When Things Don’t Work:
Recognizing and Resolving Conflict
L EA D E RS H I P P RO G R A M 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3
S p o n s o re d by t h e P ro vo st ’s O f f i c e
J o h n s H o p k i n s U n i ve rs i t y
Catherine J. Morrison, JD
A s s o c i a t e Fa c u l t y
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
cmorrison@createagreement.com
Learning Objectives
2
• Understand the fundamental concepts of conflict
management
 Acquire specific tactical approaches to conflict
situations
 Apply that understanding to more effectively assess
and manage two-party and multi-party conflicts
CONFLICT HAPPENS
3
Conflict is…
• a normal, inescapable
part of life
• a periodic occurrence in
any relationship
• an opportunity to
understand opposing
preferences and values
• ENERGY
How can we manage the energy of conflict?
4
Use cognitive conflict
5
 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.
Avoid affective conflict
6
 Personal antagonism
fueled by differences
of opinion
 Destructive to group
performance and
cohesion
Ibid., 24.
How can we keep conflict cognitive?
7
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.
Step 1. Make the approach
8
 Reflect before you begin
 Invite the other party to
a conversation
 Be clear about your
intentions
 State your goal - a
positive resolution
Ibid.
Step 2. Share perspectives
9
 Ask for the other
person’s perspective
 Paraphrase what you
hear
 Acknowledge your
contribution
 Describe your
perspective
Ibid.
Understand why your views differ
10
(Read from bottom to top)
 I take action
 I adopt beliefs
 I draw conclusions
 I add meaning
 I select data
 Observable data
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
Name the issues
11
 Identify topics that the
parties view as
important to address
 Use concise neutral
language
 Avoid pronouns
 Use issues to create the
agenda
Foundational Concepts for Understanding Conflict.
Step 3. Build understanding
12
 Discuss one issue at a
time
 Clarify assumptions
 Explore interests and
feelings
Ibid.
Step 4. Agree on solutions
13
 Reality test –
Is this
doable?
 Durability test – Is this
durable?
 Interest test – Does this
meet all parties’
interests?
Ibid.
Step 5. Plan next steps
14
 Jointly
create action
plan
 What needs to happen?
 Who needs to do what?
By when?
 How will interaction
take place if problems
occur?
Ibid.
Tools for
Conflict Management
15
16
What
doesn’t
work
That’s true but…
17
What
does
work
That’s true and…
18
What
doesn’t
work
BLAME
19
What
does
work
The “third story”
20
What
does
work
Contribution Mapping
21
What
doesn’t
work
You get the picture…
22
What
does
work
Match and lower,
match and raise
“Faced with the choice between changing one’s
mind and proving that there is no need to do so,
almost everybody gets busy on the proof.”
John Kenneth Galbraith
Sources and
Recommended Reading
24
Sources
25
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), 20-35.
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
Sources
26
Garmston, R.J. (Summer 2005). “Group Wise: How to turn conflict
into an effective learning process.” Journal of Staff Development,
26(3), 65-66.
Mediation Services. (2003). Foundational concepts for
understanding conflict. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Recommended Reading
27
Conger, J. A. (1998, May-June). The Necessary Art of Persuasion.
Harvard Business Review, pp. 84-95.
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.
Recommended Reading
28
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.