1.

Find the root cause of the issue

Regarding conflict management, the most important and

relevant part is to indentify the root cause of the issue,
gathering all necessary details about the conflict
automatically helps you solve it more easily and find the
most appropriate solutions for all sides involved. Moreover
it is important to listen all sides of the story in order to
build up the most realistic conclusion and point of view.
This will also let both parties confess and share the way
they see the situation so it will become easier to
remediate the disagreement
 2. Empathy

Another crucial aspect in regard to conflict management is to

empathize with both parts. You should basically think of
how you woulld have reacted if you were in the very same
situation. Try unerstanding their reactions, feelings and
thoughts and most important, their needs because most
conflicts appear as a result of frustration. People need to
feel apreciated at work, not only to be efficient when
handling different tasks, but also because they need to
feel like their ideas and opinions are taken into
consideration. This is why, at some point, when they feel
the need to make themselves heard by starting a conflict.
Therefore finding a way to highlight the importance of both
parties and the fact that they are vital parts of the
business/company represent a fundamental step in
managing a conflict.
 COMMUNICATION

In order to prevent conflicts, you should always keep

yourself updated with every minor dispute and to
constantly discuss and listen to all parties
If the conflict emerges, the key to everything is
COMMUNICATION. People are by default different, they
grow up in different ways, they are educated in different
countries, therefore they have different personalities which
lead to different points of view. However, presenting the
issue and discussing in with all parts involved in the
conflict, finding solutions and proper arguments, analysing
all options is the best way of managing a conflictual
situation
Sometimes one of the parts must make a compromise but
this could also be percieved as a positive aspect as long
as the whole group establishes a common goal.
It is always helpful to understand that some people, even if
they have a way of doing things which in your head does
not make any sense, to let your fixed ideas aside and look
into the benefits of others operating strategies, that way,
you do not only avoid a conflict, you may even end up
gaining some new knowledge for yourself, win-win.
Listen, not only with your ears but also with your brain,
process the ideas mentioned by the other party, try
understanding why they might have come to this
conclusion if you feel like not agreeing, it means it has not
crossed your mind, at that point you have to conteplate
whether the argument the oposing side is offering, is one
you should have thought about but missed it, or now, while
considerating, there are some better arguments.
 Conflicts among workplace – how
to avoid them
Positively Encouraging
First and foremost, be positive and give your employees feedback. Doing this is simple,
quick, and makes your employees feel as though their work is being valued. Being
consistent with positive feedback will teach everyone in the office to do the same. One
thing to keep in mind as a manager is that you are also a role model. Set an example for
your employees and deal with your own conflicts and issues the way you would expect
them to.

Work and Humor

Another way you could lighten up the mood in the office is by promoting humor at
work, allowing your employees to have a little fun. People spend the majority of their
day at work, if it’s all seriousness and no fun, you risk having under-productive
employees who most likely won’t last at your company for very long. While our job is
our duty, it should also be our passion. Encourage this attitude by starting a meeting off
with a fun exercise, harmless funny joke, or sending out a non-offensive humorous e-
mail to the whole department.
Awareness
Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try to promote a positive environment at work,
conflicts are bound to arise from time to time. At this point, be aware of what kind of
conflict could be brewing. Is it related to someone’s personal space? Could it be over a
work related task? Is it a personality clash between two individuals? Knowing what the
conflict is about will give you an idea of how to handle the situation. Make your own
observations; once you notice a conflict is disrupting the team’s efficiency and morale,
you can start taking steps to resolve it.
Seek Advice
If you need help solving employee conflict, seek advice from someone who knows, like
your company HR department or senior leadership. An outside perspective can be
beneficial. Regardless of the steps you take to solve a conflict, you could be faced with an
employee who simply refuses to change his or her attitude. This is when you take the
initiative to explain the consequences and follow through with them if the situation
doesn’t change.
One Step Ahead
To avoid conflict from arising altogether, teach your employees how to go about handling
tense situations in general. Explain the importance of using a respectful tone, choosing
the right words, and actively listening to what the other person has to say.
 Personality Differences and Conflict Handling Styles

Personality Differences and Conflict Handling Styles

Competitive: People who tend towards a competitive style take a firm stand, and
know what they want. Typically they pursue their own goals at another person’s
expense. They usually operate from a position of power, drawn from things like
position, rank, expertise, or persuasive ability. We often say that a competitive style
is where someone “stands up for their rights”. This style can be useful when a
decision needs to be made quickly; when the decision is unpopular; or when
defending against someone who is trying to exploit the situation selfishly. However
it can leave people feeling bruised, unsatisfied and resentful when used in less
urgent situations.
Accommodating: This style indicates a willingness to meet the needs of others at
the expense of the person's own needs. A person with this style is both Unassertive
and Cooperative – which is the opposite of competing. The accommodator often
knows when to give in to others, but can be persuaded to surrender a position even
when it is not warranted. Accommodation is appropriate when the issues matter
more to the other party, when peace is more valuable than winning, or when you
want to be in a position to collect on this "favour" you gave. However people may
not return favours, and overall this approach is unlikely to give the best outcomes.
Avoiding: People tending towards this style seek to evade the conflict entirely. They
are Unassertive and Uncooperative. This style is typified by delegating controversial
decisions, accepting default decisions, and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. It
can be appropriate when victory is impossible, when the controversy is trivial, or
when someone else is in a better position to solve the problem. A person with this
style will typically postpone dealing with a problem or sidestep dealing with it at all.
In many situations this is a weak and ineffective approach to take. When we avoid
conflict we are neither trying to achieve results nor addressing relationships with
other people. We simply do not want to deal with the conflict.

Collaborative: People tending towards a collaborative style try to meet the needs of
all people involved. They are both Assertive and Collaborative. These people can be
highly assertive but unlike the competitor, they cooperate effectively and
acknowledge that everyone is important. This style is useful when you need to bring
together a variety of viewpoints to get the best solution; when there has been a
history of previous conflicts in the group; or when the situation is too important for a
simple trade-off. Collaborating may take the form of exploring the disagreement in an
open and frank way or trying to find creative solutions to a problem.
Compromising: People who prefer a compromising style try to find a solution that will at
least partially satisfy everyone. In some situations it may mean the parties making
concessions or seeking a middle-ground solution. The aim is to find some mutually
acceptable solution which will partially satisfy the parties. Compromise is useful when the
cost of conflict is higher than the cost of losing ground, when equal strength opponents are
at a standstill and when there is a deadline looming. When people compromise, each
person partially meets the other’s demands. Compromising sometimes means sacrificing
important needs. It is not unusual for both people to walk away unsatisfied from a
compromise.

There is no perfect style of managing conflict. Each situation calls for a specific approach
which is best for the context. Personal Preferences for Conflict Resolution There are three
main ways in which people respond to others at times of conflict:

• Passive
• Aggressive
• Assertive
CONCLUSION:

Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of

conflict while increasing the positive aspects of conflict. The aim of conflict
management is to enhance learning and group outcomes, including
effectiveness or performance in an organizational setting. Properly managed
conflict can improve group outcomes.