go-to conflict resolution approach for your business, two very different people may have difficulty talking while under stress. That is why managers and employees alike must learn each team member's usual conflict resolution style and how to use conflict resolution approaches.
Fremont, CA: The first conflict resolution approach is convening a team huddle to address conflict management before a problem occurs. While workplace disputes can emerge between employees and top management or between employees and customers, most confrontations occur between employees who spend most of their time together. Ask everyone to consider how they deal with conflict in their everyday life. There are five frequent dispute resolution behaviors:
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
Avoidance
Avoidance entails walking away and completely ignoring the dispute, doing nothing that may be viewed as upsetting the balance. This gives the individual a sense of safety but does not fix the problem. If the condition is not handled, it may worsen.
In a team situation, one individual may take the slack for a coworker who avoids conflict, resulting in irritation and resentment. If everyone in the team has an avoidance technique, productivity suffers when a problem develops because no one is willing to step up.
Someone who prefers this conflict resolution technique is more likely to accept another person's preferences since they would rather agree with someone to settle the problem. However, their needs are not addressed this way, which might lead to issues in the future.
Competition
Some see confrontation as an opportunity to win. They are not interested in compromise, cooperating, or avoiding confrontation. They demand their way and aren't scared to voice their ideas.
In a team setting, a competitive approach to disagreement can quickly lead to bullying. It might also be frustrating for coworkers who do not believe their opinions are taken seriously. As irritation grows, coworkers may resort to a competitive approach to dispute resolution, exacerbating the situation.
Compromise is the only choice for someone with this worldview to prevail; however, reaching a compromise might still result in a power struggle.
Accommodation
Team members who are not hesitant to discuss disputes may never have their expectations met. Instead, they go to great lengths to meet the other person's needs and resolve disagreements.
An accommodating dispute resolution strategy does not allow for presenting all points of view or facts. Accommodating persons are prone to suppressing or minimizing their dissatisfaction. This can lead to irritation over time, as forceful coworkers expect to constantly get their way.
To foster teamwork, accommodating persons should be encouraged to express their demands during conflict resolution sessions.
Compromise
A compromise dispute resolution technique seeks to reach a fair outcome. Everyone works collaboratively; therefore, no one has total control—instead, every collaborator sacrifices to ensure that everyone receives a tiny reward.
Compromise seems good initially, but a fair solution isn't always effective. This dispute-resolution technique remains overly focused on competition and overlooks an important point: what does each individual require? This is where teamwork comes in.
Collaboration
Collaboration increases each team member's assertiveness and collaboration skills. Everyone speaks out to express their wants, and once the complete picture is created, the team works together to do everything possible to accommodate everyone's demands.
Of course, teamwork is not always feasible, but it is something to strive for. Misunderstandings and poor communication are far too common causes of conflict. A truly collaborative environment is created when everyone on the team is ready to express their demands and assist others in meeting theirs.
More in News