Managing Conflicts in the Organisation presented by Dr. Ir. Richardus Eko Indrajit MSc. MBA Dr. Ir. Tranggono IS Turner, MBA for BOGASARI Training Program Jakarta, Monday 18th 2001

Special Presentation on

Conflict

  “A perceived difference between two or more parties that results in mutual opposition.”

Understanding Conflict

  What do you think of when you hear the term “Conflict”?

  How can conflict be destructive?   How can conflict be constructive?   What can be learned from conflict handled

constructively?

Escalating Conflict

  Other people become involved and take sides   One or both parties feel threatened   No interest in maintaining the relationship   A history of unproductive, negative conflict   An increase in indirect expression of anger, fear or

frustration   Important needs not acknowledged/met   Lack of skills necessary for

peacemaking

De-escalating Conflict

  Parties focus on problem, not on each other   Anger, fear and frustration are expressed directly

rather than demonstrated indirectly   Threats are reduced or eliminated   Parties have cooperated well prior to the dispute   Needs are openly discussed   Parties are able to use their

peacemaking skills

Conflict and Group Performance

Performance

Level of Conflict

  Effects of conflict on group performance.   Some conflict is beneficial

Task Interdependence

Scarce Resources

Goal Incompatibility

Communi- cation

Failures

Individual Differences

Poorly Designed Reward Systems

Causes of Conflict

Causes of Conflicts

Reducing and Resolving Conflict

  Change situational factors   Improve communication   Understand personality differences   Use mediation/arbitration   Use negotiation process

Format for Resolving Conflict among Team Members

  Take responsibility   Uncover, define problem   Allow venting   State Ground Rules

–  Everyone will be open & honest

–  Everyone will have a say and be heard

–  Listen, no argument, keep positive attitude

–  Feelings supported by facts and behavior

  Ask open-ended questions   Listen objectively   Give feedback   Restate the problem and

get agreement on it   Ask for commitment   Set goals, create action

plans   Follow-up

Eight Essential Steps

  Create an effective atmosphere –  Preparation, timing, place

  Clarify perceptions –  conflict, self, other

  Focus on individual and shared needs –  own needs, others’ needs,

relationship, shared needs,

  Build shared positive power

  Look to the future, then learn from the past –  past, present-future

  Generate options –  preparation, preconceived

answers, imaging options, free-flow optioning, key

  Develop “do-ables”: Stepping stones to action

  Make mutual-benefit agreements

Change Situational Factors

  Physical arrangement   Resources: more, reordered   Task cooperation needed   Folly of rewarding A and hoping for B   Super-ordinate goals

Improve Communication

  Improve speaking skills

 Remove road-blocks to communi-cation

  Improve listening skills

 Understand and use non-verbal language

Communication Comes Through:

Vision

Hearing

Content

Words

  Non-verbal behavior   Stereotyping   Judging   Ordering   Threatening   Preaching   Lecturing   Providing Answers   Excusing   Diagnosing   Prying

Remove Roadblocks

Winning Balance

  Tolerance Scale –  Appreciation: different and better –  Acceptance: Different and OK –  Tolerance: Different –  Avoidance: Different and not OK –  Repulsion: Different and not normal

  Rating sheet   Inventing a person

Stereotyping

  Most are negative   Make you jump to conclusions   Some developed from experience   Media can shape them   Stereotyping is learned behavior   Exposure can cut down on them

Improve Listening Skills

  Pacing to Build Rapport –  Non-verbal behavior –  Intent –  Criteria

  Active Listening Techniques –  Backtracking (Restating) –  Summarizing –  Encouraging –  Clarifying –  Reflecting –  Validating

  Two sides to every story

Improve Speaking Skills

  One-way vs. two-way communication

  Listen actively, Backtrack, then Clarify/Summarize

  Pacing –  Intent & Criteria

  I-messages –  I feel... (feeling,) –  when you... (describe specific behavior) –  because... (effect of behavior on you) –  And what I want is... (what would make

situation better for you)

Understand Personality Differences

  Value of different personalities   Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory (MBPI)

–  Benefits of the MBTI to the organization –  Benefits of the MBTI to the individual –  Preferences, not required or exclusive –  All types have value

  Difficult personalities

MBTI Work Types

  Where you get and spend your energy –  Extroversion vs. Introversion

  Where you get your information –  Sensing vs. Intuitive

  How you come to conclusions –  Thinking vs. Feeling

  How you order your external world –  Judging vs. Perceiving

Functions in MB

  Dominant function –  Your favorite function (N, S, T, or F) that you use in your favorite

world (I or E) –  One of the two middle letters –  eg: ENFP = N, ESTJ = T, ISTJ = S, INFP = F.

  Auxiliary function –  Second favorite function (N, S, T, or F) used in the other world (E or

I) –  Other one of the two middle letters

  Inferior function –  Opposite of your function: If you are a dominant N, then S is your

inferior function.

Men and Women in Conversation

  Conversation rituals –  Neither “right” or “wrong” –  Must be understood by both –  When not, both feel not getting sufficient credit, not

listened to, not getting ahead.

