This document outlines a training program on conflict management. It discusses defining conflict, functional and dysfunctional conflict, causes of conflict, and indicators of conflict. It describes optimal levels of conflict and the advantages. Five conflict resolution styles are presented: competing, avoiding, compromising, accommodating, and collaborating. A four-step conflict resolution process is outlined involving identifying issues, developing strategies, applying strategies, and following up. Guidance is provided on dealing with anger and proactively managing conflict.

1. MPUMALANGA DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR
CHARLES COTTER
9-10 SEPTEMBER 2014

2. TRAINING PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
• Defining the fundamental concepts
• Optimal levels of conflict
• The manager’s roles and responsibilities as a conflict manager
• The five (5) distinctive conflict resolution styles
 Characteristics
 Suitability and appropriateness
• Applying the 4-step conflict resolution process
• Proactively managing conflict
• Dealing effectively with anger

3. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT
• Defining conflict
• Differentiating between functional and
dysfunctional conflict
• Identifying the causes/sources of conflict
• Indicators/warning signals of conflict

4. FUNCTIONAL AND DYSFUNCTIONAL
CONFLICT
• Functional conflict leads to open discussion, a better
understanding of differences, innovative solutions and
greater commitment.
• Functional conflict contributes to the achievement of
organizational goals and enhances relationship-building.
• Dysfunctional conflict tends be more focused on emotions
than on the goal/task at hand known as affect
conflict/interpersonal conflict, it is destructive when a
solution is not reached, energy is diverted away from the
core problem and morale is negatively affected.
• Dysfunctional conflict is detrimental to relationships within
the team and team performance.

6. CAUSES/SOURCES OF CONFLICT
• Intra-personal
• Interpersonal
• Intra-group
• Inter-group

7. INDICATORS/WARNING SIGNS OF
CONFLICT
• Signs of conflict between individuals
• Signs of conflict between groups of people

8. OPTIMAL LEVELS OF CONFLICT

9. ADVANTAGES OF OPTIMAL LEVELS OF
CONFLICT
• Co-operation from team members
• Improved performance and productivity
• Reduced stress and preserved integrity
• Solve problems as quickly as possible
• Improved relationships and teamwork
• Enhanced creativity
• Increased staff morale

10. MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES
• Conflict Manager
• Coach
• Liaison
• Trouble-shooter

11. CONFLICT MANAGER
• Key responsibilities include:
Helping to identify the sources of conflict
Identifying the resolution options available
Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of
each resolution option

12. CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLES
• Shark (Competing)
• Turtle (Avoiding)
• Fox (Compromising)
• Teddy-bear (Accommodating)
• Owl (Collaborating)

13. CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLES

14. SHARK CHARACTERISTICS
• Sharks use a forcing or competing conflict management style
• Sharks are highly goal-oriented
• Relationships take on a lower priority
• Sharks do not hesitate to use aggressive behaviour to resolve conflicts
• Sharks can be autocratic, authoritative, and uncooperative; threatening and
intimidating
• Sharks have a need to win; therefore others must lose, creating win-lose
situations
• Advantage: If the shark's decision is correct, a better decision without
compromise can result
• Disadvantage: May breed hostility and resentment toward the person using it

15. TURTLE CHARACTERISTICS
• Turtles adopt an avoiding or withdrawing conflict management
style
• Turtles would rather hide and ignore conflict than resolve it; this
leads them uncooperative and unassertive
• Turtles tend to give up personal goals and display passive
behaviour creating lose-lose situations
• Advantage: may help to maintain relationships that would be hurt
by conflict resolution
• Disadvantage: Conflicts remain unresolved, overuse of the style
leads to others walking over them

16. FOX CHARACTERISTICS
• Foxes use a compromising conflict management style; concern is
for goals and relationships
• Foxes are willing to sacrifice some of their goals while persuading
others to give up part of theirs
• Compromise is assertive and cooperative-result is either win-lose
or lose-lose
• Advantage: relationships are maintained and conflicts are
removed
• Disadvantage: compromise may create less than ideal outcome
and game playing can result

17. TEDDY-BEAR CHARACTERISTICS
• Teddy bears use a smoothing or accommodating conflict
management style with emphasis on human relationships
• Teddy bears ignore their own goals and resolve conflict by giving
into others; unassertive and cooperative creating a win-lose (bear
is loser) situation
• Advantage: Accommodating maintains relationships
• Disadvantage: Giving in may not be productive, bear may be taken
advantage of

