Conflict in project management is not necessarily unfavorable when properly managed. Several advantages have been identified such as increasing personal growth and morale, enhancing communication, and producing better project outcomes. However, conflict can be the decline of an organization if it is not effectively managed. The challenge for organizational leaders and project managers is to try to maintain the right balance and intensity of conflict in project management. By utilizing project management principles, understanding the dynamics of conflict, and learning approaches to conflict resolution, managers will be able to establish an environment in which creativity and innovation is encouraged and project goals are accomplished. Show
Conflict resolution skills are abilities that enable you to mediate disputes and achieve consensus. Key Takeaways
How Do Conflict Resolution Skills Work?Conflict resolution skills are required for a wide range of positions across many job sectors. This requirement is based on the fact that conflict tends to reduce productivity and create a difficult work environment, leading to unwanted turnover in staff and reduced morale. Individuals who can resolve conflicts are often excellent mediators, rational, and able to manage difficult personalities from a place of empathy. What Is Conflict Resolution?Conflict resolution is the process by which two or more parties reach a peaceful resolution to a dispute. In the workplace, there can be a variety of types of conflict:
NoteSome conflicts are essentially arbitrary, meaning it doesn’t matter who “wins,” only that the problem is resolved so everyone can get back to work. But some conflicts reflect real disagreements about how an organization should function. The Conflict Resolution ProcessThe resolution of conflicts in the workplace typically involves some or all of the following processes:
Examples of Conflict Resolution Skills
Types of Conflict Resolution SkillsAssertivenessAn employee might seek out a person with whom they're having conflict to suggest working together to find ways to co-exist more peacefully.
Interviewing and Active ListeningA human resources representative might have to ask questions and listen carefully to determine the nature of a conflict between a supervisor and a subordinate.
EmpathyA mediator might encourage empathy by asking employees in conflict to each describe how the other might be feeling and thinking, and how the situation might look to the other party. Empathy is also an important skill for mediators, who must be able to understand each party’s perspective, without necessarily agreeing with either.
FacilitationManagers of rival departments might facilitate a joint brainstorming session with their teams to generate solutions to ongoing points of conflict. Group facilitation techniques can also be used to avoid triggering conflict during group decision-making in the first place.
MediationA supervisor might guide subordinates who are in conflict through a process to identify mutually agreeable changes in behavior.
Problem SolvingA supervisor might redefine the roles of two conflict-prone staff to simply eliminate points of friction. Creativity can also mean finding new win/win solutions.
AccountabilityA supervisor might document conflict-initiating behaviors exhibited by a chronic complainer as preparation for a performance appraisal. In this way, the supervisor helps establish accountability, since the employee can no longer pretend the problem isn’t happening.
More Conflict Resolution Skills
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)What are job skills?Job skills are abilities that allow you to perform your work. These include hard skills, which are the technical knowledge that helps you do your job, and soft skills, which involve being able to work with others. What are soft skills?Soft skills, otherwise known as people skills or interpersonal skills, are the abilities that help you work with colleagues, managers, and clients. Examples of soft skills include teamwork, communication skills, and work ethic. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other SubmitSources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. What method of handling conflict uses an independent third party?Arbitration
In arbitration, a neutral third party serves as a judge who is responsible for resolving the dispute. The arbitrator listens as each side argues its case and presents relevant evidence, then renders a binding decision.
What is the process of conflict management?Thomas has identified five modes for conflict resolution: (1) competing, (2) collaborating, (3) compromising, (4) avoiding, and (5) accommodating. We will discuss these modes in further detail below.
Which of the following is a cause of conflict in the workplace?Additional sources of conflict can include poor management, unfair or discriminatory treatment, inadequate training, lack of opportunities, unhealthy competition, changes to internal systems, mergers, acquisitions or layoffs, or even an unintentional slight or annoying habit that rubs someone the wrong way.
What method of dispute resolution is less expensive and more constructive than traditional approaches?What method of dispute resolution is less expensive and more constructive than traditional approaches? A creative win-win approach that seeks mutual gain for all parties is negotiation.
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