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The importance of conflict management

In any type of working activity conflict may be seen as a possible component of it. Within the organization it can be defined as an interactive process that is manifested by incompatibility, disagreement, or dissonance within or between social entities such as individuals, groups or organizations (Rahim, 2001).

In fact, the interaction between people with different characters and approaches to work can lead to conflicts, which have to be analysed and understood in order to prevent them from becoming chronic and to solve them effectively. In psychology, there is a field called conflict management.

So, dealing with and managing the conflict becomes a very important skill that managers should have; also, being aware of the importance of this process can be useful equally for all of the components of a company. This article will provide some ideas about it.

Problem number one: communication

In almost all cases, at the origin of a conflict there is a lack of adequate communication. Why? There may be several explanations: the complexity of the activity is always higher, the difficulty in working as a team (for this issue team building activities may be helpful), the low esteem of colleagues, the lack of willingness to listen and, conversely, the lack of communication skills and so on.

The phases of conflict management and the SPACE model

First you have to analyse the situation, then to determine the desired situation and then to decide how to act. The elements to be considered in conflict management can be summarized in the model SPACE:

S = self. Analysing those who are involved and what are the reasons that cause them to do so.

P = purpose. You must have clear objectives of the subjects involved. Often personal goals overlap those business ones generating misunderstandings and conflicts.

A = audience. Figuring out who is involved in addition to the actors, and how these relationships impact on the protagonists of the conflict.

C = code. Speaking of communication, we need to study the code that was used (verbal or written) and figure out where something has been distorted, hidden, generalized.

E = experience. Consider the experiential limitations, such as the personal history of those involved, motivation, vision and values, situational aspects.

So, what is necessary to solve a conflict?

Surely the key point for the success of the conflict management is the presence of a strong and effective leadership. The willingness of management to have a clear and transparent communication is very important in order to create a climate of trust, which is essential for a working environment.

In addition, the same willingness there must be on the employees side, in order to create a collaborative approach.

Using a medical language, we can say that a certain level of conflict is physiological, but it’s necessary to take action quickly to ensure it does not become pathological.

 

 

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