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Conflict management
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INTRODUCTION 

Conflict management refers to the process of eliminating the negative results of conflict while also highlighting the positives that come along with it.When working on any team, conflict management is a necessary skill. A business can run like a well-oiled machine, but the reality is that conflict will persist.Contrary to what most people would think, conflict in the workplace doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing with a difficult employee.

When coworkers experience conflict, it not only means they are comfortable enough to express their opinions, but lessons in internal communication are learned on both ends during the conflict management process.

While some personality types might stick with one method in particular, there is more than one way to resolve a conflict. Actually, there are five.

Though conflict is a normal and natural part of any workplace, it can lead to absenteeism, lost productivity, and mental health issues. At the same time, conflict can be a motivator that generates new ideas and innovation as well as leads to increased flexibility and a better understanding of working relationships. However, conflict needs to be effectively managed in order to contribute to the success of organizations.

 

Collaborating Style: A combination of being assertive and cooperative, those who collaborate attempt to work with others to identify a solution that fully satisfies everyone’s concerns. In this style, which is the opposite of avoiding, both sides can get what they want and negative feelings are minimized. “Collaborating works best when the long-term relationship and outcome are important—for example, planning for integrating two departments into one, where you want the best of both in the newly formed department,” Dr. Benoliel says.

Competing Style: Those who compete are assertive and uncooperative and willing to pursue one’s own concerns at another person’s expense. Dr. Benoliel explains using this style works when you don’t care about the relationship but the outcome is important, such as when competing with another company for a new client. But, she cautions, “Don’t use competing inside your organization; it doesn’t build relationships.”

Avoiding Style: Those who avoid conflict tend to be unassertive and uncooperative while diplomatically sidestepping an issue or simply withdrawing from a threatening situation. “Use this when it is safer to postpone dealing with the situation or you don’t have as great a concern about the outcome, such as if you have a conflict with a co-worker about their ethics of using FaceTime on the job.”

Accommodating Style: The opposite of competing, there is an element of self-sacrifice when accommodating to satisfy the other person. While it may seem generous, it could take advantage of the weak and cause resentment. “You can use accommodating when you really don’t care a lot about the outcome but do want to preserve or build the relationship,” Dr. Benoliel says, “such as going out for lunch with the boss and agreeing, ‘If you want to go for Thai food for lunch, that’s OK with me.’”

Compromising Style: This style aims to find an expedient, mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties in the conflict while maintaining some assertiveness and cooperativeness. “This style is best to use when the outcome is not crucial and you are losing time; for example, when you want to just make a decision and move on to more important things and are willing to give a little to get the decision made,” Dr. Benoliel says. “However,” she adds, “be aware that no one is really satisfied

 

The term "conflict management" refers to the process of minimising the negative effects that conflict has while simultaneously emphasising the advantages that can be gained from it. Conflict management is a talent that is essential to have when working in a team of any kind. Even if everything in your company runs smoothly, arguments will always be a part of doing business.

When there is contention in the job, it does not necessarily signify that you are dealing with a challenging worker, contrary to what the majority of people would believe. When employees have disagreements, it not only indicates that they feel free to voice their thoughts, but it also provides an opportunity for both parties to improve their skills in internal communication as they work through the process of resolving the problem.

There is more than one way to settle a dispute, despite the fact that certain personality types may be inclined to stick with a single approach in particular. In point of fact, there are five of them.

Even while disagreements are a natural and typical part of the job, they nonetheless have the potential to cause absenteeism, decreased productivity, and mental health problems. On the other hand, conflict can be a motivator that leads to increased flexibility and a better understanding of working relationships, as well as new ideas and innovations. It can also generate new ideas and innovations. On the other hand, in order for conflict to contribute to the success of organisations, it is necessary for there to be an efficient management of it.

 

People who collaborate use a style that is a combination of being assertive and cooperative. They make an effort to work with other people to find a solution that fully satisfies everyone's concerns, and they do this by working together. This approach, which is the polar opposite of avoidance, allows both parties to receive what they want while simultaneously reducing the intensity of unpleasant emotions. According to Dr. Benoliel, collaborating is most effective "when the long-term relationship and outcome are important." This could include, for instance, planning for the integration of two departments into one, where you want the best aspects of both departments to be included in the newly formed department.

Mode of Competition: People who compete have a style that is aggressive and uncooperative, and they are eager to pursue their own concerns at the expense of another person. According to Dr. Benoliel, you should employ this mode of communication when you don't care about the relationship but the outcome is important. One example of this scenario is when you are competing with another company for a new client. On the other hand, she issues a word of warning, saying, "Do not use competing within your organisation; it does not foster connections."

Those who try to stay out of trouble have a tendency to be passive and uncooperative, while also trying to diplomatically sidestep an issue or simply withdraw from a potentially dangerous situation. This is known as the avoidance style. "Use this when it is safer to postpone dealing with the situation or you don't have as great of a concern about the outcome, such as if you have a conflict with a co-worker about the ethics of using FaceTime on the job," "Use this when it is safer to postpone dealing with the situation," "Use this when it is safer to postpone dealing with the situation," "Use this when

The accommodating style is the antithesis of the competitive style in that it requires an element of self-sacrifice in order to satisfy the needs of the other individual. Even though it could appear to be generous, it might actually take advantage of the vulnerable and lead to feelings of bitterness. According to Dr. Benoliel, "You can utilise accommodating when you really don't care a lot about the outcome but do want to protect or build the connection," and an example of this would be going out to lunch with the boss and agreeing, "If you want to go for Thai food for lunch, that's OK with me."

Style of Compromise: This style seeks to find an expedient, mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties in the conflict while maintaining some assertiveness and cooperativeness. The goal of this style is to find a solution that is partially satisfactory to both parties in the conflict. According to Dr. Benoliel, "this approach works best when the result is not critical and you are wasting time; for example, when you want to merely make a decision and go on to more essential things and are willing to give a little to have the decision made." "However," she continues, "remember that nobody is truly content."

-By Siddharth Kumar

Symbiosis Law School Pune

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