It’s a known fact that at some point in our careers we are going to face a conflict – be it with our boss, a fellow employee, a citizen of the community, or a business partner. It’s even been reported that 85% of employees deal with conflict to some degree at an average of 2.8 hours per week in the workplace.

So how as leaders do we approach the issue of conflict? For one, we need ways to encourage a more positive view of conflict by treating it as a resource rather than a burden. Below is a framework for proactive conflict management and recommendations that can be used in any of three situations: (1) when you are helping to resolve conflict, (2) when you are designing a conflict management system, and (3) when you are a party to a conflict.

Some organizations conduct annual planning sessions to look at where they are, where they want to be, and how they are going to get there. A proactive system for conflict management applies the same broad concepts to the condition of relationships. Although the following tips from the ICMA publication, Resolving Conflict, focus on intraorganizational conflict, the process described can be applied to individuals or groups outside as well.

Tip 1: Diagram relationships and the current state of conflict.

List all the relationships that might affect the performance of a department. Indicate the degree of interaction, the importance of the relationship, its quality, and the level of conflict. This can be done in tabular form (indicating “high” to “low”) or graphically. Then, take a first cut at establishing priorities, such as which relationships are the most important to work on first. For high-priority relationships, describe the current state of disagreement. What has transpired so far? What has been communicated? What are the demands of each party? Describe perceived or actual threats to the organization if the conflict is not resolved. 

Tip 2: Classify the basis of the disagreement.

1. Is this an information conflict? Does it originate from lack of information, hoarding of information, misinterpretations, inaccurate information?
2. Does the conflict stem from personality differences? Is stereotyping involved? Contrasting styles? Poor communication? Petty annoyances?
3. Is the conflict about value differences? Do ideology, standards, ethics, or worldview come into play?
4. Is the conflict structured? Does it center on issues of power or control, turf, or role definition? Does it stem from procedures, physical, or time constrains, allocation of resources?

Tip 3: Develop a vision.

What do you want the relationship to look like, and by when do you want it to look like that? 

Tip 4: Determine what you need to know that you don’t know yet.

What information do you need before deciding how to proceed? Do you need expert advice or to consult with other parties? 

Tip 5: Review the available strategic choices for dealing with the difference.

Develop a rationale for each one, then choose from the following strategies.

• Avoid it: Let it go, either temporarily or permanently.
• Force it: Impose your own solution, through litigation, force, or persuasion.
• Accommodate: Agree to the other party’s demands.
• Compromise: Look for a solution in which both parties give up some of their demands.
• Collaborate: Commit to finding a new framework for creative solutions, possibly expanding the solutions beyond the bounds of the current disagreement.

Tip 6: Consider other things and choose a strategy.

1. Time and cost issues. What is at stake? What are the relative costs of each strategy?
2. Power issues. What historical, legal, or administrative factors are at play? What are the external alliances or pressures that may come into play?
3. What’s the worst thing or best thing that can happen?
4. Relationship issues. Is this an ongoing relationship that will be important in the future? What is the current level of trust between the parties? 

Tip 7: Final preparation for the negotiation.

1. Describe the dispute and the known positions of all parties, including both agreed-upon and contested facts.
2. Develop the latest view of your own interest-based vision.
3. Develop the latest view of the other party’s interest-based vision.
4. Look for known rules, regulations, and standards.
5. Consider options, cost, and benefits.
6. Put yourself in the other party’s place: figure what their best and worst alternatives are, how they can get what they want, what their options are.
7. Determine the probable limits of what you – and the other party – will accept.
8. Find out who is going to negotiate and what they are like; learn about their strengths, foibles, and styles.
9. Develop a disclosure plan: what will you reveal, and when?
10. Avoid the trap of false assumptions about your power or lack of it. 

Tip 8: Use the results: Inform your organization.

Create feedback mechanisms to inform the relevant management systems in your organization.

1. First, decide where in the organization the information about the dispute should be channeled, then determine whether or not the conflict is worthy of deeper analysis and possible system changes.
2. Determine how to address the cause of the dispute, thereby reducing the cost or frequency of future similar disputes.
3. Determine what changes, if any, need to be made in the dispute management mechanisms.

If relationship analysis and planning is done on a regular basis, then the management of differences will become useful and effective, and will no longer be considered an experience to be feared.

Content from this post has been extracted from the ICMA publication, Resolving Conflict.

Learn more on change, civility, continuity, values, and leadership at the Williamsburg Leadership Institute.