conflict (1)

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Understanding Conflict and Conflict Management

http://www.foundationcoalition.org/teams

Definition

A team is a small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, a

approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.1 Although student teams may not satisfy all the reuirements of

definition, the degree to which they do often determines their effectiveness.

Rationale

!"tudents do not come to school with all the social skills they need to collaborate effectively with others. #herefore, teachers need to teach t

appropriate communication, leadership, trust, decision making, and conflict management skills to students and provide the motivation to use the

skills in order for groups to function effectively.!$ %aculty must take responsibility to help students develop their skills to participate on and lead team

Introduction"tudents bring different ideas, goals, values, beliefs and needs to theirteams and these differences are a primary strength of teams. #hese same

differences inevitably lead to conflict, even if the level of conflict is low."ince conflict is inevitable, one of the ways in which faculty members canhelp students improve their abilities to function on multidisciplinary teamsis to work with them to develop their understanding of conflict and their

capabilities to manage and resolve conflict. #o this end, this documentaddresses the following uestions:

1•&hat is conflict and conflict management'

2•&hy learn more about conflict and conflict management'

3•(ow do people respond to conflict'

4•&hat modes do people use to address conflict'

5•&hat factors can affect our conflict modes'

6•(ow might you select your conflict management style'

7•(ow might you apply this information'

What is conflict and conflict management?

Conflict may be defined as a struggle or contest between people withopposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values, or goals. Conflict on teams is

inevitable) however, the results of conflict are not predetermined. Conflictmight escalate and lead to nonproductive results, or conflict can bebeneficially resolved and lead to uality final products. #herefore, learningto manage conflict is integral to a high*performance team. Although veryfew people go looking for conflict, more often than not, conflict resultsbecause of miscommunication between people with regard to their needs,ideas, beliefs, goals, or values. Conflict management is the principle thatall conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manageconflicts can decrease the odds of nonproductive escalation. Conflictmanagement involves acuiring skills related to conflict resolution, self*awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, andestablishing a structure for management of conflict in your environment.

Why learn more about

conflict and conflictmanagement?+istening, oral communication,interpersonal communication,and teamwork rank near the topof skills that employers seek in

their new hires. &hen you

learn to effectivel y manage andresolve conflicts with others,then more opportunities forsuccessful team membershipsare available to you.

-f we can learn to manage thishighly probable event calledconflict we average f ive

conflicts per day,0 then we are

less apt to practice destructivebehaviors that will negativelyimpact our team. Althoughconflict may be misunderstoodand unappreciated, researchshows that unresolved conflictcan lead to aggression. Most ofus use conflict skills that weobserved growing up, unless

we have made a consciouseffort to change our conflictmanagement style. "ome of usobserved good conflictmanagement, while othersobserved faulty conflictmanagement. Most of us haveseveral reasons to improve ourconflict*management skills.

%aculty members should help

students develop their conflict

management skills. Most

people do not resolve conflicts

because they either have a fa

skill set and/or because theynot know the organi1ation2s po

on conflict management. All te

members need to know tconflict styles, conflict interven

methods, and strategies

conflict skill improvement.

How do people respondconflict? Fight or flight?

3hysiologically we respond conflict in one of two ways4

want to 5get away from conflict6 or we are ready to 5ton anyone who comes our wa

#hink for a moment about wyou are in conflict. 7o you wanleave or do you want to fight wa conflict presents itself' 8eit

physiological response is goodbad4it2s personal response. &is important to learn, regardlesour initial physiological respoto conflict, is that we sho

intentionally choose our respo

to conflict.

&hether we feel like we wan

fight or flee when a conflict aris

we can deliberately choose

conflict mode. 9y consciou

choosing a conflict mode inst

of to conflict, we are more likel

productively contribute to solv

the problem at hand. 9elow

five conflict response modes t

can be used in conflict.

What modes do people use to address conflict?All people can benefit, both personally and professionally

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*conflict management skills. #ypically we respond to conflict by using one of

five modes:

• Competing • Avoiding • Accommodating

• Compromising • Collaborating

;ach of these modes can be characteri1ed by two scales: assertiveness and

cooperation. 8one of these modes is wrong to use, but there are right and wrong times to use each. #he following sections describe the five modes. #he

information may help each team member to characteri1e her/his model for

conflict management.