Differing Conversation Strategies

  Men: Oppositional Strategies –  banter, joking, teasing, put-downs, avoid one-down

position –  seen as hostile and arrogant, when they are not

  Asking for help = one-down   Less likely to ask questions, will look it up

themselves

Conversation Strategies

  Women: Equality Strategies –  appearance of equality, effect of exchange on others,

downplay authority, avoid boastful –  seen as less competent and confident –  balance their interests and those of others

  Asking for help = connecting with others   Ask questions, seem less knowledgeable

Conversation Do’s and Don’ts

Men   Certainty, aggressive, self-

confident, whether or not you feel it

  Boast   Jockey for center stage,

challenge, give orders   Opinions in strong terms   Impress others

Women   Hesitant   Should not sound

aggressive, certain, or self-confident

  May not boast   Suggest, not orders   Lack of recognition

Women’s Conversation Rituals

  Saying “I’m sorry”   Self-depreciation   Conversation smoothing,

expression of understanding.

  Taking half the blame   Don’t leave others in a

one-down position   Complaining as solidarity.

  Giving sugar-coated criticism

  Thanks, thanks   Disagreement is personal   Decisions by consensus   Personal chat   Praise early and often

Ten Truths about Conflict

1.  Each side probably contributes to the problem and can, therefore, contribute to the solution.

2.  There is no one right way to deal with conflict. 3.  Each side probably has a piece of the truth. 4.  Present problems are the ones to solve. 5.  The process is of utmost importance. 6.  Conflict is inevitable and resolvable. 7.  You cannot not deal with conflict. 8.  Few situations are hopeless. 9.  Conformity is not required. 10.  One part affects another.

Common sources of conflict in projects or programs

Goal Incompatibility

Sponsor Event

Organizers

Lack of Task Focus

Administrative Procedures

Procedures

Common sources of conflict in projects or programs

Role Uncertainty Technical

Uncertainty

Staffing & Resource Allocation

Common sources of conflict in projects or programs

Costs Schedules

Personality

Conflict Management Strategies

  Assertiveness –  In a conflict situation, when would people tend to be

more assertive?   When the issues are important   When you are confident in your knowledge   When things are going against you

–  When would they tend to be less assertive?   When you feel you are at a power disadvantage

Conflict Management Strategies

  Cooperation –  When would cooperation be most likely to occur?

  When there is respect for others   When the relationship is valued   When there is dependence on others to carry out decisions

–  When would cooperation be least likely to occur?   When competitive values dominate

Managing Conflict: Strategies

Cooperativeness (satisfy other’’s concerns/relationship)

HIGH LOW

LOW

HIGH

Ass

ertiv

enes

s (s

atis

fy o

wn

conc

erns

/issu

e)

““My Way””

Forcing

Accommodating

““Your Way””

Avoiding

““No Way””

Compromising

““Our Way””

Collaborating

““Our Way”” Win-Lose

Win-Lose Lose-Lose

Win-Win

Win-Win Lose-Lose

Issue Importance

Relationship Importance

Relative Power

Time Constraints

ACCOMMODATING High Low Low Med- High

FORCING High High Low Med- High

AVOIDING Low Low High Equal

Med- High

COLLABORATING High Low High Low High

COMPROMISING Low High Equal Med Med

The Best Strategy

What is your preferred strategy?

  Forcing (1 + 6 + 11 + 16)   Collaborating (5 + 10 + 15 + 20)   Compromising (3 + 8 + 13 + 18)   Accommodating (2 + 7 + 12 + 17)   Avoiding (4 + 9 + 14 + 19)

–  Primary conflict management strategy is your highest score

–  Secondary conflict management strategy is your next highest score

The Collaborative Approach

  Collaboration (problem solving) is the ultimate test for a win-win solution

  What are the guidelines for initiators and responders to ensure communication during conflict provides for a win-win solution?

The Collaborative Approach

  Conflicting parties must see that the solution … –  achieves each other’’s goals –  is acceptable to both parties –  establishes a process whereby all parties involved

see a responsibility to be open and honest about facts and feelings

Groupthink, Teambuilding & Conflict

  Recall from earlier readings that “groupthink is the tendency for highly cohesive groups to lose their critical evaluative capabilities” (Schermerhorn, 1999, p. 367) –  Groupthink occurs when the cohesiveness developed in a

team results in “sticking to what we know to be true”, ignoring different ideas.

Groupthink Conditions

  High level of cohesiveness during decision making   Isolation   Stressful contexts

Groupthink Symptoms

  Illusions of invulnerability   Rationalizing unpleasant and disconfirming data   Belief in inherent group morality   Stereotyping competitors as weak, evil and stupid   Applying direct pressure to deviants to conform to

group wishes   Self-censorship by members   Illusions of unanimity   Mind guarding

How to Avoid Groupthink

  Assign role of critical evaluator   Leaders should not be partial to one course of action   Create subteams to work on same problem and share

solutions   Discuss issues with outsiders   Invite outside experts to observe team   Assign a “devil’s advocate” role   Hold a “second chance” meeting after consensus to review

Groupthink, Teambuilding & Conflict

  Recall that there are 5 stages to teambuilding…at what stage do you think “groupthink” is likely to occur? Why? –  Forming –  Storming –  Norming –  Performing –  Adjourning

Groupthink, Teambuilding & Conflict

  Why might a highly cohesive team that uses a “win/win” philosophy for solving conflicts face the danger of falling into “groupthink”? –  Win/Win: changes, challenges or suggestions

pursued for the good of the team –  cohesiveness of team drives out good decision

making or problem solving –  preserving the team takes precedence over accurate

decisions or high-quality task accomplishment…NOT ENOUGH CONFLICT

The Cycle

Thank You

Richardus Eko Indrajit

http://www.indrajit.org

eko@indrajit.org indrajit@post.harvard.edu

Q&A