Dealing With Conflict

Dealing with Conflict Eunson, Baden. 1997. The Communication Skills Series Dealing with Conflict. Sydney, Australia: Jacaranda Wiley Limited.

Workshop Objectives
Become more aware of the signs of conflict.
Recognize the impact conflict has on participatory decision-making.
Recognize and accept responsibility to handle conflicts when they occur.
Learn an approach to conflict resolution

Misconceptions about Conflict
Misconception #1
Conflict is inherently bad and unhealthy.

Misconception #2
Conflict doesn’t occur that often in a stakeholder consultation session.

Misconception #3
Conflict is always a matter of right vs. wrong.

Misconception #4
Conflicts are always a result of clashing personalities.

Misconception #5
Conflict is only prevalent in crisis situations.

Misconception #6
Most conflicts resolve themselves over time.

Misconception #7
People usually know when they’ve disturbed someone else.

Misconception #8
Conflicts only impact the disputing parties.

Misconception #9
Conflicts continue mostly because of stubbornness and a lack of caring.

Misconception #10
Dealing with conflict is not the facilitator’s responsibility.

Eunson, Baden. 1997. The Communication Skills Series: Dealing with Conflict. Sydney, Australia: Jacaranda Wiley Limited.

One View of Conflict
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.
~Max Lucado, theologian

Avoiding … doesn’t deal with the issue

Accommodating … just smoothes things over

Competing … divides groups and creates win/lose

Compromising … helps find the middle ground

Collaborating …
helps people to work together to find best solution for everyone

Usage of Approaches Avoiding Accommodating Competing Compromising Collaborating 10% of situations 5% of situations 0% of situations 20% of situations 65% of situations

Beware of the Iceberg! Conflict
Mistrust
Previous Experiences
Attitudes
Assumptions
etc.

Dealing with Conflict
Effectively diagnosing a conflict:
- determining the root causes
Taking action to manage the conflict based on the diagnosis

Circle of Conflict

Negative experiences in the past
Stereotypes
Poor or failed communication
Repetitive negative behavior
Relationships Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis

Factors unrelated to substance of dispute
External Moods Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis

Limited physical resources
Unequal power
Unequal control
Structure Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis

Substantive
Psychological
Procedural
Interests Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis

Data Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis
Lack of information
Misinformation
Too much information

Belief system
Right & wrong
Good & evil
Just & unjust
Values Causes, Drivers of Conflict: Diagnosis

Interventions

Interventions
Clarify perceptions
Control emotions through procedures
Block negative behavior by changing structure
Encourage problem solving attitudes
Acknowledge the external issues
Reconvene when external issue has diminished
Clearly define roles
Establish fair decision
making process
Change time constraints
Focus on common interests
Address 3 types of interests differently
Read agreements on what data are important
Agree on process to collect data
Develop common criteria to access data
Jointly collect, jointly assess data
Allow parties to agree or disagree
Search for super-ordinate goal

The Moving Beyond Model Readiness to Resolve Anger Confusion & Distress Denial Something Ending Acceptance A New Beginning

2 Steps: How to Handle Conflict? Based on the Moving Beyond Model
Venting Emotions
… .Transition
Resolving Issues

Step 1: Venting
Slow things down
Stay totally neutral
Be assertive
Revisit the norms
Visualize with a flip chart

Listen actively
Acknowledge emotions
Do not allow dysfunctional behavior
Make interventions

Facilitator’s interventions
Gaining buy-in from all members as to the purpose and outcome of the discussion
Getting everyone’s input
Summarizing a complex set of ideas to the satisfaction of group members
Linking people’s ideas together so they feel they’re saying the same thing

Participants Behavior…
… .to encourage
Listening
Paraphrasing
Appreciating others’ ideas
Building on other’s ideas
Inviting critiques of own ideas
… .to control
Interrupting people in mid-sentences
Not acknowledging the ideas that others have put on the table
Criticizing other’s ideas as opposed to giving them useful feedback

Transition
Check whether the participants are ready to move to resolving the problems

Eunson, Baden. 1997. The Communication Skills Series: Dealing with Conflict. Sydney, Australia: Jacaranda Wiley Limited.

Transition Questions
Anything else?
Is that all?
What do you need to move
Under what conditions would
forward? you move forward?

Step 2: Resolving Issues

Participants’ Behavior ...
… .to encourage
Openness to alternative solutions
Dealing with facts
Staying calm and friendly even in the course of disagreements
… to control
Pushing own ideas, ignoring others’ inputs
Getting defensive when own ideas are analyzed
Blocking alternative suggestions
Using feelings to force a decision

Facilitating Consensus Building
Agree on clear outcome statements
Describe conditions that will show outcome has been achieved
Set time frames
Agree on action steps (what will be done & how, by whom, when, and results indicators)
Check if the group is satisfied with the consensual decision-making process and its results

Thank you

Dealing With Conflict

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Dealing With Conflict — Presentation Transcript