Conflict management: the essence of the process, main principles, basic methods.

business development for executives

30.11.2021

Author: Academy-of-capital.ru

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From this material you will learn:

• The essence of the conflict management process
• 5 main reasons for conflicts in an organization
• 4 types of possible conflicts
• 5 styles of behavior of parties in a conflict situation
• 5 groups of management conflict management methods
• 4 main principles of successful conflict resolution
• 7 stages of conflict management
• 5 Tips for Conflict Management
• Necessary skills for successful problem solving

Skillful conflict management in an organization allows you to avoid many problems, both personal and general. This skill does not allow the company’s work to stall, and sometimes even significantly spurs the enthusiasm of employees, that is, it serves as a kind of engine of progress.

However, all this is possible only if you understand well what exactly should be done in a particular case. That is, managers must be well versed in theory: know the basic principles of successful conflict resolution, choose methods appropriate to the situation, and have certain personal qualities.

The essence of the conflict management process

Conflict management is an activity aimed at resolving disputes and eliminating differences between parties defending different points of view. The ultimate goal of such activity is the complete resolution of the conflict, that is, the achievement of mutual agreement. Each party should come out of the situation with a feeling of satisfaction and benefit that they received for themselves.

Conflicts can have different types of functionality. These can be heated but constructive dialogues between subjects, contributing to the solution of important social problems, or destructive disputes leading to the destruction of the social system. Therefore, the dynamics of conflicts are usually regulated by subjects of social management, whose actions are determined based on their own interests.

The main goal of conflict management is to prevent destructive situations.

It is important to see the possibilities of conflict management in an organization from the point of view of internal and external positions. The internal position involves managing the behavior of the person involved in the conflict and is based on the possibility of using psychological approaches. The external position represents the organizational and technological aspect of this process, in which both the manager responsible for the implementation of the goals and the employee performing official duties are considered as subjects of management.

A conflict is a signal of a failure that arose in the communication process. Poor conflict management can make the situation worse. Therefore, it is necessary to defuse it as quickly as possible, trying to avoid mistakes and miscalculations that could cause an increase in tension.

Don't try to get involved in the conflict

Conflictology expert and author of the book “The Magic of Conflict” Thomas Cram believes that one of the key mistakes of participants in any conflict is to perceive disagreement as a kind of competition that needs to be won.

A popular managerial mistake is to try to immediately figure out which side is right and which is wrong. So you indirectly take someone’s side and begin to participate in this competition.

Instead, you should try to first extinguish the conflict itself. For example, convey to the participants that it is not necessary to perceive each other as enemies or as competitors. You can look for a compromise that will suit both sides.

Or the best option is to offer, together with the conflicting parties, to study the situation that led to the disagreement. And try to look at it more broadly, as if to find some kind of third opinion that contradicts the positions of both sides. It is unlikely that the conflict will be resolved as a result, but at the same time you will extinguish the intensity of passions in the team, direct the energy of the conflict participants in a productive direction, and at the same time you will not be involved in disagreements.

See also: How to Succeed in Business Communications

Introduction

Conflict management is a process of purposeful influence on the organization’s personnel in order to eliminate the causes of the conflict and bring the behavior of the parties to the conflict in accordance with established norms.

There are many methods of conflict management. They can be divided into several groups, each of which has its own area of ​​application:

intrapersonal;

structural;

interpersonal; conversations;

aggressive retaliation.

Intrapersonal methods influence an individual and consist in the correct organization of his own behavior, the ability to express his point of view without causing a defensive reaction on the part of his opponent. Often the method is used to convey to another person this or that attitude towards a particular subject, without accusations or demands, but so that the other person changes his attitude (the so-called “I say” method). This method allows a person to defend his position without turning the opponent into an opponent. “I-statement” is especially effective when a person is angry and dissatisfied. This allows you to express your opinion about the current situation and express fundamental points. This method is especially useful when a person wants to convey something to another, but does not want him to take it negatively and go on the attack.

The purpose of this work is to consider methods of conflict management.

