AMERICAN FEDERATION FOR MEDICAL RESEARCHCAREER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

PRODUCTIVE TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH: TOOLS FOR CONNECTING RESEARCH CULTURES

AND MANAGING CONFLICT

PRESENTER: CATHERINE MORRISON, JDcmorrison@jhu.edu

Tools for Productively Managing Conflict

Learning Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts of conflict management

• Apply that understanding to assess and manage two-party and multi-party conflicts

• Apply successful communication strategies to increase effectiveness in conflict conversations

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What awaits you in your workplace?

Change

Diversity

Differences of opinion

High stakes

Deadlines

Competition

Diminishing resources

Power dynamics

High levels of internal and external regulation

Uncertainty

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In other words, a recipe for conflict.

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Conflict Management Skill Set

Conflict Handling Skills

Diagnosis

Awareness

Sending

Receiving

Garmston, R.J. (Summer 2005). “Group Wise: How to turn conflict into an effective learning process.” JSD, 26(3), p.65.

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DIAGNOSIS: The Conflict Management Spectrum

Response to Conflict

Process Process Control

Decision-making Control

Intervention Level

Ignore it Inaction None None Watchful waiting

Talk about it Negotiation Parties Parties Primary

Mediate it Mediation Mediator Parties Tertiary

Take it to a higher

authority

Arbitration

Adjudication

Arbitrator

Hearing Officer

or Judge

Arbitrator

Judgeor

Jury

Quaternary

Quaternary

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AWARENESS:What is cognitive conflict?

Disagreement about ideas and approaches

Issue focused, not personal

Characteristic of high performing groups

Amason, A.C., Thompson, K.R., Hochwarter, W.A., & Harrison, A.W. (1995, Autumn). “Conflict: An Important Dimension in Successful Management Teams.” Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 22-23.

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Cognitive Conflict Characteristics

Open, problem-focused discussion

Test ideas and assumptions

Consider and reconcile differences

True collective decision-making

Ibid.

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AWARENESS:What is affective conflict?

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Personal antagonism fueled by differences of opinion

Destructive to group performance and cohesion

Ibid., 24.

Affective Conflict Characteristics

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Shifts focus from ideas to the person

Undermines discussion

Fosters defensiveness

Limits participation in decision-making

Ibid., 25-26.

How to keep conflict cognitive? Use a problem-solving approach

1. Make the approach

2. Share perspectives

3. Build understanding

4. Agree on solutions

5. Plan next steps

Mediation Services. (2003). Foundational concepts for understanding conflict. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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SENDING:1. Make the approach

Reflect before you begin

Invite the other party to a conversation

Be clear about your intentions

State your goal - a positive resolution

Ibid.

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RECEIVING:2. Share perspectives

Ask for the other person’s perspective

Paraphrase what you hear

Acknowledge your contribution

Describe your perspective

Ibid.

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Understand why your views differ

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(Read from bottom to top)

I take actionI adopt beliefsI draw conclusionsI add meaningI select dataObservable dataClark, W. (October 17, 2005). People Whose Ideas Influence

Organisational Work - Chris Argyris. In Organisations@Onepine. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from http://www.onepine.info/pargy.htm

Separate intent from impact

Public Sphere

Private Sphere

Aware of my intent,unaware of theirs

Aware of others impact on me,unaware of my impact on them

ACTION INTENT

IMPACT

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Name the issues

Identify issues for each party

Use concise neutral language

Avoid pronouns

Use issues to create the agenda

Foundational Concepts for Understanding Conflict.

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3. Build understanding

Discuss one issue at a time

Clarify assumptions

Explore interests and feelings

Ibid.

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Explore options

Brainstorm

Agree on ground rules

Summarize interests, then ask for ideas

Ibid.

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4. Agree on solutions

Reality test – Is this doable?

Durability test – Is this durable?

Interest test – Does this meet all parties’ interests?

Ibid.

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5. Plan next steps

Jointly create action plan

What needs to happen?

Who needs to do what? By when?

How will interaction occur?

Ibid.

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Sources andRecommended Reading

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Sources

Amason, A.C., Thompson, K.R., Hochwarter, W.A., & Harrison, A.W. (1995, Autumn). “Conflict: An Important Dimension in Successful Management Teams.” Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 22-23.

Clark, W. (October 17, 2005). People Whose Ideas Influence Organisational Work - Chris Argyris. In Organisations@Onepine. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from http://www.onepine.info/pargy.htm

Garmston, R.J. (Summer 2005). “Group Wise: How to turn conflict into an effective learning process.” JSD, 26(3), p.65.

Mediation Services. (2003). Foundational concepts for understanding conflict. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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Recommended Reading

Eisenhardt, K., Kahwajy, L., & Bourgeois, L. J. (1997, July-August). How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight. Harvard Business Review, pp. 77-85.

Robinson, R. J. (1997, February 6). Errors in Social Judgment: Implications for negotiation and Conflict Resolution. Harvard Business School Publishing, Case Note 897103, pp. 1-7.

Sussman, L. (1999, January 15). How to Frame a Message: The Art of Persuasion and Negotiation. Business Horizons, pp. 2-6.

Tannen, D. (1995, September-October). The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why. Harvard Business Review, pp. 138-148.

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