Week 5-Interpersonal Conflict & Effective Collaboration

Conflict

occurs when:

• People are interdependent or work closely as a team and where one person can affect or impact the others

• perceived to be rooted in actions but in reality are caused by communication failures (verbal, non-verbal, listening)

• can be emotional, verbal, written or physical expression of differences regarding

  • wants, needs or expectations

  • between two or more individuals.

• directly impacts

  • behavior

  • decision-making

  • the ability to complete assigned tasks

• Has real economic costs 

• influenced by Culture & Gender

Common Causes of Conflict

1. Competition over needs or perceived needs.

2. Difference in methods or process understandings;

3. Personality and behavioral style

4. Communication style, tone and body language

5. Competition over resources

6. Differences of opinions

Competing (Conflict Styles)

• I Win, You Lose

• Competitors are concerned for their your own needs, little concern for others.

• Likely to be verbally aggressive and blame others.

• Example:

  • My long term-interests are more significant than those of the other

    party.

Avoiding (Conflict Styles)

• I Lose, You Lose:

• are unconcerned with their own or others’ needs.

• Avoid communication about the conflict or change topics or physically withdraw.

• Example:

  • When the long-terms interests of either party are not significant or of high value

Accommodating (Conflict Styles)

• I Lose, You Win:

• Accommodators sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others.

• Primary purpose is to maintain harmony in the relationship/team.

Collaborating (Conflict Styles)

• I Win, You Win

• address their own and the other person’s needs.

• This is the recommended approach, to listen to the perspectives of the other person

• Example:

  • When the long-term interests of the other party and mine are significant.

Compromising (Conflict Styles)

• I Win and Lose and You Win and Lose:

• Compromisers use the strategy of “give and take” where there is concern for your own needs and for the other person’s needs,

• there is a feeling of dissatisfaction as each side has had to give up something

• Example:

  • When the interest of both parties are of mid-range significance and value

Workplace disagreement

occurs between two or more individuals who perceive their needs, personalities, communication styles are incompatible.

Content Conflict (Principles of Conflict)

• centers on object/s or the person/s.

• This has to do with issues that people disagree or argue on a daily basis

Relationship Conflict (Principles of Conflict)

• centers on the meaning and the nature of the relationships.

• For e.g.

  • challenging the person in charge or questioning the allegiance of a friendship

Conflict can be Negative (Principles of Conflict)

• The conflict brews to the point that it can lead to verbal or physical fight

• complete silence or ignoring or not acknowledgement the person

Conflict can be Positive (Principles of Conflict)

interpersonal conflict forces one to examine the problem and work towards a solution.

• Common causes of workplace conflict

• The need to be right is a primary cause of conflict.

• 1) Communication problems

  2) Need to control

  3) Differences in objectives (what)

  4) Differences in methodology (how)

  5) Personality differences

  6) Educational differences

  7) Cultural, background differences

Conflict Management Strategies

• Goals:

  • Determine what you wish to achieve,

  • determine whether you are experiencing genuine conflict or is it a misunderstanding

• Analyze

  • the cause of the problem, rather than any interpretation of the problem

• Assessment of the Situation

  • Communicate what you want and prioritize your interests

  • Express your perceptions and emotions and encourage the other person to do the same

• Generate all possible solutions

• Seek options that build integrative solutions

• Do not provide options that are unacceptable to the other person

• Focus on points of agreement

• Sit side by side to suggest a sense of collaboration or partnership and

• set up an immediate action plan for implementation and follow-up

Hot Buttons

People or situations which may irritate you enough to provoke conflict by producing destructive responses.

The “hotter” the hot button, the more likely it is to produce:

Strong negative emotions

Feelings of personal provocation

Automatic and impulsive responding

Increased tension

Optimism (Effective Collaboration)

• Tendency to look at a situation positively or take a hopeful view of a situation

• Focuses on the “what” rather than on the “who”

• demonstrates concern for the relationship and people’s feelings and commitment to achieve positive outcomes

• enables collaboration and facilitates attention to the problem and not the person

Respect (Effective Collaboration)

• the building blocks to establish rapport and relationships

• Collaboration requires respect for the ideas, contributions, needs and values of others

• Healthcare workers are respected for admitting they don’t’ know rather than pretending that they do

• And for admitting they made a mistake rather than blaming others.

Trust (Effective Collaboration)

• Collaboration only happens when there is trust in a relationship

• Trust is a state of willingness to accept others on face value.

• Trust is an enabler that helps to perceive the other person’s intention to be positive or honorable

• is based on valuing other’s competence and knowledge

Acceptance (Effective Collaboration)

• acceptance of others’ individuality, work style, values, backgrounds, idiosyncrasies and philosophy of life

• An attitude of acceptance is a true expression of respect

• means not having to judge others but to accept them in their total uniqueness

• does not mean enduring inappropriate behaviors,

  • it does mean separating the behaviors of the person

  • confronting the behaviors while accepting the person

Resolution to Conflict

Both parties state the problem from their individual perspective

 Commitment to hear and not interrupt the other party

 Seek areas of agreement

 Focus on the present situation without making reference to the past

 Listen openly and without judgment

 Maintain and assume the position of positive intention

 Use straight talk, do not beat about the bush

 Discuss feelings and demonstrate a genuine desire to develop a relationship

 End with a commitment to act and follow up on the actions and behaviors agreed to

Assessment of the Situation – Don’ts

 Do not use intimidating behavior

 Do not be impatient, allow the ideas, actions and proposals to work

 Do not lose one’s temper, negative emotions are a barrier to developing a cooperative environment and creating solutions

 Do not talk too much and listen too little

 Do not argue, instead use influencing strategies

 Do not alienate yourself, demonstrate that you are the bigger person