Presented by
Bart Chaney
March 28,2014
What is Conflict?
con·flict
verb
1. to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at
variance, or in opposition; clash: The account of one eyewitness
conflicted with that of the other. My class conflicts with my going to
the concert.
2. to fight or contend; do battle.
noun
3. a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.
4. controversy; quarrel: conflicts between parties.
5. discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of
interests or principles: a conflict of ideas.
6. a striking together; collision.
7. incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or
activity with another: a conflict in the schedule
Why is Conflict Resolution
important to me?
 Personal Happiness
 Peaceful Coexistence
 Increased Productivity
 Continued Employment
 “The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a
commodity as sugar or coffee, and I will pay more for that
ability than any other under the sun.”
John D. Rockefeller
Sources of Conflict
 When you’re right and the other person just doesn’t
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realize it.
When your wrong and you just don’t realize it.
When you are male and they are female.
When the other person doesn’t realize it’s all about
you.
Your supervisor is a big jerk…
Real Sources of Conflict
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Goals are not the same
Disagreement
Personality
Communication issues
Unclear/unrealistic expectations
Unfairness (real/perceived)
Personal issues
Your supervisor is a “REAL”
big jerk…
What about conflict…
 Is conflict always negative?
 Using conflict in a positive way…
 Can promote needed change
 Can initiate needed communication
 Can bring more serious issues to light
Conflict Resolution
 Conflict resolution is the process of resolving a
dispute or a conflict by meeting at least some of each
side's needs and addressing their interests.
Conflict Reaction Profile
Numbering Scale
1 = Seldom
2 = Sometimes
3 = Most of the time
1=Seldom; 2=Sometimes; 3=Most of the time
1. I can be swayed to someone else’s point of view.
2. I shut down people who I disagree with.
3. I address the issue at hand diplomatically and do not
attack the individual.
4. I think that others try to bully their way with me.
5. I express my thoughts and beliefs tactfully when they
differ from those just expressed.
6. Rather than offer my opinion when I disagree with
someone, I keep it to myself.
7. I listen to other people’s points of view with an open
mind.
1=Seldom; 2=Sometimes; 3=Most of the time
8. I let my emotions get the best of me.
9. I raise my voice to make my point.
10. I tend to belittle other people when making my point.
11. I look for ways to negotiate and compromise with
others.
12. I have been told I am too pushy.
13. I make sure I have my opinion heard in any
controversy.
14. I think conflict in meetings is necessary.
15. I am the most vocal in meetings when trying to get
my point across.
Conflict Reaction Profile Score
Scoring:
Add the total from questions 1,2,4,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,15
Subtract the sum of the score from questions 3,5,7,11
What does the score mean?
 1-4: “Passive” You may be such a pushover that you allow difficult
people to walk all over you. You will benefit from learning to
stand up for your ideas and opinions in a diplomatic and tactful
way.
 5-10: “Assertive” You are professionally assertive when dealing
with people, particularly difficult people. Continue to be open to
listening to different points of view, and express your ideas and
opinions appropriately.
 11+ “Aggressive” You may be so combative that people might
avoid interacting with you. You will benefit from learning to
listen and express your opinions more effectively.
5 Conflict Management Strategies
 Forcing – using formal authority or other power you possess to satisfy your
concerns without regard to the concerns of the party that you are in conflict
with.
 Accommodating – allowing the other party to satisfy their concerns
while neglecting your own.
 Avoiding – not paying attention to the conflict and not taking any action to
resolve it.
 Compromising – attempting to resolve a conflict by identifying a solution
that is partially satisfactory to both parties, but completely satisfactory to
neither.
 Collaborating – cooperating with the other party to understand their
concerns and expressing your own concerns in an effort to find a mutually and
completely satisfactory solution.
Matching Strategies to Situations
 When would “Forcing” be a good strategy?
-Company policy
-Law
-Ethics
-In an emergency when time is critical
Matching Strategies to Situations
 When would “Accommodating” be a good strategy
-When preserving or building a relationship is more
important
-When it is not a significant cost to you to do so
-To restore harmony during a tense moment or after a
disagreement.
-To satisfy a complaint when in the process of providing
customer service
Matching Strategies to Situations
 When would “Avoiding” be a good strategy?
-When the issue is trivial and other issues are more
important
-When there is no opportunity to constructively address
the concern
-To buy time to give angry people time to cool down
-To refrain from making a rushed decision and have more
time to gather information or support
Matching Strategies to Situations
 When would “Compromising” be a good Strategy?
-Dividing a work load
-Sharing a cost
-Temporary solution, till you have more time
Matching Strategies to Situations
 When would “Collaborating” be a good strategy?
-When there is little time pressure
-When the issue is of high importance involving priorities,
principles or values.
-When maintaining a close, mutually supportive relationship
with the other party is important.
-Relative power - how much authority you have compared to
how much authority the other party has.
Keys to Successful Conflict
Resolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
One trait to remember at all times during conflict:
ATTITUDE/PROFESSIONALISM
Listen
Discuss
Listen
Review of appropriate rules/policies if applicable
Listen
STABEN Tool to Resolve Conflict
 S = Source: Identify the source of the conflict
 T = Time and Place: Best time and place to discuss the
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conflict or concern
A = Amicable: Start your conversation with a positive
about the person
B = Behavior: State the problem behavior concisely
E = Emotion: Because of your “behavior” I feel…
N = Need: What you need to make it right
How to Avert Conflict
 First seek to understand-be sure you know the other
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party’s concerns and priorities
Then be sure they understand where you stand
Be open, don’t keep a hidden agenda
Know your role – employee, co-worker, supervisor,
other
Align your goals
Get to know those you are working with (sense of
humor)
Always maintain an attitude of respect
Comic Conflict Relief
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzToNo7A-94
Enjoy a conflict day…