Introduction

Conflict is a common phenomenon in an organization and may affect the working conditions of employees. Besides, wherever, there are people, conflict will always exist. Therefore, managers have the responsibility to deal with conflict in the workplace every day. Conflict occurs when one or more participants perceive the current situation as intolerable (Overton & Lowry, 2013). When members get themselves in such a situation, at least one party will try to voice their opinion to achieve ideal conditions. Regarding conflict resolution, we can evolve and redefine ourselves and the relationship we have with our society. Conflict resolution refers to the way to find a solution to a disagreement among two or more parties. Conflicts results in reduced productivity thus managers in Wal-Mart spend 20% of their time to reach an agreement with employees (Slaikeu & Hasson, 2012). When resolving conflict, one should have the ability to identity and handle it sensibly, fairly and efficiently (Slaikeu & Hasson, 2012). In an organization, it is essential that there are individuals who understand conflicts and can provide an efficient resolution. Conflict resolution helps to strengthen the bond among employees by reducing stress and tension resulting in effective long-term relationships, increased productivity and reduced litigation cost. For instance, Wal-Mart, reported a 50% reduction in litigation cost due to the development of collaborative conflict management system (Slaikeu & Hasson, 2012). Due to the overlap of our areas of conflict, we tend to allow personal issues to influence our working environment and vice-versa. Once we recognize our areas of conflict, it becomes easy to challenge and overcome them in a positive manner.

Skills Needed for Handling Conflicts

Establish a Dialogue and Negotiate

In the case of a conflict in an organization, the leader should arrange a meeting with all involve parties and discuss the issue. Besides, the leader should give everyone an opportunity to speak so that they can gain a full understanding of the conflict. Engaging in a group meeting may hasten the resolution that will satisfy everyone (Prieto-Remón, Cobo-Benita, Ortiz-Marcos, & Uruburu, 2015). Moreover, it is essential to keep the discussion relevant and stay focused on a positive outcome.

Communication Skills

In situations of a conflict, on should choose a language that is concise and avoid general terms. According to Overton and Lowry (2013), communication skills entail listening and speaking that allows one to have a more effective exchange of facts and feelings. Therefore, when handling a conflict, one should portray the ability to use non-defensive language and behavior. Similarly, one should articulate his opinion of the situation and interest in the decision. In an organizational setting, just listening to an issue raised by the employee is a step in resolving the conflict.

Recognize and Manage your Emotions

One can understand himself and others through emotional awareness. By knowing how you feel or why you feel that way paves the way to communicate effectively during a disagreement. Therefore, a person’s ability to handle conflicts depends on his connections to feelings such as anger, sadness, and fear. One should be able to control negative emotions (Overton & Lowry, 2013). Moreover, it is significant to understand that one can manage emotions by being able to talk about emotion rather than act out of emotion.

Create and Maintain a Bond, even with the Opponent

One does not need to like someone to form a bond with them. What individuals need is a common goal. We should treat people as friends and not enemies. The relationship should be based on mutual respect, positive regards, and cooperation (Prieto-Remón, Cobo-Benita, Ortiz-Marcos, & Uruburu, 2015). Leaders in an organization should learn to separate employees from the problem and prevent the other party from giving negative responses.

References

Overton, A. R., & Lowry, A. C. (2013). Conflict management: difficult conversations with difficult people. Clinics in colon and rectal surgery, 26(04), 259-264.

Prieto-Remón, T. C., Cobo-Benita, J. R., Ortiz-Marcos, I., & Uruburu, A. (2015). Conflict Resolution to Project Performance. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 194, 155-164.

Slaikeu, K. A., & Hasson, R. H. (2012). Controlling the costs of conflict: How to design a system for your organization. John Wiley & Sons.

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