Conflict Management

Conflict Management Edward Crooks MD, CMQ, CLSSBB Source: Leadership for Health Professionals, Theory, Skills and Applications

Conflict Management • Conflict is inevitable and necessary for a vibrant organization • Leaders of change will meet with situation of conflict and so must master conflict management and styles. • Five frameworks form the basis of modern conflict theory and application: • Psychodynamic theory • Field theory • Experimental gaming theory • Human relations theory • Intergroup conflict theory

Conflict Management • If conflict is channeled and managed effectively it becomes a route to: • Change • Improvement • Thought creation • Organizational longevity and survival

Conflict Management • The existence of conflict means that there are opportunities to find improved alternative solutions to the current state of affairs. • Leaders and managers can manage conflict and train others to apply skills and tools of conflict to achieve successful and improved outcomes in their professional lives. • If messages are incongruent, goal conflicts and inconsistencies soon become part of the organizational culture.

Conflict Management Learning, as an organization to constructively manage and succeed in conflict situation is a foundational construct of leadership and management.

Conflict Management Conflict occurs wherever interdependent people or groups (people or groups who depend on one another in some fashion for some need) have different goals and aspirations of achievement amid an environment of scarce resources.

Conflict Management GND P GND GND P P GND Conflict P Group Scarce Resources

Conflict Management We all live, work and socialize with other people and share limited resources and of such conflict will happen and does happen to a varying degrees of intensity.

Conflict Management Problem-solving Style Competing Style Parties identify the problem and work together to solve it Violence, inflicting bodily harm Spectrum

Conflict Management Smoothing • Western civilization phenomenon • Children are taught to “smooth over” conflict • “Play nice”, “You must lean to share”

Morals Fairness Mores Social norms Application Assessment Distributive Justice Methods Less equitable distribution of resources Conflict Situation

Conflict ManagementDistributive Norms defined by Forsyth • Equity: Member’s outcomes should be based upon their inputs. Therefore, an individual who has invested a large amount of input (e.g. time, money, energy) should receive more from the group than someone who has contributed very little. Members of large groups prefer to base allocations of rewards and costs on equity. • Equality: Regardless of their inputs, all group members should be given an equal share of the rewards/costs. Equality supports that someone who contributes 20% of the group’s resources should receive as much as someone who contributes 60%. • Power: Those with more authority, status, or control over the group should receive more than those in lower level positions. • Need: Those in greatest needs should be provided with resources needed to meet those needs. These individuals should be given more resources than those who already possess them, regardless of their input. • Responsibility: Group members who have the most should share their resources with those who have less.

Morals Fairness Mores Social norms Application Assessment Distributive Justice Methods Less equitable distribution of resources Conflict Situation

Conflict Management Quality conflict management should produce the following outcomes: • A wise agreement if an agreement is possible • An efficient solution • A potentially innovative solution • Movement toward positive change in the organization • A better relationship between conflicting parties (or at least not damage the relationship)

Conflict Management How can the health leader manage conflict: • Different situations require different styles. • Training organizational stakeholders on the effective use of conflict styles

Conflict Management Conflict occurs: • Due to differing preferences and nuances • Over resources • Difficult relationships • Differing values • Differing perceptions

Initial conflict over an issue or difference Primary Tension • Leadership interventions • Conflict management • Conflict style training Conflict over the process for actually dealing with the issue of difference Secondary Tension

Reasons for Conflict • Preferences and nuances • Resources • Values • Relationships • Perceptions Primary Tension People Goals Conflict Management Leadership Secondary tension Conflict Management No conflict can lead to groupthink Goals Constructive conflict Failure Destructive conflict

Conflict Management Groupthink A negative group decision, occurs when there is no conflict.

Conflict Management • There are six basic conflict management styles • Each persons has a dominant style and a secondary style that are relatively stable. • Conflict styles are a learning skill set - all six styles can be learned, applied and mastered • Situation differ from day to day so it is important to understand and be able to apply different conflict styles. • Learning and practicing will lead to flexibility in conflict situations.

