Live in zenitude thanks to our conflict management techniques

Within socially relevant organizations such as corporations and businesses, where cooperation (and competition) is the order of the day, it is normal for conflict to find particular space. It is up to managers and human resources to do their best to manage this issue as best they can.

Conflict establishes a climate of discomfort, which is why people always try to avoid it. But can conflicts be dealt with differently? Knowing how to deal with conflict management is a soft skill that it is best to acquire to avoid unpleasant situations and a constant climate of tension.

Are you reading these lines and think that your business environment is a trench where conflicts occur every day?

Rest assured! Appvizer in this article will explain how to intelligently manage conflicts.

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What conflict management means

Détente is the key word behind conflict management. A climate, in which suppressed disputes and enmities are not eliminated, leads to an irreparable drop in productivity as the overall mood of the company is affected. For this reason, rapid conflict resolution is important. There are multiple conflict resolution techniques that are very effective in resolving tense situations within the company. Unfortunately, people do not always get to resolve problems on their own, but need the intervention of a third person to mediate and prevent the conflict from escalating.

Knowing how to resolve disputes means coming to a truce and not persisting in finding a winner at all costs. In fact, this solution would again lead to escalation of conflicts. The goal of conflict management is to foster mutual understanding of the two counterparts and the reaching of compromises. For this reason, a conflict management expert will not propose solutions to the problem, but rather a window of dialogue that allows the two counterparts to arrive at a solution.

What is the goal of conflict management?

Based on what we have already reiterated, conflict management is not the same thing as conflict resolution, since it comes into play at the time when negotiation is possible. The two counterparts are defending their interests, so it is crucial to understand whether or not a compromise can be reached. If it is the primary needs that come into play, then it becomes more difficult to talk about conflict management. One enters the realm of conflict resolution. Since the two terms have similar characteristics, it is not easy to draw a clear line between the two: in fact, both are used in business.

A third distinction to be made is that between conflict management and conflict resolution: the latter aims to find a solution that does not escalate the conflict and allows corporate work to continue without further hiccups.

Conflict transformation, unlike conflict resolution, aims to solve the problem in the long term. In this situation, it is not the conflict itself that is important, but the situation that contributed to the conflict. For this reason, the goal is the improvement of the overall situation so that such problems do not happen again. The counterparts behind the conflict should be part of this process so that a climate of collective harmony is recreated.

How to manage conflicts in a work group?

S.P.A.C.E. model.

For proper conflict management, one of the most effective models is the S.P.A.C.E. model.

Space represents the following acronym:

• "S" stands for "self"
• "P" stands for "purpose"
• "A" stands for "audience"
• "C" stands for "code"
• "E" stands for "experience"

Self

Self means analyzing the situation in detail. What is the role we play in managing the conflict? What are the other parties involved? What are the disputes raised by those involved? And how can the roles of those involved affect the work environment?

Purpose

Purpose means being clear about the goals that each counterpart wants to achieve. For example, it may happen that personal goals conflict with corporate prerogatives, leading to an atmosphere of conflict and tension.

Goals must be:

• formulated in a positive way
• be expressed by the person defining them
• measurable
• shared

Audience

Apart from the people involved in the conflict, who else is affected by the dispute? Can other people positively or negatively influence the participants in the conflict? Have they followed the conflict from the beginning or in the process? What is their role in the story? Did they try to resolve the situation or exacerbate the conflict?

Code

Code or code, and code means the forms of communication employed, whether verbal or written. What are the elements that were not understood or were misunderstood? One must make sure that the message was conveyed clearly and accurately.

Experience

Experience refers to the personal history and situational aspects that the two people who are part of the conflict carry with them. This stage is important to understand what solutions are most appropriate for conflict resolution. When performing this analysis, the factors to consider are as follows:

• Vision and values;
• Relationships;
• Focus;
• Motivation;
• Creativity/innovation;
• Methods, material, time, space.

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What skills Do you need to show to manage conflict?

In recent years, in the area of conflict management, we are increasingly talking about problem solving. This is a cognitive strategy through which it is possible to analyze a situation in detail so as to figure out the right way to solve the problem.

This cognitive process can be applied to conflict management in business since it is based on a flexible 5-step model.

1. Framing the problem

To get to the point of managing a conflict better, the key is to invest time and energy in identifying the problem in terms of needs, fears and feelings. In 1976, MacCrimmon and Taylor gave the following definition of a problem: It is a gap between the status quo and the state one would like to achieve. In order to arrive at an accurate analysis of the problem, a gap analysis, i.e., a comparison between the current situation and the hoped-for situation in the future, must be carried out.

2.Consider all possible solutions

Do not just see the conflict and related problem, but try to think of alternative and creative ideas to change the problematic conflict into a tension-free situation. Brainstorming sessions in this case prove to be very effective in getting to manage the conflict, if not optimally, at least acceptably.

3.Identify the winning solution

Once all possible solutions have been considered, one must decide which is the best one to adopt to manage the conflict in question. One must sift through all options and discard those that are invalid or inapplicable to the conflict at hand.

The parameters to be applied to the choice may be based on effectiveness, time, cost, or effort required to implement the solution to the problem or conflict.

4. Establish the plan of attack

At this time, the next steps to be implemented must be established. A plan B must always be provided in case something goes wrong. The famous 5W rule (who, what, where, when, and why) will be helpful in devising the winning strategy to best manage the conflict.

5.The time to act

You cannot apply problem solving strategies if you do not take action. It may happen that some decisions are riskier than others, but that should not stop you from taking action. Success is also achieved through some failure: it is part of the game.

If a conflict is handled superficially, using strategies such as forcing or abandonment, the result will simply be resentment, indifference, or at worst, an irreparable rupture. If, on the other hand, it is handled intelligently, the conflict can be transformed into a renewed climate of trust, improving the existing bond between the two interlocutors.