How to discern your conflict mode

#he Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument #<- is a widely used

assessment for determining conflict modes. #he assessment takes less thanfifteen minutes to complete and yields conflict scores in the areas of avoiding,competing, compromising, accommodating, and collaborating.

CO!"#I$%

#he competing conflict mode is high assertiveness and low cooperation.

#imes when the competing mode is appropriate are when uick action needs

to be taken, when unpopular decisions need to be made, when vital issuesmust be handled, or when one is protecting self*interests.

Competing Skills• Arguing or • Using rank or • Asserting your

debating influence opinions and

• "tanding your • "tating yourfeelings

ground position clearly

&'OIDI$%

#he a(oiding mode is low assertiveness and low cooperation. Many times

people will avoid conflicts out of fear of engaging in a conflict or because they

do not have confidence in their conflict management skills. #imes when the

avoiding mode is appropriate are when you have issues of low importance, to

reduce tensions, to buy some time, or when you are in a position of lower

power.

Avoiding Skills

• Ability to withdraw • Ability to sidestep issues

• Ability to leave things unresolved • "ense of timing

&CCOOD&#I$%

#he accommodating mode is low assertiveness and high cooperation. #imes

when the accommodating mode is appropriate are to show reasonableness,

develop performance, create good will, or keep peace. "ome people use the

accommodating mode when the issue or outcome is of low importance tothem.

#he accommodating mode can be problematic when one uses the mode to

5keep a tally6 or to be a martyr. %or e=ample, if you keep a list of the number

of times you have accommodated someone and then you e=pect that person

to reali1e, without your communicating to the person, that she/he should now

accommodate you.

Accommodating Skills

• %orgetting your desires • "elflessness

• Ability to yield • >beying orders

CO!ROI)I$%

#he compromising mode is moderate assertiveness

moderate cooperation. "ome people define compromise

5giving up more than you want,6 while others see comprom

as both parties winning.

#imes when the compromising mode is appropriate are w

you are dealing with issues of moderate importance, when

have eual power status, or when you have a str

commitment for resolution. Compromising mode can also

used as a temporary solution when there are time constraint

Compromising Skills

• 8egotiating • %inding a middle ground

• Assessing value • Making concessions

CO**&+OR&#I$%

#he collaborating mode is high assertiveness and hcooperation. Collaboration has been described as 5puttingidea on top of an idea on top of an idea?in order to achieve best solution to a conflict.6 #he best solution is defined acreative solution to the conflict that would not have bgenerated by a single individual. &ith such a positive outcofor collaboration, some people will profess that the collaboramode is always the best conflict mode to use. (owecollaborating takes a great deal of time and energy. #herefothe collaborating mode should be used when the con

warrants the time and energy. %or e=ample, if your team

establishing initial parameters for how to work effectivtogether, then using the collaborating mode could be useful. >n the other hand, if your team is in conflict ab

where to go to lunch today, the time and energy necessarycollaboratively resolve the conflict is probably not beneficial.

#imes when the collaborative mode is appropriate are when

conflict is important to the people who are constructing

integrative solution, when the issues are too important

compromise, when merging perspectives, when gain

commitment, when improving relationships, or when learning

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Collaboration Skills

• Active listening • 8onthreatening confrontation

• -dentifying concerns • Analy1ing input

What factors can affect our conflict modes?

"ome factors that can impact how we respond to conflict are

listed below with e=planations of how these factors might affect

us.

1•%ender "ome of us were sociali1ed to use particular conflict

modes because of our gender. %or e=ample, some males,

because they are male, were taught 5always stand up to

someone, and, if you have to fight, then fight.6 -f one was

sociali1ed this way he will be more likely to use assertive

conflict modes versus using cooperative modes.

2•)elf,concept (ow we think and feel about ourselves affect

how we approach conflict. 7o we think our thoughts,

feelings, and opinions are worth being heard by the person

with whom we are in conflict'3•"-pectations 7o we believe the other person or our team

wants to resolve the conflict'

4•)ituation &here is the conflict occurring, do we know the

person we are in conflict with, and is the conflict personal or

professional'

5•!osition .!ower/ &hat is our power status relationship,

that is, eual, more, or less with the person with whom we

are in conflict'

6•!ractice 3ractice involves being able to use all five conflict

modes effectively, being able to determine what conflict

mode would be most effective to resolve the conflict, and the

ability to change modes as necessary while engaged inconflict.