Characteristic features and causes of conflicts

Modern conflictologists identify several features of any tense situation:

• polar position of the warring parties;
• opposing goals, desires and aspirations, views on resolving one issue or situation;
• disagreement in methods and means of achieving a goal of paramount importance.

The most common causes are presented below:

• the need for resources is the main factor in the formation of a conflict situation. Large companies in the world are limited by the available resource base, so employees fight for finances, materials, equipment;
• conservatism - the desire for the immutability of the state of affairs is a worthy aspiration, but not in a rapidly developing business.
• disappointment in the chosen direction;
• interdependence – high interconnection between employees is dictated by the organization of the work process of most structures. Therefore, to work effectively, it is useful to collaborate with colleagues. You will find out what rules are used to certify workplaces based on working conditions in the article at the link;
• difference in goals - with the development of the business structure, the tasks and needs of departments undergo changes. Over time, personal goals may be fulfilled to please everyone, which leads to a conflict situation;
• a significant difference in behavior, upbringing, life values ​​and principles.

Basic levels of conflicts.
Stress is formed under the influence of the following factors:

• organizational – an individual is subject to role conflict when conflicting demands are placed on an employee. Overload or low working tone;
• the labor process does not arouse interest;
• uncertainty arises when an employee does not understand what superior management expects of him;
• personal problems.

Interesting to know! The negative energy of conflict situations can be directed to the formation of fresh ideas and a creative approach to solving assigned problems.

Types and stages of conflicts

Experts distinguish two types of confrontation:

1. Functional – differences of opinion based on departure from the old, formation of the new. It arises due to the conservative views of some of the team’s employees and managers. The goal of such a conflict is to achieve better results.
2. Dysfunctional - have a destructive effect on the microclimate of the organization, the consequences of this phenomenon are a decrease in the productivity of the labor process, the quality of the services provided, and the final product.

Based on their distribution, the following types of confrontation are distinguished:

1. Interpersonal is the most common type. It manifests itself as competition between high-ranking managers for resources, a clash of life principles and characters.
2. Intragroup – the individual’s struggle with the position of the social unit. They arise due to different outlooks on life, goals and methods of achieving them.
3. Intergroup – open or closed conflict between formal/informal structures. The winner will get resources, self-affirmation in the eyes of the majority, and the opportunity to impose an opinion on the majority.
4. Intra-organizational calls on everyone to participate. They arise during the formation of a business structure, its debugging, and the formal creation of a hierarchical system. The conflict can be: horizontal (participants are employees of equal status), vertical (multi-level confrontation), role-based and linear-functional (manager versus subordinate).

Confrontation between employees arises due to high competition, differences in upbringing, and moral values. How to solve this situation without damaging the common cause? Unite both sides, direct their efforts to solve a joint problem.

The conflict between a manager and a subordinate is formed due to insufficient experience of the manager and ignorance of the employee’s job responsibilities. Refresher courses and structuring rights and work process requirements will solve the problem.

Confrontation between senior management threatens to destroy the established work process. This situation requires the intervention of a third party - the owner of the organization in question.

Structure of conflict in an organization

Confrontation does not arise overnight; it is a long process divided into several stages:

• at the initial stage, claims and favorable conditions for the emergence of a conflict are formed;
• accumulation of resources, creation of information weapons against the opponent;
• the open phase of confrontation, where accumulated claims are expressed;
• the situation is resolved by restructuring the psychological state of the parties, changing the situation outside the “combat zone”;
• intentions and expressed ideas acquire material form - this is how creative ideas and approaches are formed;
• the final stage accumulates the consequences that arise after the parties’ struggle.

Conflict resolution methods.
Each conflict has a stable set of structural elements, unchanged over time:

1. Participants in the confrontation.
2. Conditions of occurrence.
3. An item that has become a stumbling block.
4. List of actions of the parties to the conflict.
5. The result and consequences of open struggle.

Constructive intrapersonal conflict

Constructive, i.e. An optimal or productive intrapersonal conflict is a conflict in which the development of the conflicting parties occurs, and the personal costs of resolving it are minimal. Such a conflict is a mechanism for harmonizing personality, because in the process of resolving it, a person realizes himself as an individual.

