Workplace Conflict

Running Head Workplace Conflict

Workplace Conflict

In the workplace , conflicts are caused by misunderstanding and low degree of participation in problem solving . Clearly , if the parties can agree on mutual objectives then the problem is far easier to resolve than if they have conflicting objectless and personal agendas . A year ago , my department was faced with several problems caused by poor performance and lack of managerial support : this led to a conflict between managers and subordinates . At the beginning of the conflict , the actions which might have led to negative conflict

were neglect of the problem , response to aggressive behavior of others , and subjectivity (Wood , 2003 , pp . 293-294 . At the very beginning , nobody had wanted to solve the problem avoiding communication and discussions . When the conflict became inevitable , many team members behaved aggressively trying to prove their positions and justified their actions . Aggressive behavior generated violent responses to the problem and subjectivity Only a constructive approach and mediation helped to resolve the conflict . The strategies I used to solve the conflict (mainta8in healthy conflict ) were communication and listening , respect to position of others and account of cultural differences . These strategies helped me to separate the people from the problem focus on interests and not positions search for solutions which can accommodate both interests agree objective criteria . There were close relationships between members of the team and , while it was impossible to avoid the personal dimension , it was necessary to find ways of dealing with it (Wood , 2003 br

. 302

This experience shows that `win-win ' approach begins with the identification of a problem which requires consideration of all team members (Wood , 2003 ,

. 290 . If the issue is pursued then it needs to be defined and a fuller understanding of the nature of the issue needs to be gained . Analysis based on a partial understanding of the problem is likely to be flawed . Dealing with the personal issues and needs in any negotiation is both difficult and important . Working in teams is beneficial for conflict resolution , because , it helps to focus on the interests rather than the positions that the parties have taken . These approaches can help to de-escalate conflict in teams always looking for ways in which both parties can work together to achieve their common objectives

References

Wood , J .T (2003 . Interpersonal Communications . Wadsworth Publishing

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