Conflicts are natural occurrences in the workplace. They happen because of the many people working together who have different opinions and ideas. Conflicts can be positive; they allow people to listen to various viewpoints and lead to creative solutions. However, conflicts, if not managed, can escalate and ruin workplace relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to understand conflicts and what skills one should possess to manage them. Let's take a look at what conflict management means in the workplace.

Conflict Management Definition

We, as humans, cannot always agree with each other. Our thoughts, beliefs, interests, and courses of action differ. It can often lead to conflict, creating an unpleasant situation. Differences in opinions and ideas while working in a group are usual. Therefore, disputes and conflicts in the workplace are also not uncommon and need to be solved.

Conflict management skills are as crucial for managers as part of their leadership skills.

Conflict Management Styles

The nature of the conflict depends on the nature of the situation that caused it. Efficient elimination of the problem is possible by adjusting the conflict management style. There are five conflict management styles used in the workplace (see Fig. 1), and they are:

• Accommodating style,
• Avoiding style,
• Collaborating style,
• Competing style, and
• Compromising style.

Accommodating Style

We can describe the accommodating style as when one of the involved parties is willing to give in to the other's demands without causing a conflict. The one who gives in may not care about the outcome as much as the other person. It could also be because they think they are wrong or do not see the point in wasting more time on the issue. This style saves time but can build resentment. The accommodating style is usually adopted when building a relationship is more important than the outcome.

Avoiding Style

Unassertive and uncooperative people avoid conflict. They simply choose to avoid a difficult situation. It can mean removing involved parties from the discussion and reassigning new people.

Avoiding conflict is a suitable solution when the managers are not sure about the decision they want to make and are not worried about the outcome. Sometimes the people involved need to cool down and take some time off, and avoiding the conflict can be the best solution in such cases. However, using this technique in certain situations can worsen it.

Collaborating Style

It is the conflict management style in which maintaining long-term relationships is as important as the outcome. Collaborating style conflict management tries to find a solution that best fits both parties. The involved parties get together to discuss and reach a win-win decision. This way, nobody is left feeling ignored. It is a style that combines assertion and cooperation. It can, however, be time-consuming and strenuous to implement.

Competing Style

The competing style is opposite to the collaborative style. This technique is used when maintaining relationships is not significant, but the outcome is. People implementing this style are non-cooperative and assertive. They are unwilling to give in to others' viewpoints and demands. The use of a competing management style inside an organization can break relationships. It yields faster results, but the company's morale can be deeply affected.

Compromising Style

Conflicts can be very tense situations, and efficiently managing them is vital. Not everyone can walk in and solve a conflict. They have to possess a set of skills. The functional skills required for someone to solve a conflict are as follows:

• Attentiveness,

• Emotional intelligence,

• Patience,

• Impartiality, and

• Open communication

Attentiveness

Paying attention to what the other person has to say in a conflict is crucial. Active listening is a fundamental skill for conflict management. An open mind to understand the other person is a part of active listening and paying attention. It helps us better connect with the person and understand their point of view. Responding using the opponent's wording and asking them questions in case of confusion are all part of paying attention to them. Asking them questions will help clear any doubts and help us understand their aims and motivations.

Emotional Intelligence

Approaching a conflict with emotional intelligence can eliminate its chances of escalation. It is a skill that helps understand others' emotions and why they feel them. Understanding the reason behind a person's emotions helps us understand them better and find a logical solution. Emotional intelligence also helps alleviate emotionally overburdening someone, thereby finding logical and creative solutions.

Patience

Patiently approaching a conflict can make all the difference in managing a conflict. It is vital to take the time to listen to every participant and make them feel heard before arriving at a decision. By not doing so, people will feel left out and unheard, thereby escalating the problem. Considering everyone's perspectives will help better understand the problem and make the right decision.

Impartiality

There is a high probability that previous grudges surface in times of conflict. It may be held against the parties involved and cloud their decision-making process. Even if the other person is right, someone holding a grudge against them might disagree with everything they say. In such situations, it is fundamental to remember what the priority is.

It may be necessary to resolve past issues before addressing the current ones. Being impartial and separating the person from the problem is key. The process will facilitate decision-making for situations that matter and require immediate attention.

Open Communication

Open communication ensures that no relationships break because of a conflict. A conflict can estrange as a result. Maintaining open communication will open the possibility of rekindling and fostering the relationship. It will prevent unnecessary escalation of a situation and make future conflicts easier to resolve.

The possibility of openly communicating is crucial when conflicts occur in the workplace. This way, employees do not have to be unpleasant with each other and put others in a difficult situation. Employees can maintain long-lasting relationships only if they facilitate open communication.

Conflict Management Resolution

Resolving conflicts should not be handled lightly. If not handled properly, conflicts can escalate and disrupt workplace relations. The steps to follow to resolve a conflict are as follows:

1. Find the source of the conflict,

2. Discuss the problem in a safe and comfortable environment,

3. Actively listen to all parties and let them have their say,

4. Understand everyone's perception of the situation and analyze it,

5. Find ways to reach a common ground and meet the common goal,

6. Decide on the best style to solve the conflict,

7. Evaluate progress and use conflict-preventive strategies if necessary.

Conflict Management Examples

A workplace witnesses various kinds of conflict. It can be between employees, the manager, clients, etc. Let us take a look at the different workplace conflicts and their management.

1. The product design team is trying to decide on the new Christmas packaging design and should choose from two different options. John believes option A is better and more appealing, whereas Joshua thinks option B is better. To avoid a conflict, Joshua decides to accommodate John's decision because he believes that would work fine as well.

2. Rachel and Jean are architects working together to design a new office space. They have disagreements regarding the open space design. Neither is willing to give in to the other person's suggestion. They are nearing their deadline and must make a decision soon. They decide to avoid the situation and work on individual projects for a couple of days to cool down. This step will help them come back with a new mindset and possibly make a collaborative decision.

3. Blake and Katie need more team members to keep up with the increasing workload. Blake prefers hiring a full-time employee, as he believes the team would need someone on call throughout working hours. On the other hand, Katie thinks they should hire part-time employees considering the company budget. They compromise on hiring two part-time employees that would work alternative shifts. By doing so, the company's cost would be slightly less.

4. Monica manages the sales team and deals with competitive employees. The team will meet a potential client the following week, and if the meeting is successful, it will be a huge sale and a priority client. Two of her team members - Dan and Paul - individually believe that it should be them that meet the client and close the deal. Both of them put forth strong arguments defending their strengths and how they would be the best fit for the job. As they are both adamant about performing this task, Monica has to make a decision and choose one person for the job. This is an example of the competing style of conflict management, but it can cause resentment in the employee the manager did not choose.

5. Two employees - Larry and Angela - are working on a product design. Larry has a set of ideas that he thinks should be incorporated into the design. Angela too has a different set of ideas she wants to add. They discuss each idea and finally decide to collaborate, incorporating a mix of both ideas.