One of the characteristics of personality is that it correlates with each other certain life relationships, which give rise to internal struggle. In some cases, this struggle can occur in forms that do not appear outwardly and do not have a destructive effect on a person’s personality. If a person is harmonious, this does not mean that he is not subject to internal struggle. Moreover, this struggle can become the basis of a person’s entire appearance.

Constructive internal conflict can strengthen character, form determination and psychological stability, independence; is able to establish a clear direction for the individual, create new character traits, promote adequate self-esteem, personal growth and self-knowledge.

EXAMPLE: Fighting bad habits; development of willpower; working on yourself, despite reluctance and laziness; the ability to put one’s own desires in the background for the sake of the good of another person or even one’s own, etc.

What is intrapersonal conflict?

Intrapersonal conflict is an aggravated negative experience caused by a protracted confrontation between various structures of a person’s inner world, reflecting his contradictory connections with the outside world and preventing decision-making. Also, intrapersonal conflict is characterized by the fact that it overcomes any person, and overcomes him systematically.

Intrapersonal conflict can be either constructive or destructive. In the first case, it is an integral part of personal development, and in the second, it represents a danger to a person, because causes stress and difficult experiences, and in some cases even suicide. It is for this reason that any person should know what intrapersonal conflict is, how to define it, and also be able to resolve it.

To recognize intrapersonal conflict, it is necessary to learn to identify its main indicators (symptoms), which can manifest themselves in various areas of personal manifestation.

How does personality conflict manifest itself?

Psychological science identifies four main types of indicators of intrapersonal conflict. They relate to the emotional sphere, cognitive sphere, behavioral sphere, and the fourth type is integral indicators:

• Emotional sphere. In the emotional sphere, intrapersonal conflict manifests itself through serious negative experiences and psycho-emotional stress.

EXAMPLE: Depression, stress, apathy, loss of interest in life, etc.

• Cognitive sphere. In the cognitive sphere, intrapersonal conflict manifests itself through disturbances in a person’s perception of himself.

EXAMPLE: Decreased self-esteem, difficulties in choosing and making decisions, doubts about one’s motives, aspirations and principles, inconsistency of one’s own image, etc.

• Behavioral area. In the behavioral sphere, intrapersonal conflict manifests itself through negative changes in human behavior.

EXAMPLE: Negative background of communication, decreased productivity and quality of activity, dissatisfaction with one’s own activities, etc.

• Integral indicators. Complex disorders in the human psyche.

EXAMPLE: Increased emotional and psychological stress, disturbances in the adaptation mechanism, long-term disturbances in a person’s ability to adapt to circumstances, etc.

But, in addition to the fact that intrapersonal conflict can manifest itself in different areas (and even in several at once), it itself is also divided into several types, which significantly complicate both its definition and the development of ways to resolve it. Let's look at them in more detail.

Learn to participate in conflicts

A manager is not always an arbiter or administrator in the conflicts of his subordinates; sometimes he has to act as an actor. To effectively participate in conflicts, learn to act according to a given algorithm and maintain composure. Use advice from the American Management Association:

• Start by identifying the root cause of the conflict. It is important to understand that your subordinates may voice some complaints, but in reality worry about something else. Moreover, this will not necessarily be manipulation - sometimes people themselves, out of emotion, cannot figure out what outrages them.
• Determine what is important to you in the conflict. If it's a dispute, consider the consequences of losing it. If there are complaints, think about what will happen if you respond to them. What happens if you simply ignore your opponent’s words? Questions like these, asked to yourself, will help you focus on the rational perception of information and remove emotions.
• Find out why the other party is in conflict. What does he want to achieve through disagreement?
• Assess the situation in which you are in conflict. What is happening now, do you have enough arguments for conversation? What state are you in: angry, calm, don’t you care? Maybe you should take a break because your opponent is too emotional?
• Conduct the dialogue professionally. Avoid generalizations and statements like “always” and “never.”
• Develop your conflict management strategy. Find out more about your opponent in terms of his personality and behavior. Think about how your dialogue should be structured. Make sure you are focused on action and not on emotions.
• Formulate the desired outcome and possible compromises. Decide for yourself what you can tolerate and what you definitely disagree with.