7•Determining the best mode #hrough knowledge about

conflict and through practice we develop a 5conflict

management understanding6 and can, with ease and limited

energy, determine what conflict mode to use with the

particular person with whom we are in conflict.

8•Communication s0ills #he essence of conflict resolution

and conflict management is the ability to communicate

effectively. 3eople who have and use effective

communication will resolve their conflicts with greater ease

and success.

9•*ife e-periences As mentioned earlier, we often practicethe conflict modes we saw our primary caretakers useunless we have made a conscious choice as adults tochange or adapt our conflict styles. "ome of us had greatrole models teach us to manage our conflicts and others of

us had less*than*great role models. >ur life e=periences,both personal and professional, have taught us to frameconflict as either something positive that can be workedthrough or something negative to be avoided and ignored at

all costs.

7iscerning how we manage our conflict, why we manage

conflict the way we do, and thinking about the value of

engaging in conflict with others are important. &ith better

understanding we can make informed choices about how we engag

conflict and when we will engage in conflict. #he ne=t section provid

points for us to consider when determining if we will enter into a con

situation or not.

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How might you select your conflict management

style?#here are times when we have a choice to engage in or avoid a

conflict. #he following si= variables should be considered when

you decide whether to engage in a conflict.

1. How invested in the relationship are you?#he importance of the working/personal relationship oftendictates whether you will engage in a conflict. -f you value theperson and/or the relationship, going through the process ofconflict resolution is important.

2. How important is the issue to you?

;ven if the relationship is not of great value to you, one mustoften engage in conflict if the issue is important to you. %ore=ample, if the issue is a belief, value, or regulation that youbelieve in or are hired to enforce, then engaging in the conflictis necessary. -f the relationship and the issue are bothimportant to you, there is an even more compelling reason toengage in the conflict.

. !o you have the energy for the conflict?

Many of us say, 5#here is not time to do all that - want to do in aday.6 >ften the issue is not how much time is available but howmuch energy we have for what we need to do. ;ven in a trackmeet, runners are given recovery time before they have to runanother race. ;nergy, not time, is being managed in thesesituations.

". Are you aware of the potential conse#uences

3rior to engaging in a conflict, thinking about anticipated

conseuences from engaging in the conflict is wise. %or e=ample, thmay be a risk for your safety, a risk for @ob loss, or an opportunity fobetter working relationship. Man y times people will engage in conflict then be shocked by the outcome or conseuence of engaging in conflict. #houghtful reflection about the conseuences, both positive anegative, is useful before engaging in or avoiding a conflict.

$. Are you ready for the conse#uences?After analy1ing potential conseuences, determine whether you prepared for the conseuences of engaging in the conflict. %or e=amone employee anticipated a @ob loss if she continued to engage in conflict she was having with her boss over a particular issue. After careconsideration, the employee thought and believed strongly enough abthe issue that she did engage in the conflict with her boss. (er anncontract was not renewed for the upcoming year. 9ecause this individhad thought through the conseuences of engaging in the conflict, s

was prepared to be without a @ob for a while and able to financially emotionally plan for this outcome. Most conseuences of engagingconflict are not this severe, but this e=ample illustrates the value of thinkthrough conseuences.

%. &hat are the conse#uences if you do not engage in the conflict?#o avoid losing a sense of self, there are times when you must engageconflict. Most people have core values, ideas, beliefs, or morals. person is going to sacrifice one of their core beliefs by avoiding a confpersonal loss of respect must be considered. -n such cases, even person is not e=cited about confronting the conflict, one must carefconsider the conseuences of evading the conflict. &hen the persoconseuences of turning away from the conflict outweigh all other factothen a person usually must take part in the conflict.

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How might indi(idual students apply this information to impro(e their conflict management s0ills?

Applying the preceding information about the five different modes of conflict management, factors affecting models of conflict management, and

processes for selecting one or more approaches to conflict involves both self*awareness and an awareness of the others involved in the conflict.

-n terms of self*awareness, reflecting on the following uestions would provide useful information in selecting how to approach a conflict

situation.

1. Am - in conflict'

2. &ith whom am - in conflict'

3. &hy am - motivated to resolve the conflict'

4. &hat conflict mode am - going to use to manage this conflict'

"ince conflict involves at least two people, improving awareness of the other party involved in a conflict might also be useful in choosing how to

approach a conflict situation. eflecting on the following uestions might improve awareness of the other party involved in a confliction.

