Conflict Management: a Reaction Paper

I will inform others that fighting is a normal part of relationships and it is good to negotiate a solution. Often fights are drawn out over a course of time, when the important words are often stated at the beginning. I will highlight that negotiation happens in multiple facets of life as one is trying to get a raise or when one is trying to buy a car. Individuals should learn to practice negotiation and use some of the points made above, such as going to the other person side and watching their conversation from a audience point of view. I will use these tactics as I grow my own family and as I engage with my parents and friends

Once everyone on the team is aware of what the conflict is about and are willing to share their thoughts and feelings for the betterment of the team, then the group can proceed to the next step of resolving the conflict with open communication and respect.

You have to pick the appropriate time to give feedback. This should be done as soon as possible after the event has occurred. Feedback is meant to be given in real time so it is in the person’s mind. When feedback is given too late after the incident the value of the constructive feedback is less.

In order to resolve a conflict i would show I was using careful listening skills and have a calm tactful approach towards that person that offers a compromise that both sides can accept.

How can people best respond to conflicts is a question commonly asked by people going through a difficult situation without any knowledge of how to respond properly to a certain conflict. The reality is: there is no solid answer to this question. It all depends on what your conflict is, and of course in what position you are. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a conflict is an active disagreement, as between opposing opinions or needs[1], and according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary the definition of conflict is: a struggle for power[2] , so without a doubt, what people want as a result in a conflict is to have power over the problem, to have control.

Conflict need not be catastrophic or personal conflicts are simply part of being human. Deal with issues as they arise, avoiding conflict makes situations worse. Time does not resolve matters instead it decreases the chance of a positive outcome. Attempt to understand the other person's point of view because dismissing the other's views, assigning blame, and exclusive focus on your own perspective are all counterproductive. Do not judge emotions, no one's feelings are more or less “right” than the other. Emotions reflect a valid perspective of an individual even if you don't understand it; acknowledge the other person's reaction as important. Focus on the behavior, situation or problem area without attacking the person involved. Do not assume your values or beliefs are “right”, they reflect a view of the world from your unique perspective. Respecting another's viewpoint as equally valuable opens an opportunity for learning and growth (Lifetips moving up in life, 2000).

There are many ways to resolve conflict. Each of these different ways are effective in their own ways. Most of these methods can resolve conflict better in some situations than others. These ways include having a middle man, staying positive, listening to all parties and compromising, and just ignoring the conflict. By far the universally best way to resolve conflict is by staying calm and positive. Some works that show this are “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” by Winston Churchill, and “Dear Miss Breed” by Joanne Oppenheim. Keeping positive is not only the best way to resolve conflict, there are many benefits to staying positive.

This approach can sometimes work to our advantage because we can express this to the other party and we are acting under pressure from our boss or upper management, thus deeming the reluctance to budge on certain issues.

Clearly identifying their emotions and moving to look for a resolution to the conflict. Using the voice response approach would address the issue directly. It does not focus on anger and pointing fingers but rather looks to resolve the issue because it gives each party the opportunity to express their viewpoint. This approach like the loyalty response ensures the other person that you care about the relationship and are seeking to preserve it.

Not to make them change, but to think about the way you handle a conflict.

As individuals, we all have different approaches to deal with conflict. We also all have an order of preference among the styles that influence our communication choices. In this activity, I have taken a self-analysis assessment that identified the preference order I use with my conflicts. I learned that there are five basic orientations for handling conflict and those are avoidance, competition, compromise, accommodation, and collaboration. The assessment today showed me my conflict style preference and the tactics I use for handling conflict. Today, I will write in deeper details about my results of this self-analysis.

Conflict is a fact of life - for individuals, organizations, and societies. The costs of conflict are well-documented - high turnover, grievances and lawsuits, absenteeism, divorce, dysfunctional families, prejudice, fear. What many people don't realize is that well-managed conflict can actually be a force for positive change.

In this case study we will be analyzing a conflict between coworkers from "Not on My Sabbath" by Joy Koesten. The situation involves a woman, Joan, who has been highly successful in the agency in which she works. A problem arises between her and her coworker/superior, Sue, who is seemingly jealous of Joan's quick success. Sue ends up making a change to Joan's job description that conflicts with her religious practices. We will be analyzing their goals, styles, tactics, and approaches to this conflict.

Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., & Law, K. S. (2000). Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams. Personnel Psychology, 53(3), 625-642. This study looked at the management of conflict and linked it empirically with organizational team and efficacy research. There were sixty-one teams with nearly 500 employees studied, all belonging to a leading manufacturer of electronic products. A structural equation analysis was used to show that a cooperative approach to conflict is more effective than a competitive approach to same. Making use of autonomy can also make a person or a team more productive.

Your primary objective is to find a solution. The manager dips into his resources and either reduces or eliminates the conflict. To accomplish this you need to elicit enough information to understand each employees member’s opinion and to define the problem in mutual terms.