Having worked out all the nuances, start a conversation and keep your emotions under control, analyze your opponent’s state and move towards your goal. A similar conflict management algorithm should be used in a situation where you act as a conflict moderator.

Interpersonal methods (leadership styles)

Interpersonal methods of conflict management are methods in which at least two parties participate, and each party chooses a form of behavior to protect its interests, taking into account further possible interaction with the opponent. K.V. Thomas and R.H. Kilmann developed the basic most acceptable strategies for behavior in a conflict situation. They note that there are five basic styles of behavior in conflict: Adaptation, compromise, cooperation, avoidance, competition or rivalry. The style of behavior in a given conflict, they note, is determined by the extent to which a person seeks to satisfy his own interests, acting passively or actively, and the interests of the other party, acting jointly or individually.

Here are recommendations for the most appropriate use of a particular style, depending on the situation and the nature of the person’s personality.

The style of competition and rivalry can be used by a person who has a strong will, sufficient authority, power, is not very interested in cooperation with the other party and primarily strives to satisfy his own interests. It can be used when:

• the outcome of the conflict is very important to you, and you strongly rely on your own solution to the problem;
• You have great power and authority, and you are clear that your decision is the best;
• you feel like you have no other choice and nothing to lose;
• You have to make an unpopular decision and you have the authority to make it;
• You interact with subordinates who prefer an authoritarian style.

Please note, however, that this style should not be used in close personal relationships, as it will cause nothing but feelings of alienation. It would also be inappropriate to use it in a situation where you do not have enough power and your point of view on an issue differs from the leader's.

The collaborative style can be used when you need to consider the needs and desires of the other party in order to advance your own interests. This style is the most difficult because it requires longer work. The purpose of using it is to develop a long-term, mutually beneficial solution. This style requires the ability to explain your desires, listen to each other and control your emotions. If any of these factors are missing, the style is ineffective. To resolve conflict, this style can be used in the following situations:

• You need to find a common solution when each approach to the problem is important and does not allow for compromise solutions;
• you have a long-term, strong, interdependent relationship with the other party;
• the main goal is to gain experience working together;
• the parties know how to listen to each other and formulate their interests;
• Integration of viewpoints and strengthening of personal commitment are necessary.

Compromise style. Its essence lies in the fact that the parties try to resolve disagreements through mutual concessions. In this respect, it is somewhat similar to the collaborative style, but occurs on a more superficial level, where the parties concede something to each other. This style is most effective when both parties want the same thing but know it won't be possible at the same time. For example, the desire to get the same position or the same place to work. In this style, the emphasis is not on a solution that satisfies both parties, but on an option that can be expressed as follows: “We cannot fully satisfy our desires, so we need to come to a solution that each of us can agree on.”

The avoidance style is usually used when the problem is not that important to you, you do not stand up for your rights, do not collaborate with anyone to come up with a solution, and do not want to spend time and effort on solving the problem. This style is also recommended when one party has more power or feels it is wrong or there is no good reason to continue the contact.

Do not think that this style is an evasion of the problem or an evasion of responsibility. In fact, the appropriate response to a conflict situation may be to leave it or put it off, since it may resolve itself in the meantime, or you can deal with it later when you have enough information and desire to resolve it.

An accommodating style means that you act in harmony with the other party, but do not try to impose your interests, in order to smooth the situation and restore a normal working atmosphere. Thomas and Kilmann believe that this style is most effective when the outcome of the case is extremely important to the other party and not very important to you, or when you are sacrificing your own interests for the benefit of the other party.

Just as no one leadership style can be effective in all situations without exception, none of the discussed conflict resolution styles can be singled out as the best. We must learn to use each of them effectively and make informed decisions based on current circumstances.