Conflict is present in all aspects of life, both personal and professional. And while it can wreak havoc on an organization, it doesn’t have to. When handled properly, conflict can yield many benefits–from sparking creativity to better problem solving and improved relationships. It’s a matter of understanding how and when to utilize the most appropriate strategy for managing conflict. Join us for Managing Conflict at Work: Effective Strategies for Successful Resolution, our interactive webinar where you’ll learn how to achieve the benefits of constructive conflict management. Led by Jennifer Nickisher, we’ll explore the three most typical types of conflict and the five strategies for managing it.

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MANAGING
CONFLICT AT WORK
Effective Strategies
for Successful
Resolution
Presented by Jennifer Nickisher
• Understand the five different strategies for
managing conflict
• How and when to utilize an Integrating
strategy
• The best uses for alternative strategies
• Create a conflict management development
plan
What You Will Learn Today

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U.S. employees
spend
2.8 hours
per week
dealing with
conflict.
Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/207196
Equivalent to
385 million
working days
81%
Of workers experience
conflict with others
Source: http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/the-shocking-cost-of-workplace-conflicts.html

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The typical manager spends
25–40% of time –
that’s 1-2 business days!
Source:
http://www.mindfulmediation
.com.au/how-to-recognise-
conflict-before-it-escalates
Negative Outcomes
• Climate of distrust
• Resistance to cooperation
• Increased stress
• Delayed progress
• Missed deadlines
• Poor decision-making
• Inefficient use of resources
• Loss of good employees
Conflict is Natural
and Inevitable.

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When can it be beneficial?
Dealing with Conflict
Positive Outcomes
• Climate of trust and open dialogue
• Strong team dynamic
• Commitment to the organization and greater
satisfaction
• Stimulation of interest and creativity
• Increased efficiency and productivity
• New approaches or solutions
• Long-standing problems brought out into the open
• Stretched personal capabilities
• Clarified thoughts and feelings
The situation that occurs when parties
with contrasting values, goals, or
expectations come in contact with one
another.
Definition of Conflict

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Relationship Conflict
Workflow Conflict
Three Types of Conflict

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A. Relationship Conflict
B. Task Conflict
C. Process Conflict
Which type of conflict do you
most often encounter at work?
16
Blake and Mouton’s
Conflict Grid
Five Conflict Strategies
Competing Integrating
Avoiding
Compromising
Smoothing

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Stages of a Conflict Encounter
Avoiding
Smoothing

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Competing
Compromising
Integrating

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Should
Integrating
always be your
go-to method
of conflict resolution?
When to Use the Avoiding
Strategy
When to Use the Smoothing
Strategy

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When to Use the Competing
Strategy
When to Use the
Compromising Strategy
When to Use the Integrating
Strategy

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Integrating
• Climate of trust
• Clarified thoughts and feelings
• Improved communication
• Enhanced creativity and innovation
• Increased efficiency and productivity
How Can You
Become More Adept
at Integrating?

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ACTIVITY
Creating a plan to develop your conflict handling skills.
Development Planning
Assess your conflict management
style.
Step 1
ACTIVITY
Creating a plan to develop your conflict handling skills.
Development Planning
Examine where your style works
for you and where it doesn’t.
Step 2
ACTIVITY
Creating a plan to develop your conflict handling skills.
Development Planning
Identify common conflict
encounters and think about which
conflict strategy is appropriate to
use.
Step 3

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ACTIVITY
Creating a plan to develop your conflict handling skills.
Development Planning
Determine what you will do
differently.
Step 4
ACTIVITY
Creating a plan to develop your conflict handling skills.
Development Planning
Practice.
Step 5
Conflict Situation
You and Larry are old friends. You both started working at this company right
out of school and have moved up the ranks at a relatively even rate—you in
research and he in marketing. Larry was assigned to work with your
department on a four-month project because of a recent downsizing and
restructuring of departments. You told your co-workers what a great guy Larry
is, and they had looked forward to meeting him.
After two weeks on the project, your co-workers approached you with
complaints about Larry. They claimed he was obnoxious, overbearing, and
difficult to work with. You assured them that he just comes across a little
strong, but deep down he really is a decent person and a hard worker. You
have mentioned these complaints to Larry. He feels that your co-workers are
uncooperative.
Recently, they approached you again with the same complaints, saying that
Larry hasn’t changed and in fact he is getting harder to tolerate.

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How would you handle the conflict?
Tell your co-workers that they won’t have to work with Larry after this
project is over and ask that they just try to put up with him for a little
longer.
Keep yourself out of the middle of this problem. You don’t want to damage
your friendship with Larry or hurt your working relationship with the
department.
Suggest to Larry that he should be a little more conservative in his actions
with this group. At the same time you will tell the department to be a little
more patient while Larry is adapting to the group.
Stick by your friend and tell your co-workers that you think they are being
unfair simply because he’s new. Tell them you won’t hesitate to go to your
supervisor if they aren’t more cooperative.
Schedule a meeting with Larry and the co-workers involved, in which both
parties can talk about their working relationship and discuss what behaviors
will promote more effective interaction among them.
A
B
C
D
E
Relationship Conflict
Tell your co-workers that they won’t have to work with Larry after this project is
over and ask that they just try to put up with him for a little longer.
Keep yourself out of the middle of this problem. You don’t want to damage your
friendship with Larry or hurt your working relationship with the department.
Suggest to Larry that he should be a little more conservative in his actions with this
group. At the same time you will tell the department to be a little more patient
while Larry is adapting to the group.
Stick by your friend and tell your co-workers that you think they are being unfair
simply because he’s new. Tell them you won’t hesitate to go to your supervisor if
they aren’t more cooperative.
Schedule a meeting with Larry and the co-workers involved, in which both parties
can talk about their working relationship and discuss what behaviors will promote
more effective interaction among them.
A
B
C
D
E
Smoothing
Avoiding
Compromising
Competing
Integrating
Facilitator Kit
• Step-by-step facilitator instructions
• Skill development module
• Hands-on activities
• Online or Print Self-Assessment
• Participant Workbook
• Wall Poster
• HRDQue card
• PowerPoint presentation
Enter WebinarCSI18 at checkout.
Offer expires 8/29
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Conflict Strategies Inventory