1. &hat is the nature of the conflict, that is, what is the conflict about'

2. &hat might motivate the other persons involved to resolve the conflict'

3. &hat conflict modes is the other person using'

4. (ow might - -ntervene to resolve/manage the conflict'

+earning more about conflict allows greater intentionality in selecting a conflict response. Most people have set reactions to conflicts. 9y learning

more about principles of conflict, conflict modes, and reflection on the above uestions, we can be more intentional in deciding on a conflict

response. Breater intentionality will likely lead to more effective conflict management. #he following e=amples provide additional suggestions that

individuals might use to improve their conflict management skills.'ndividual (eflection )*ercise

-n addition to reflecting on the preceding uestions, <arl "mith suggests that the following e=ercise might provide individuals with valuable

information about their perspectives on conflict.

"-ercise &rite the word conflict in the center of a blank piece of paper and draw a circle around it. Duickly @ot down all the words and phrases

you associate with the word conflict by arranging them around your circle. eview your list of associations and categori1e them as positive,

negative, or neutral. Count the total number of positive, negative, and neutral associations, and calculate the percentages that are positive,

negative, and neutral. 7id you have more than EFG positive' 7id you have more than EFG negative'

&hat do your associations with the word conflict indicate about your views about conflict and your approach to conflict'

+earning About ,our Conflict -odes

eview brief descriptions of the five modes and choose your primary conflict mode. "upplementing individual reflection on conflict modes, you

might find out more about your modes of conflict using instruments that are available. <arl "mith in his book

provides a copy of auestionnaire based on the 9lake and Mouton conflict modelH. Completing the uestionnaire, scoring your responses, and reflecting on your

answers might provide valuable information about your approaches to conflict. #he #<- is a more recent instrument that is based on the 9lakeand Mouton conflict model and provides information about your conflict modes in terms of the modes. #aking the #<- assessment would provideinformation about your primary conflict modes. ;uipped with this information, additional individual reflection would help you to determine yourcurrent level of comfort with your conflict resolution styles. #hen, you might decide whether you want to make changes.

Creating an 'ndividual Conflict -anagement lan

Create a conflict management plan. A conflict management plan is a thou ght and behavior process one can follow when in conflict. A personcreates a list of steps she/he can follow when a conflict comes up so that the person can productively manage/solve the conflict. #hese steps

have to be thoughts or behaviors that can be realistically done. #he literature shows that, if we can identify we are in conflict and can thenimplement a conflict management plan, our opportunit y for resolution of the conflict increases significantly. &e identify we are in conflict byidentifying our physiological responses when in conflict and by identifying thoughts and feelings we are having that trigger us to reali1e that weare e=periencing a conflict. #here are three steps to making a conflict plan. %irst, write down what physiological responses you have when you

know you are in conflict e.g., my palms are sweaty, my heart is racing. "econd, write down what thou ghts you typically have when in a conflicte.g., 5- want to hurt him6) 5- want to @ust get away from her6. %inally, list 0IJ steps you can follow to help you manage your thoughts andemotions in a productive way to manage/solve your conflict e.g., K. - will take a deep breath) $. - will think about how - want to respond, etc..

efer to Algert and &atsonJ to learn more about creating a conflict management plan.

+istening-mproving listening skills is one approach to improving conflict management skills. ;ugene audsepp states that 5"tudies show, however, that

only about KFG of us listen properly.6E ead the article by audsepp

E, take the listening ui1, and develop an action plan for improving your

listening skills.

Suggestions for /urther Activities

#he book 50 Activities for Conflict Resolution10

contains $ activities for self*development on conflict. Activities include 5#he ole of Lalues inConflict esolution,6 5esolving Conflict through 3lanning,6 5;valuating our Conflict esolution "kills,6 and 5Uncovering the (idden Agenda.6

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How might a student team apply this information to impro(e its approaches to conflict and2or s0ills in managing

conflict within the team?Applying the preceding information about the five different modes of conflict management, factors affecting models of conflict management, and

processes for selecting one or more approaches to conflict within the conte=t of a student team involves increasing the awareness of the each of

the team members about the way the other team members view conflict and how the other team members approach conflict. #here are two basic

types of team activities.

1•-n the first type of team activity, individual team members learn more about their perspectives and approaches to conflict through either

individual reflection or appropriate instruments. #hen, the individuals share with their team members what they have learned.

