Monday, November 16, 2009

deKrizia L's Reducing Conflict in the Workplace




Conflict in the workplace as well as our daily lives is very common. The conflict itself can help us identify necessary changes to resolve the conflict. Unfortunately many of us become complacent; not willing to step out of our comfort zone and make the changes necessary to solve the problem. Many of us would rather leave the conflict alone, to "solve itself". Unresolved conflict can surface feelings of hopelessness, defeat, dissatisfaction as well as many other negative emotions. Once ill will has surfaced, a slight disagreement can quickly become a full-blown feud, or by addressing the situation with these practical and easy tips you can turn anger and hostility into positive feelings, creating a more productive environment.

Identify the Problem

Identify a clear and specific problem. Make sure everyone involved agrees there is a problem and knows exactly what the problem is.

Identify a mediator

When solving conflicts it's important to involve a neutral third party. This helps ensure both sides are fair and sensible in solving the issue.

Allow everyone involved to state his/her opinions about the problem

Everyone deserves the opportunity to express their opinion and in the workplace differing opinions should be encouraged. It's the job of the mediator to make sure everyone involved feels safe and supported.

Identify the ideal end result

This is important because most of the time the seperate goals turn out to be extremely similar

Figure out what can realistically be done to achieve each individual's goals and develope a compromise

It's important to take action and realize how it will affect future projects; if it doesn't work, what's the worst that could happpen? If no one agrees on any aspect of the problem, try to work backwards by identifying a long-term goal that everyone agrees with.

http://allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management-conflict-resolution/12260-1.html

Image From: http://sreejith.net/category/hmm/page/2

5 comments:

  1. Good Post. I thought you gave some good points. I also liked the cartoon you used.

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  2. Nice job, you made the information easily accessible and even easier to follow. I agree with the points you stated, communication is key!

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  3. I like how your post is setup step by step, it walks you through the process of resolving a conflict. Plus the cartoon adds a little humor to lighten the mood of the subject.

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  4. Great job including an easy to follow process for solving conflicts. I also liked that you pointed out that people are inclined to ignore problems until they get worse rather than trying to solve them. Good post!

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  5. The cartoon you used is a great example of how workers tend to get when angry! Well not to that extent but it's the idea! Great job!

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