18. OWL CHARACTERISTICS
• Owls use a collaborating or problem confronting conflict
management style valuing their goals and relationships
• Owls view conflicts as problems to be solved finding solutions
agreeable to all sides (win-win)
• Advantage: both sides get what they want and negative feelings
eliminated
• Disadvantage: takes a great deal of time and effort

20. THE 4-STEP CONFLICT RESOLUTION
PROCESS – THERAPEUTIC MODEL
• Step 1: Identify sources of potential and actual conflict
(DIAGNOSIS)
• Step 2: Develop conflict resolution strategies/techniques
(EXAMINATION)
• Step 3: Apply conflict resolution strategies/techniques (REMEDY)
• Step 4: Control and review the effectiveness of the conflict
resolution strategy/technique (FOLLOW-UP)

21. STEP 1: DIAGNOSIS
• Identify the sources/causes of conflict:
Intra-personal
Interpersonal
Intra-group or Inter-group
• The best approach to manage conflict
effectively is to be proactive.

22. STEP 2: EXAMINATION
• Develop conflict resolution strategies/techniques:
 Shark (Competing)
 Turtle (Avoiding)
 Fox (Compromising)
 Teddy-bear (Accommodating)
 Owl (Collaborating)
• There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It is dependent on the
current situation as well as the team members involved in the conflict.
• The golden rule is that managers should take prompt action in resolving
conflict.
• By failing to act, it may result in the conflict escalating beyond control and
“spreading like a cancer” negatively affecting team performance and
relationships.

23. STEP 3: REMEDY
• Apply conflict resolution strategies/techniques
• The key is to match strategies to situations.
• Influential considerations:
Time pressure
Issue importance
Relationship importance
Relative power

24. SUITABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS:
SHARK
• When conflict involves personal differences that are difficult to change
• When fostering intimate or supportive relationships is not critical
• When others are likely to take advantage of non-competitive behaviour
• When conflict resolution is urgent; when decision is vital and when in a
crisis
• When unpopular decisions need to be implemented
• Use when you have a very strong conviction about your position
• If time is precious and if you have enough power to impose your will

25. SUITABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS:
TURTLE
• When the stakes are not high or issue is trivial
• When confrontation will hurt a working relationship
• When there is little chance of satisfying your wants
• When disruption outweighs benefit of conflict resolution
• When gathering information is more important than an immediate
decision
• When others can more effectively resolve the conflict
• When time constraints demand a delay
• Use it when it simply is not worth the effort to argue

26. SUITABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS:
FOX
• When important/complex issues leave no clear or
simple solutions
• When all conflicting people are equal in power
and have strong interests in different solutions
• When there are no time restraints
• Use when the goal is to get past the issue and
move on

27. SUITABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS:
TEDDY-BEAR
• When maintaining the relationship outweighs other
considerations
• When suggestions/changes are not important to the
accommodator
• When minimizing losses in situations where outmatched or losing
• When time is limited or when harmony and stability are valued
• Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in
situations when you know that you will have another more useful
approach in the very near future

28. SUITABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS:
OWL
• When maintaining relationships is important
• When time is not a concern
• When peer conflict is involved
• When trying to gain commitment through consensus building
• When learning and trying to merge differing perspectives
• Use when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible
by using mutual resources. This approach sometimes raises new
mutual needs.
• Use when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment

29. STEP 4: FOLLOW-UP
• Managers will need to confirm whether this technique
has adequately resolved the conflict.
• In the event that this dysfunctional conflict persists,
managers may have to resort to alternative (third
party) strategies:
Mediation
Counseling
Organizational development (OD) interventions

30. PRO-ACTIVELY MINIMIZING CONFLICT
• Referring (to expert staff)
• Informing
Performance expectations
Changes to organizational policy and operations
• Consulting with team members
• Employee Engagement

31. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT GUIDING
PRINCIPLES – TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

33. DEALING WITH ANGER
• To effectively defuse anger, keep in mind the
needs of the angry speaker:
• To vent
• To get the listener's attention
• To be heard
• To be understood

34. DEALING WITH ANGER
• When you're listening to an angry person,
apply the following constructive behaviour:
• Be attentive and patient
• Be sincere
• Be calm

35. CONCLUSION
• Key points
• Summary
• Questions

36. CONTACT DETAILS
• Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: Charles_Cotter