Conflict Management Six basic conflict management styles: • Accommodating • Avoiding • Collaborating • Competing • Compromising • Problem solving

Conflict Management Accommodating • When you find that you are wrong; to allow a better position to be heard, to learn and to show your reasonableness • When issues are more important to others than to you: to satisfy others and maintain cooperation • To build social capital for later issues • To minimize your loses when you are outmatched and loosing the conflict • When harmony and stability are important to you • To allow subordinates to develop by learning from their mistakes

Conflict Management Avoiding • When the issue is trivial and more important issues are pressing • When you perceive no chance of satisfying your needs • When the potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution • To let people cool down and regain perspective • When gathering information supersedes immediate decision making • When issues seem a result of other issues

Conflict Management Collaborating • To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised • When your objective is to learn • To merge insights from people with different perspectives • To gain commitment by incorporating concern into a consensus • To work through feeling that have harmed an interpersonal relationship

Conflict Management Competing • When quick decisive action is vital (emergency situations – disaster, terrorism) • On important issues where unpopular actions need implementing (cost cutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline) • On issues vital to company welfare and survival when you know you are right • Against people who take advantage on noncompetitive behavior

Conflict Management Compromising • When goals are important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption of competing • When opponents with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals • To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues • To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure • As a backup when collaboration or competition is unsuccesssful

Conflict Management Problem solving • May not always work ( it takes two to make this style work) • Requires broader range of strategies • Points for problem solving • Both parties have a vested interest in the outcome (the resolution). • Both parties believe a better solution cane be achieved through problem-based collaboration. • Both parties recognize that the problem is caused by the relationship, not the people involved. • The focus is on solving the problem, not accommodating differing views.

Conflict Management • Points for problem solving (continued) • Both parties are flexible. • Both parties understand that all solutions have positive and negative aspects • Both parties understand each other’s issues • The problem is looked at objectively, not personally. • Both parties are knowledgeable about conflict management • Allowing everyone to “save face” is important • Successful outcomes are celebrated openly

Conflict Management The dynamic nature of healthcare organizations requires leaders to become competent in using each conflict style.

Conflict styles regarding concern for self and others High Assertiveness Compromise Problem solving Competition Competition Concern for self Avoiding Accommodation Low Assertiveness Low Cooperation Concern for others High Cooperation

Conflict Management Essential steps to follow in conflict management: • Stay calm and rational • Use facts (do your homework) • Understand the resource implications and limitations surround the conflict • Listen to how you feel and know what you want or need • Try to imagine what the other(s) feel, want and need • Use a process to select strategy such as the decision method • Rehearse your strategy • Be prepared to modify your approach if necessary

Conflict Management Tenets to keep when in midst of conflict: • Separate people form the problem or conflict as much as possible. • Focus on interests, not positions. • Avoid always having a “bottom line”. • Think about the worst and best solutions and know what you can “live with”. • General several possibilities before deciding what to do. • Insist that the result (resolution) be base on some objective standard

Conflict Management Salient Points for Conflict Management (Fisher, Ury, and Patton’s 1991 work) • Do no bargain over positions. • Separate people from the problem. • Focus on interests, not positions • Invent options for mutual gain • Insist on using objective criteria to resolve the issue. • Use your “best alternative to a negotiated agreement.” • Get the other party to negotiate.

Conflict Management Selecting a conflict style: Decision tree (table) • Selecting a conflict style depends on several factors • Interpersonal relationship with others(those in conflict against you) • Resources available (time) • Resources not available • Importance of the issue at hand

Conflict Management In the decision tree model, these factors take the form of high/yes or low/no answers to the following questions. • Is (are) the issue (issues) important to you? • Is (are) the issue (issues) important to the other party? • Is the relationship with the other party important to you? • How much time is available and how much pressure/stress is there to come to resolutions? • How much do you trust the other party?

Conflict Management

Conflict Management