2•-n the second type, the team engages in an activity that simulates a hopefully low level of conflict. #hen, the team reflects about its actions,learns from its e=periences, and develops ways to address conflict more constructively in the future.

#he following e=amples provide suggestions for possible team activities.

Collaborating with !ifferent 'ndividual Conflict -odes

Ask each member to complete the e=ercise on the preceding page in which she/he identifies their primary mode of conflict management. #hen,ask each individual team member to share her/his own primary mode of conflict management and to provide e=amples that illustrate that mode.8e=t, ask the team to identify potential strengths for the combination of different styles and potential problems that might arise with thecombination of conflict management modes. %inally, ask the team to develop strategies to minimi1e potential problems and build on theirstrengths.

!eveloping a ositive 0eam erspective about Conflict

"tart with the individual reflection e=ercise on the preceding page in which each member writes the word conflict and associates different wordsor phrases with conflict. #hen, ask each member to share the insights she/he learned through the individual reflection. 8e=t, ask the team to

take all of the positive associations with conflict and combine them together to construct positive ways in which the team might view conflict.%inally, ask the team to take all of the negative associations with conflict and devise ways in which the negative associates might be eliminated orminimi1ed.

!eveloping a Consensus !ecision

-n this book on #eamwork and 3ro@ect Management, <arl "mith asks teams to rank fifteen causes of death in the United "tates in terms of their

freuency of occurrence. "imilar e=ercises on ranking items most reuired in desert or space survival e=ercises are available at

http://www.eas.asu.edu/Nasufc/teaminginfo/teams.html or in Joining Together KK

by Oohnson and Oohnson ;=ercise J. "tranded in the 7esert,;=ercise J.0 &ho should get the penicillin', ;=ercise J. %allout "helter. #hese t ypes of e=ercises can stimulate team development in several

ways. >ne of the ways is to provoke a low level of conflict within the team and to learn from its e=perience. After completing the e=ercise, theteam can debrief its performance. #he team might address several uestions. &hat were the positive aspects in the way we handled conflict'(ow did our various modes of conflict management help our performance' (ow did our various modes of conflict management hinder ourperformance' (ow might we improve the ways in which we managed conflict within our team'

'ntrateam Communication

-mproving intrateam communication can reduce the likelihood of conflict and increase the chances for faster, more effective management ofconflict when it occurs. #he %oundation Coalition has prepared a summary on ;ffective -nterpersonal/-ntrateam Communication that may provide

helpful information and activities.

Suggestions for /urther Activities

#he book 50 Activities for Conflict Resolution10

contains $ activities for team*development on conflict. "everal of the activities are role*play,conflict scenarios that provide opportunities for teams to determine the Pbest2 intervention style for the conflict at hand.

How might a faculty member apply this information in her2his course?

our learning ob@ects and activities will depend on the maturity of your students, their prior e=perience and knowledge of conflict management

skills, and the amount of class time you choose to invest in conflict management. #he following paragraphs provide three e=amples of possible

learning ob@ectives and classroom activities.

)*ample o. 1

-f you are teaching a class in which you will be using student teams and have about twenty minutes for conflict management, you might set the

following learning ob@ective and use the following class activity.

*earning Ob3ecti(e "tudents should be able to describe their initial responses to conflict and e=plain benefits of engaging in conflict.

Classroom &cti(ity 7iscuss the first page of this document. Ask your students to work in teams and discuss what they think about conflict.

(ave they had positive or negative outcomes when they have engaged in conflict at work or school' 8e=t, have the students identify their

physiological response to conflict: fight or flight. (as the initial conflict response, fight or flight, had positive or negative outcomes' +et the

students know, regardless of their physiological response, they can intentionally pick a conflict mode they want to use when in conflict. #hey do

not have to @ust fight or flee when a conflict arises. %inally, ask students to identify positive outcomes that can occur from engaging in conflict

peace, relief, improved relationship, stronger team, understanding, better communication, greater productivity, etc.. #hrough identifying how we

engage in conflict and recogni1ing that engaging in conflict can be positive, we are more likely to engage in conflict when necessary.

http://www.eas.asu.edu/~asufc/teaminginfo/teams.html




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)*ample o. 2

-f you are teaching a class in which you will be using student teams and have an entire class period to help your students develop their conflict

management skills, then you might select the following learning ob@ectives and use the following classroom activities.

