Appropriate Technique to Manage Conflict within the Work Environment

Question: Discuss appropriate techniques to manage conflict within the work environment Answer: Business environment has become incredibly complex in the 21st century and with that it has become more intricate to manage expectations of employees coming from diverse backgrounds. While it has been a general trend among organizations to maintain diversity so that there is a better exchange of ideas or everyone can bring some particular expertise into the organization nowadays it has led to conflict among different stakeholders. Numerous researches have been conducted to formulate structures which might avoid conflict or resolve conflict (EVERT VAN DE VLIERT, 2001). Some of the popular techniques that are employed are as follows: Being Calm The first and foremost key to successful conflict resolution is to keep a cool head as a manager. Different stakeholders will approach a manager with their part of the story and will try to instigate the authority to take certain actions. It is necessary that they do not fall prey to such ploy and keep calm to proceed with the conflict negotiation Listening It is very crucial to hear to the problems and issues faced by the different stakeholders in the organization. The key to solving any dispute is to understand what the other person is saying which is not done when there are differences in opinion or idea (Mill5, J., Rohey, D., Smith, L., 2005). Active interaction Although there might be certain differences or conflicts between two parties in an organization it is quintessential that both of them concentrate on the commonalities that exist between them. This way of accentuating the positive interaction between two different stakeholders is the only way to resolve any long-standing conflict. Representing one's stand It is pivotal in conflict resolution to express one's position in sound and tactful manner. Every party tries to uphold his or her concern while engaging in a battle but it has to be done in an intelligent and polished way so that the other parties does not take offence in such a stance. Identification of problem In most of the cases, it has been seen that a conflict arises in an organization due to certain problems which are harmful to the company. However, it is a general tendency to blame other parties for any misdeed and attack individuals which further aggravates the issue. So for successful conflict resolution, it is better to concentrate on the problem rather than launching personal attacks (G., 2003). Forward-looking Approach Whatever be the conflict the authority in charge of resolving it should have a perspective view while resolving it. In the past, there might have existed lot of differences among stakeholders but for the growth and development of an organization, it is always better to have a view towards the future (Shockley-Zalahak., 2008). At last, it can be mentioned that if all these factors are properly followed with the right intention, then any complex conflict existing within the organization can be resolved with considerable ease. Complex business environments pose a great threat to manage employees from diverse backgrounds but appropriate conflict management principles instilled in a team can deal with it for the growth and development of the business. References EVERT VAN DE VLIERT, B. K., 2001. TOWARD THEORY-BASED MEASURES OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. Academy of Management Journal, 33(1), pp. 199-209. G., P. D., 2003. Strategic choice in negotiation.. American Rehavioral Scientist, Volume 27, pp. 167-194. Mill5, J., Rohey, D., Smith, L., 2005. . Conflict-handling and personality dimensions of project management personnel.. Psychological Reports, Volume 57, pp. 1135-1143. Shockley-Zalahak., P., 2008. Assessing the Hall conflict management survey. Management Communication Quarterly, Volume 1, pp. 302-320.