Conflict management

Conflict
Management
Dr. Ghaiath M. Abas, MBBS
FMOH-DGHPD

Conflict Management, July 2006
Dr. Ghaiath M. Abas, FMOH/DGHPD
Conflict
 “You have to transform the conflict, not let
it explode into violence nor suppress it”.
"Gandhi:
 “Give the conflict back to the people - they
are the best ones to solve it”
Niels Christie:

In this presentation
 Conflict philosophy
 definition of conflict
 The differences between "competition" and
"conflict"
 Common causes of conflict
 How to identify signs and stages of conflict
 How to manage and resolve conflict
situations
 Conflict prevention

Conflict philosophy:
 Conflicts exist always, and everywhere
 Conflicts are a socially constructed reality
 The destructive element of a conflict is not
inevitable

What’s Conflict?
 Conflicts are disagreements between two
(or more) individuals that create tension in
one or more individuals

"competition" or "conflict”?
 "Competition" usually brings out the best
in people, as they strive to be top in their
field, whether in sport, community affairs,
politics or work.
 When competition becomes unfriendly or
bitter, though, conflict can begin - and this
can bring out the worst in people

Common causes of conflict
 scarcity of resources (finance, equipment,
facilities, etc)
 different attitudes, values or perceptions
 disagreements about needs, goals, priorities and
interests
 poor communication
 poor or inadequate organisational structure
 lack of teamwork
 lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities

Conflicts come in three main types:
• intrapersonal
•Interpersonal
•Iinter-group
Each of the three conflict types builds upon
one another to create the final problem

Conflict between individual
 People have differing styles of
communication, ambitions, political or
religious views and different cultural
backgrounds

Conflict between groups of
people
 Whenever people form groups, they tend
to emphasise the things that make their
group "better than" or "different from" other
groups

Conflict within a group of people
 Even within one organisation or team,
conflict can arise from the individual
differences or ambitions mentioned earlier;
or from rivalry between sub-groups or
factions.

Team development stages
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Closing

Factors influencing team
building/effectiveness
Task
Individual Team

"Disputes of right" and
"disputes of interest“…
 "disputes of right", where people or groups
are entitled by law, by contract, by
previous agreement or by established
practice to certain rights.
 A dispute of rights is, therefore, usually
settled by legal decision or arbitration and
not by negotiation

"Disputes of right" and "disputes
of interest“…cont.
 "disputes of interest", where the conflict may be
a matter of opinion, such as where a person or
group is entitled to some resources or privileges
(such as access to property, better working
conditions, etc).
 Because there is no established law or right, a
dispute of interest will usually be solved through
collective bargaining or negotiation

Signs of conflict between
individuals
 colleagues not speaking to each other or
ignoring each other
 contradicting and bad-mouthing one
another
 deliberately undermining or not co-
operating with each other, to the downfall
of the team

Signs of conflict between groups of
people
 cliques or factions meeting to discuss
issues separately, when they affect the
whole organisation
 one group being left out of organising an
event which should include everybody
 groups using threatening slogans or
symbols to show that their group is right
and the others are wrong

The four steps to conflict
resolution

How to manage and resolve conflict
situations?
Collective bargaining:
 it is necessary to have agreed
mechanisms to collectively discuss
and resolve issues
 that this is far better than avoidance or
withdrawal, and puts democratic
processes in place to achieve
"integrative problem solving"

How to manage and resolve conflict
situations…cont.
Conciliation
 "the act of procuring good will or inducing
a friendly feeling"
 This is usually attempted before the more
serious step of a strike by workers or a
lock-out by management is taken

GROUND RULES FOR EFFECTIVE
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
 Keep interactions respectful, even when
feeling frustrated or hurt.
 Maintain emotional control, even when feeling
angry.
 Keep interactions on "hot topics" within a
structured process.
 Using formalized process, e.g. a planned
negotiation, or mediation
 Show a willingness to understand. If others
feel understood and acknowledged, they are
more likely to collaborate

GROUND RULES FOR EFFECTIVE
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
 Communicate honestly and openly.
 Be as objective as possible. Avoid speculation,
rumors, and assumptions.
 Express concerns in a constructive manner.
 Focus on future solutions rather than past
blame.
 Look for solutions that meet everyone's needs;
find common ground or shared interests.

Conflict prevention
 Avoid confrontation sometimes
 Force your opinion sometimes in order to move
forward
 Bend off sometimes
 Compromise
 Assess level of satisfaction in the group with a
decision
 Put your self in others place
 Be including – as for other peoples input

Conflict prevention…cont.
 Listen actively
 Let people finish talking – don’t interrupt
 Be respectful to other people and other opinions
 Be aware of your body language – what are you
signalling
 Demonstrate good will
 Have a positive attitude
 Be flexible
 Give constructive critic / feedback

Ways to hurt people:
 Refuse to listen
 Refuse to realise that the other has more
information to base her opinion on than you
 Rude or aggressive behaviour leading to a “fight
or flight” situation
 Intentional attempts to hurt, blame, threaten,
mock or otherwise offend

References & Suggested Readings
 Presentation on Conflict Management. CBS by
Dr. Maysoon Altigani.
 http://www.crnhq.org/
 http://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/onlinetraining/resolutio
n/index.asp
 http://www.conflictresolution.com/

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND
ATTENTION
Any Questions Please!

Conflict management

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