Trainism

Conflict management was one of my favorite subjects in MBA. I loved solving  & presenting case studies related to conflict. I have always believed that conflicts are positive & play a pivotal role in the growth of any relationship. Conflict in-itself is neither good nor bad. It depends how is the conflict handled. If it is handled effectively it becomes an opportunity else it becomes a danger. Conflict resolution has a direct relationship with the ATTITUDE of a person. If the attitude of a person is right then conflict becomes constructive & if the attitude is not right it becomes destructive.

Conflict is a part of our daily life and should be accepted by all.  It can be small or big, personal or professional, within you or with some-other, within the Country or spread Internationally. Conflict in business is inevitable. Whenever their is a clash in the needs & wants of individuals within an organization it leads to incompatibility and gives rise to conflict.

Conflict can be defined as the disconnect between two sets of ideas, goals within yourself
or with in two or more parties. Common reasons for conflict could be wrong perceptions, trust, different goals, lack of adequate resources and most commonly incorrect communication.

Types of Conflict:

1.Intrapersonal Conflict: Conflict that occurs within an individual. This conflict occurs when when their is a conflict in the persons heart & mind. For example a person is not able to make decisions.

• Fight – Fight conflict: When you have to choose from 2 different options.
• Fight - Flight conflict: When a the persons gut either says fight the situation or flight from it.
• Flight – Flight conflict: When a person has to choose from two negative situations.
• Role conflict: When a person has to perform two or more roles that are contradicting to his  thoughts. This can also include role overload & under-load in a specific working environment. Maximum attrition happens due to role conflict. Either the expectations from the employee are too many or the kind of work offered is too petty. Most of the times employees might now be able to openly express their feelings to their reporting manager. However, their disconnect might just come out in the form of withdrawal from work & avoidance leading to strong disconnect between the values & strategies of the employees & managers.

2. Interpersonal Conflict : Conflict among two or more individuals. This could also include

• Intragroup Conflict : Conflict within the same group. (Example: Between members of the same cricket team).
• Intergroup Conflict : Conflict between two or more groups.(Example: Between members of different cricket team).

Now that we understand what is conflict. It is equally important to know why it should be resolved.

• In-order to lead a energized team.
• Equal opportunity for all.
• Enhances open door policy.
• Team bonding & improving team spirit.
• Enhancement of ownership & accountability.
• Low attrition & improving quality of work.

Let’s go a step further and identify HOW should we handle it or resolve it:

• Prepare yourself: Try to see what is the whole situation from a birds eye. collect all facts & figures, pros & cons. Try to have more that two alternatives.
• Disconnect & Depersonalize: It is very important that you don’t assume that people, managers or peers are trying to attack you personally.
• Be Assertive : At any point in time don’t just give in. Be professional in your approach. Do not let past experiences overshadow what you say.
• Never play blame game: Try not to attack your counter part wither with you unprofessional verbal, written or wrong body gestures.
• Talk about Solutions: The right approach would always be to talk about alternatives, solutions, a win- win situation till the end.

It is true that conflicts will always arise, maybe more in a dynamic environment, but it is also true that they can be resolved & handled properly, provided one is willing to resolve it.