Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Resolving Conflict Starts With a Little Understanding

Don't get mad at me for saying this, but you need some work.

  • Here's a bit of what's going on in regards to workplace conflict, and the issues it can create:
    An article on legal website Mediate.com reported that Fortune 500 executives spend 20% of their time dealing in litigation activities.
  • The national compensatory average for lawsuits of employment liability has crested $220,000, with 10% of suits costing over $1 Million.
  • More than 50% of Organizations report having been sued by employees…

… Not enough scary math?

  • The average manager spends between 25 and 40% of their time dealing with workplace conflicts
  • Workplace conflict issues, not skill gaps, account for between 60 and 80% of difficulty in the workplace
  • According to reports, 87% of employees have taken sick days to avoid bullying by a co-worker or supervisor

It doesn't have to be this way, does it? How do we make it better?

First – Hi, My Name is…
As with needing to improve upon anything, step one is admitting you have a problem. If you're convinced that you are firmly entrenched as the 1% of businesses that have no issue with workplace conflict than you've either completely lost touch with your organization, or you're a solo practitioner. Maybe you have your blinders on. Maybe you stand firm with a "Not Us" mentality. Maybe you're hoping to duck out of the way of a $360 BILLION dollar problem (That's just a moderate percentage, based on missed man-hours due to bullying). Burying your head in the sand won't save you. It's an issue… worldwide. And it's effecting your bottom line.

Second – Getting to Know YOU…

Everyone has a preferred conflict handling style. Maybe you tend to compete, and choose to attack conflict situations as something to be won or lost. Or you may avoid conflict, choosing instead to steer clear of any trouble until it has a chance to blow over. Some folks tend to move immediately to compromising, and will negotiate where they may be willing to soften in their stance depending on what you are willing to give up in return – while others simply accommodate those whom they are conflicting with, giving in at almost any cost in order to save relationships and move on. Or perhaps you look to collaborate, moving to the same side of the table in order to work together on an optimal solution. Chances are you're some of each, the key is knowing which to call upon.

Third – Rate the Case…
None of those styles should be used exclusively. Yes, as humans we all feel a proclivity towards one (of a few). But in truth, the most crucial step in the conflict management continuum is to take a realistic and unbiased view of the conflict situation itself. When faced with a conflict, or when mediating conflict between others, ascertain the importance of the task at hand versus the importance of the relationship to the other party. Selecting your conflict handling style keeping those factors in mind will help to de-personalize the conflict and lead to better results.

Mark Snow is the Vice President of the Performance Technology Group at HRD Press. He is a certified facilitator of the Dealing With Conflict Workshop, authored by Alexander Watson Hiam and published by HRD Press, a world leader in human resources training material. For More information on the Dealing With Conflict Trainers Kit please to go or call Mark Snow directly at 1-800-822-2801 xt 125

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