2. CONFLICTS ARE PART OF
LIFE AND ARE INEVITABLE.
WE SHOULD NOT AVOID
THEM. SOMETIMES EVEN
CONFLICTS CAN BE HELPFUL
TO IDENTIFY SCENARIOS
THAT WE DID NOT
ANTICIPATE IN THE
BEGINNING. AS BUSINESS
ANALYSTS, WE SHOULD
HAVE SOME TECHNIQUES IN
OUR ARMOR WHICH WOULD
HELP US TO RESOLVE
CONFLICTS.
Why
Manage
Conflict
s?
7. EMOTIONS
ARE VITAL
DURING
CONFLICT
MANAGEME
NT
Emotions play strong role
during conflicts.
Negative emotions cause
intense and even irrational
behavior leading to a break
down.
Appoint a facilitator to keep
tab on emotions
If emotions run high, allow a
cool-off period
10. CONFLICT STYLES GOALS
Competing: Goal is to win.
Accommodating: Goal is to yield.
Avoiding: Goal is to delay.
Compromising: Goal is to find a middle
ground.
Collaborating: Goal is to ensure parity
of goals.
11. CONFLICT STYLES-
COMPETING
Quick, decisive action is vital-e.g.,
emergencies
Unpopular courses of action need
implementing-e.g., cost cutting, enforcing
unpopular rules, discipline
When you know you're right
To protect against people who take advantage
of noncompetitive behavior.
12. CONFLICT STYLES –
ACCOMMODATING
The issue is much more important to the other
person than to you, As a goodwill gesture to
help maintain a relationship;
To build up social credits for later issues which
are important to you;
Continued competition would only damage
your cause-when you are outmatched and
losing.
Preserving harmony and avoiding disruption
are especially important. This is courting
behavior.
You realize that you are wrong. To allow a
better position to be heard, to learn from
others, and to show that you are reasonable.
13. CONFLICT STYLES –
AVOIDING
An issue is trivial, or when other more
important issues are pressing.
You perceive no chance of satisfying your
concerns-e.g., when you have low power, or
you are frustrated by something which would
be very difficult to change
The potential damage of confronting a conflict
outweighs the benefits of its resolution.
Gathering more information outweighs the
advantages of an immediate decision.
To let people cool-down. To reduce tensions
to a productive level and to regain perspective
and composure.
14. CONFLICT STYLES –
COMPROMISING
Goals are moderately important, but not worth
the effort or potential disruption of more
assertive modes.
Each side has equal power, and both are
strongly committed to mutually exclusive
goals-are in labor-management bargaining.
To achieve temporary settlements to complex
issues.
To arrive an expedient solution under time
pressure.
As a backup mode when collaboration or
competition fails to be successful.
15. CONFLICT STYLES –
COLLABORATING
To find an integrative solution.
Your objective is to learn-e.g., test your own
assumptions, understand the views of others.
To merge insights from people with different
perspectives on a problem.
To gain commitment by incorporating other's
concerns into a consensual decision.
To work through hard feelings which have
been interfering with an interpersonal
relationship.
19. RATIONALE INVESTIGATION
Often stakeholders state something as their
need.
The real need can be quite different from the
stated need.
Investigate the rationale behind the conflict.
Use this information to resolve the conflict.
20. DISCUSSION
Make all conflicting parties discuss and negotiate a
solution to the conflict.
Encourage conflicting parties to exchange information,
arguments, and opinions.
Try to convince one another of each other’s viewpoints
in order to reach an agreeable solution.
21. COMPROMISE
Encourage conflicting parties to find a compromise
between alternative solutions.
In contrast to an agreement, a compromise consists of
an amalgamation of different parts of alternative
solutions.
Also, a compromise can mean that all alternative
solutions as proposed so far are discarded and entirely
new solutions are creatively developed.
22. VOTING
Conduct voting among all conflict parties on solution
alternatives.
Present alternatives up for voting to all relevant
stakeholders.
Each stakeholder casts her vote for an alternative and
the alternative with the most votes is accepted as the
resolution for the conflict.
23. DEFINITION OF VARIANTS
Find a way to develop the system in a way that permits
variants/alternatives.
This way, the system can satisfy the different interests
of stakeholders.
This is indeed a great method that can be considered
a win-win.
24. EXPERT OPINION / MEDIATION
Allow an external expert to choose the right option.
Ensure the expert is unbiased with respect to the
decision.
25. DECISION MATRIX
Create a table that contains solution alternatives in
columns and all relevant decision criteria in rows.
Provide weight to evaluation criteria. Multiply weight
with alternative performance rating.
Calculate sums of columns in order to find a solution.
Accept solution alternative with the highest score.
26. OVERRULING
If all other methods fail, request the sponsor to
decide.
This technique is only advisable if other resolution
techniques have failed or are not applicable due to
limitations of resources (e.g., time).
27. RESOURCE
S
National Institute of
Advanced Conflict
Resolution
http://www.niacr.org/
Art of Facilitation, by Dale
Hunter
Thomas/Kilmann Conflict
Style Instrument
http://www.kilmanndiagnosti
cs.com/catalog/thomas-
kilmann-conflict-mode-
instrument
Competing - need to satisfy own needs high, need to satisfy other's needs low;
Accommodating - need to satisfy own needs low, need to satisfy other's needs high;
Avoiding - need to satisfy own needs low, need to satisfy other's needs low;
Compromising - need to satisfy own needs about 50%, need to satisfy other's needs about 50%. This is the split the difference approach.
Collaborating - need to satisfy own needs high, need to satisfy other's needs high.
Competing - need to satisfy own needs high, need to satisfy other's needs low;
Accommodating - need to satisfy own needs low, need to satisfy other's needs high;
Avoiding - need to satisfy own needs low, need to satisfy other's needs low;
Compromising - need to satisfy own needs about 50%, need to satisfy other's needs about 50%. This is the split the difference approach.
Collaborating - need to satisfy own needs high, need to satisfy other's needs high.