*earning Ob3ecti(es "tudents should be able to

1•7escribe the skills necessary to effectively engage in conflict

2•7escribe their approach to conflict in terms of the five conflict management modes

3•7escribe how their comfort level with engaging in conflict has changed and, hopefully, increased

Classroom &cti(ities Ask students to read the first two pages of the document in class. #hen, in teams, ask students to share with each otherhow they think they approach conflict. Ask each team member if he/she is comfortable with his/her conflict management style most people will

report 58o6) they wish they were either more assertive or more cooperative. Ask team members to discuss with one another why it is important

to understand one another2s conflict styles.

Ask each team to develop ideas on how they will take advantage of the conflict management modes of each its members. Also, team members

should discuss where they may have conflict with one another based upon their different conflict styles more assertive members may dominate,

while more cooperative members may become frustrated with competitors, etc.. Call on selected teams for reports on this activity.

)*ample o.

-f you are teaching a class in which you will be using student teams and choose to invest a homework assignment and an entire class period in

helping your students develop their conflict management skills, then you might select the following learning ob@ectives and use the following

classroom activities.

*earning Ob3ecti(es "tudents should be able to1•-dentify their conflict management styles

2•7escribe the skills necessary to effectively engage in conflict

3•7escribe their approaches to conflict in terms of the five conflict management modes

4•7escribe how their comfort level with engaging in conflict has changed and, hopefully, increased

5•7emonstrate improvements in their conflict management skill set

6•Create a conflict management plan

Classroom &cti(ities Ask students to read the entire document before class and ask them to write down how their approach to conflict

management may be described in terms of the five modes of conflict management. -f possible, allow the students to take the #<- on line.

(ave students review the document and describe skills necessary to effectively engage in conflict. "tudents should consider what variablesshould be considered when engaging in conflict with another person. #eam members should dialogue about conflict modes to use when anotherperson is using a particular conflict mode. %urthermore, team members should discuss what modes they are comfortable using and what modesthey will have to practice using effectively. #eam members should identify times to use each of these modes effectively.

-nstruct the students: discernment and practice is the primary way to grow comfortable with using each of these five modes. 3ractice using the

different conflict modes as appropriate when your team is in conflict or when you have a conflict at home.

8e=t, challenge the students to write a conflict management plan.J #hrough being able to identify that we are in conflict and by implementing a

predesigned conflict management plan, we can most effectively solve our conflicts.

%inally, with the remaining time, ask the students to complete three activities on conflict management. "elect students to share their answers in

class. Ask the students to share what they have learned about conflict management, how they will apply this information, and to evaluate if they

believe they can more successfully manage their team conflicts as they arise. 9elow are suggested activities from 50 Activities for Conflict

Resolution10

and Joining Together .KK

*ambert and yers4

56 &cti(ities for Conflict Resolution16

1•Activity -dentifying (elpful Communication "tyles, p. K

2•9enefits and 9arriers: ;=ploring #hird*party -ntervention, p.

3•Assumptions: &ho 8eeds #hem', p. 0H

4•9rainstorming: #he Case of the "tolen Account, p. K

5•;=ploring "ources of

Conflict, p. EK

7ohnsonand7ohnson4

7oining #ogether %roup#heory and %roup

)0ills11

1•;=ercise J.K Controversy

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#eams of four create a paper in which they reach consensus on a

controversial issue

2•;=ercise J.$ our 9ehavior in Controversies 9ecome more aware of

your actions in a

controversy

3•;=ercise J. #he Oohnson

"chool 7efining a problem

from diverse information

1•(ow to 7eal with (ot 9uttons, p. KFE

2•&hy 3eople Avoid 7ealing with Conflict esolution, p. KK

3•Uncovering the (idden Agenda, p. KE

4•"upportive +istening: &hat2s our "core', p. KK

5•%act vs. >pinion, p. K

6•;scalate vs. Acknowledge: #he Choice is ours, p. KH

1•;=ercise J.H Avoiding Controversies 3roduce feedback about how

other group members see your behavior in controversies and

disagreements

2•;=ercise J.K our 9ehavior in Controversies

)ummary

#he goal of this document is to

provide students and faculty

members with conflict

management information that

can be beneficial both

personally and professionally.

"ome people think conflict is a

topic that should not bediscussed and that we should

not engage in conflict.

