Tips for leaders facing conflict

Recognize that one size does not fit all. Using the same approach to conflict in every situation will not get the best results. Identify your preferred style but before you approach someone, determine whether it is the best approach.

Seek to understand underlying emotions. Dig beneath the surface and root out the genuine concern of others and explain your feelings. Doing so can strengthen relationships. Use “I” statements and avoid assessing blame. Invite the other person to do the same. Honest dialogue can defuse the situation.

Avoid competition:   When a win-at-any-cost attitude dominates, people might view each other as enemies and that can result in conflict among teams. Avoid dismissing and undermining the people with whom your team is in conflict. Recall the strengths you’ve noted in the past and, if necessary, bring in someone who can objectively evaluate and facilitate the discussion.

Life goes on tomorrow, but reputations last forever. Burning bridges is rarely advisable. Unloading feelings might help you in the short term, but the public nature of a major conflict creates long-lasting consequences. Take time to gather yourself. Vent with someone you trust or sleep on the situation.

Know yourself. Often we dislike in others those things that we don’t like in ourselves. Sometimes we feel frustration with people because they remind us of someone with whom we’re already angry. Ask yourself why this issue seems so important and if your emotions are appropriate to the situation. A psychometric inventory and feedback from a professional is a good way to gain self awareness.

 

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Gaining ground
Harnessing the power of workplace conflict

In partnership with OPP, LTD. in Europe and Fellipelli in Brazil, CPP, Inc.* commissioned research in 2008 to shed light on the nature of workplace conflict. For purposes of the study, conflict was defined as “any workplace disagreement that disrupts the flow of work.” The study of workers in nine countries examined the short and long-term impact of conflict on individual and company performance and the correlation between reactions and results, both positive and negative. Here are some of the findings.

According to the CPP study, nearly 85 percent of employees experience conflict to some degree. U.S. employees spend 2.8 hours a week dealing with conflict, equating to approximately $359 billion in paid hours in 2008. If workplace conflict is this pervasive, the question for management is not whether it can be avoided, but rather how it can be managed, perhaps even harnessed, toward positive ends.

When conflict is managed improperly, productivity, operational effectiveness and morale take major hits. About two-thirds of study respondents said they have avoided colleagues because of a disagreement. More than half of employees involved in a conflict reported feeling unmotivated, frustrated and angry. On the other hand, when channeled through the right tools and expertise, conflict can lead to better understanding of others, improved solutions to problems and sometimes major innovation and new ideas.

The majority of respondents to the CPP study reported they most often witness conflict between employees in entry-level/front-line positions or between managers and their reports. Half of all employees believed that personality clashes and warring egos are the primary cause of workplace conflict. More than one-third of respondents cited stress and workload as contributing factors. Respondents also noted that clashing values, issues of accountability and lack of honesty and openness are sources of conflict. Leadership quality also is a significant factor.

Managing conflict: whose job is it?

The majority of employees surveyed (62 percent) believe everyone in an organization has a role to play in managing conflict. Others believe that line managers or senior executives are responsible. More than half of employees said managers should identify and address underlying tensions early, before conflict is full blown. Respondents indicated that the single most critical activity for effective conflict management is one-to-one conversations with direct reports. They also say leaders should mediate and provide more clarity about expected behavior.

According to the study, the following tactics can help employers resolve conflicts or help keep them at bay:

  1. Be clear:  Ambiguity breeds disagreements, especially when lack of clarity is about job roles, functional teams, organizational priorities and distribution of resources.  If people don’t think they get what they deserve, let them know how a decision was made and that it applies to everyone.
  1. Train: Training is the best way to achieve positive outcomes. More than 95 percent of people receiving training as part of leadership development or through formal courses say it helped them. Training is most effective when it includes the use of psychometric instruments (e.g. Myers Briggs type Indicator®) that help employees and leaders understand individual differences.

    A majority of those who’ve had formal training from an external provider (56 percent) have seen conflict lead to better understanding of others. Another 42 percent said it resulted in better solutions. Every conflict presents opportunity for positive change. Since conversations often are the best way to work through conflict, leaders need skills and confidence to manage difficult conversations and to give and receive feedback.   
  1. Do something:  It might seem that ignoring conflict makes it go away. That’s not the case. Organizations in which managers try to keep a lid on differences of opinion, personal style and cultural preferences often are beset with negative undercurrents. Encourage people to express differences, listen intently and be open to various opinions.
  1. Invest energy when times are tough: When the economy is difficult, cost-cutting and competition are aggressive and sales are underperforming, rising stress levels can cause friction over minor issues. In such times, it is difficult for leaders to maintain control over the quality of working life. That is when it is most important to enable everyone to contribute in a constructive manner and to encourage communication that leads to genuine discussion.
  1. Watch for tipping points:  At the front-line, most negative conflict stems from relatively few issues. This might include office space, working hours, perceived favoritism or a misunderstanding. Tune into these crunch points around which heated feelings arise. Note which individuals provoke conflict behind the scenes. They are different from the opinion leaders you need to keep informed. Toxic employees, whose intentions and actions run counter to the interests of the organizations, might need to be managed out.

* Since its founding in 1956, CPP, Inc. has been a leading publisher and provider of innovative products and services for individual and organizational development, supplying reliable training solutions to businesses of all sizes, including the Fortune 500. Its offerings have been used in more than 100 countries to help people and organizations grow and develop by improving performance and increasing understanding. Among CPP’s brands and services are CPP Services: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, Strong Interest Inventory®, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, FIROB®, CPI 260®, and California Psychological Inventory™ assessments and David-Black® Publishing.

This article is based on and excerpted with permission from CPP Global Human Capital Report July 2008, Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It To Thrive. Download the report.