3roductively engaging inconflict is always valuable.Most people are willing andinterested in resolving their

conflicts) they @ust need theappropriate skill set andopportunities in which topractice this skill set. &ithout aconflict skill set, people want to

avoid conflict, hoping it will goaway or not wanting to make a5big deal out of nothing.6esearch and personal

e=periences show us that, when we avoid conflict, theconflict actually escalates andour thoughts and feelingsbecome more negative.

#hrough conflict self*awareness we can moreeffectively manage ourconflicts and therefore our

professional and personalrelationships. %urthermore, bydiscussing issues related toconflict management, teamscan establish an e=pectedprotocol to be followed by teammembers when in conflict. Allteams and organi1ations havea conflict culture the way theteam responds to conflict.

(owever, most teams neverdiscuss what the conflict cultureis, therefore providing theopportunity for individual teammembers to make assumptionsthat can be counterproductive tothe team.

3racticing one2s confl ictmanagement skills leads to moresuccessful engagement in

conflict with outcomes of relief,understanding, bettercommunication, and greaterproductivity for both theindividual and the team. &hen

we manage our conflicts moreeffectively, we use less energyon the burdensome tasks suchas systemic conflict and get tospend more of our energy on ourpro@ects at work and building ourrelationships. 9elow arereferences that can assist both

individuals and teams to greaterconflict management success.

References forFurther Information

1. <at1enbach, O..,

and "mith, 7.<.

KEE$ Wisdom of

teams, (arvard

9usiness "chool

3ress.

2. Oohnson, 7.&.,Oohnson, .#., and

(olubec, ;.O. KEJ

Circles of learning

coo!eration in the

classroom rev. ed.,

;dina, M8:

-nteraction 9ook Co.

3. 5&orkplace 9asics:

#he "kills ;mployers

&ant,6 Am. "oc.

#raining and 7evel.and U.". 7ept.

+abor, ;mployment

and #raining Admin.,

KEJJ.

4. Algert, 8.;. KEE

5Conflict in the

workplace6 in

"roceedings

Women in

#ngineering

Advocates $et%or& ,7enver, C>., K$I

K$H.

5. Consulting

3sychologists 3ress

C33. Thomas-

Kilmann Conflict

Mode Instrument .

3alo Alto, CA: JFF$0*KH or

available on the &orld &ide &eb

at http://www.cpp*db.com.

6. "mith, <.A. $FFF "ro'ect

management and team%or&( 8ew

ork: McBraw*(ill 9;"# series.

7. 9lake, .., and Mouton, O.".

KE0. The managerial grid .

(ouston: Bulf 3ublishing Co.

8. Algert, 8.;., and &atson, <.

$FF$ Conflict management

introductions for individuals and

organi)ations. 9ryan, #Q:

EHEHH* or e*mail

cccrRbigfoot.com.

9. audsepp, ;. $FF$ 5(one

+istening "kills #o 9oost

our Career,6 available on

the &orld &ide &eb at

http://[email protected]/myc/climbingladder/$FF$K$

$0* raudsepp.html, accessed

on $J Oanuary $FF.

10. +ambert, O., and Myers,

". KEEE 50 Activities for

conflict resolution. Amherst,

MA: ( 7evelopment 3ress.

11. Oohnson, 7.&., and

Oohnson, %.3. $FFF

Joining together grou!

theor* and grou! s&ills Hth

ed., 9oston, Allyn and

9acon.

&dditional ResourcesAlgert, 8.;. $FF$. The center for

change and conflict resolution,

9ryan, #Q: EHEHH* or e*mail

cccrRbigfoot.com.

http://www.cpp-db.com/



mailto:[email protected]


http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/climbingladder/20021224-raudsepp.html
















7/17/2019 Conflict (1)


Moore, C., 5(ow Mediation

&orks6 in The Mediation

"rocess "ractical +trategies for

Resolving Conflict .

3utnam KEE0. 59eyond third*

party role: disputes and

managerial intervention,6

#m!lo*ee

Res!onsi,ilities and Rights J( H:K.

Qicom, -nc. KEE. ConflictWor&sho! acilitator.s /uide.

&hether youSre @ust

getting started or

looking for additional

ideas, the %oundation

Coalition staff would

like to help you

incorporate student

teams into your

engineering

classes through

workshops,

&eb sites,

lesson plans, and

reading materials. %or

suggestions on how to

start, see our &eb site

at

http://www.foundationcoalition.org

or contact Oeffrey %royd at

froydRee.tamu.edu or at EHE*J0*HH0.

http://www.foundationcoalition.org/






conflict (1)

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