Workbook Manage interpersonal conflict US 9704 Level 4 Credits 6 Name
US 9704 Level 4 Credits 6 Creative Commons This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the work and to adapt the work. You must attribute Careerforce as the author. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. For more information contact Careerforce www.careerforce.org.nz 2
Contents Before you start... 4 What is interpersonal conflict... 7 Strategies for managing conflict... 10 Choosing which strategy to implement... 10 Planning to implement the strategy... 11 Implementing the strategy... 11 Evaluating the strategy used... 12 Facilitating conflict resolution... 13 When do you need to facilitate conflict resolution?... 13 A process for managing conflict... 14 Preparing for the meeting... 15 Checklist for managing conflict resolution... 16 3
Before you start Welcome to this workbook for: Manage interpersonal conflict Unit Standard 9704. For this unit standard you will have: This workbook. A trainee assessment. In this workbook you will learn more about: Identifying interpersonal conflict situations in the workplace. Developing strategies to manage interpersonal conflict. Implementing strategies to manage interpersonal conflict. How to use this workbook This is your workbook to keep make it your own by writing in it. Use highlighters to identify important ideas. Do the learning activities included throughout this workbook. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You might find it helpful to discuss your answers with colleagues or your supervisor. Finish this workbook before you start on the assessment. When you see a sticky note like this, it gives a tip or hint. 4
Workbook activities Stop check what you know about this topic You will see this stop symbol in places where you are asked to stop and think about what you know and: Record your current knowledge or impressions. Check your knowledge. This stop provides a reference point to return to later. Stop activities have blue shading like this. Learning activities You will come across learning activities as you work through this workbook. These activities help you understand and apply the information that you are learning about. Learning activities have yellow shading like this. Rewind When you see this rewind symbol, go back to: Think about what you know. Check your knowledge. This rewind gives you an opportunity to add to, change or confirm some of your initial thoughts and ideas. Rewind activities have green shading like this. 5
Before you go any further in this workbook, think about... Managing interpersonal conflict How do you manage interpersonal conflict? How effective do you think you are? 6
What is interpersonal conflict Interpersonal conflict refers to the difference in viewpoint between two or more people that results in negativity and a state of opposition and in a worse-case scenario even aggression. In our lives we can often experience conflict in some form or another. We may argue with family members, disagree with friends or become irritated with colleagues at our place of work. There is potential for conflict whenever two or more people come together. It is a normal part of life. Where there is conflict it is desirable to manage the conflict in a productive way and to establish positive outcomes. In the workplace there are a number of ways of managing conflict. These include: Making sure the organisation has clear standards of expected behaviour in place. Training individuals in communication skills. Fostering a supportive atmosphere where people can offer differing opinions. Fostering an atmosphere where people feel comfortable about expressing conflict. Having processes in place to deal with conflict. 7
LEARNING ACTIVITY Give examples from your workplace of the following types of conflict that can occur. Conflict can occur when people: An example from your workplace Have to compete for scarce resources Seek to retain information to retain power Are loud and use inappropriate language Misunderstand each other Understand the facts differently Are prejudiced or biased in their opinions Have expectations that are not achievable Have differences over goals and priorities Demonstrate animosity, are stubborn or use bullying tactics Do not comply with team norms or values Have differences of opinion Have personal animosity 8
LEARNING ACTIVITY An important first step in developing a strategy for dealing with conflict is identifying the issue that has led to the conflict situation. Identify a conflict issue in your workplace and then answer the questions. Identify an issue that has led to conflict with another person in your workplace. What was your view of this issue? What was the other person s view of the issue? How did these differing views contribute to the issue and the conflict? 9
Strategies for managing conflict In conflict management any strategy used needs to take into account the views of all the parties involved. The parties may have a different and possibly valid point of view about why the conflict has occurred. It is important that the concerns and the views of all the parties concerned are addressed in order to reach an amicable resolution. In conflict resolution there are a number of common strategies that can be used. Consultation with each of the parties individually to find common ground and reach a solution, or a strategy for minimising conflict. Negotiation between the parties on what they want to achieve. Facilitating the parties to find an acceptable solution that will resolve or mitigate the conflict. This is often done by someone who has an interest in the conflict such as their manager, or someone who is impartial, such as trained facilitator. Mediation here the mediator meets with the parties involved, both individually and collectively, and seeks to help the parties reach an agreement to resolve the issue. Independent arbitrator where a dispute may have escalated and not reached a satisfactory resolution, an independent arbitrator can make a binding ruling in favour of one of the parties which the other must abide by. Choosing which strategy to implement When choosing which strategy to implement, make sure that: The parties are in agreement and willing to implement the strategy. The strategy does not impact other parties negatively. The strategy is legal and ethical. The strategy meets any organisational requirements. The strategy respects the confidentiality of all the parties. The strategy is realistic appropriate to the conflict. The strategy is achievable. Aim for a SMART strategy, where SMART is an acronym for these requirements: S pecific Measurable A chievable R ealistic T imeframe 10
Planning to implement the strategy For the agreed strategy, you need to plan these aspects: Who will do what by when? What resources are needed? What outside assistance will be required? How will all parties be kept informed? Who will document and communicate the plan? How will the effectiveness of the strategy be evaluated, and how can you ensure the plan has been adhered to and the solutions are working? Remember when planning your strategy you will need to: Establish commitment from all parties for implementing the strategy. Refer to a specialist if the issues are outside your area of expertise. Implementing the strategy Once you have initiated a strategy, your obligation is to: Communicate. Maintain discretion. Respect confidentiality. Monitor progress. Communication is about keeping everyone informed the parties who are in conflict and others who are affected or impacted by the conflict, like colleagues. When implementing the strategy, if it becomes apparent that the strategy needs to be changed, inform the parties and involve them and seek their agreement on the changes. Remember conflict can be a symptom of other underlying problems or issues that will need to be addressed. 11
Evaluating the strategy used Consider the following questions when evaluating a strategy to manage conflict: What has been the effect of the strategy, and how well has it worked to reduce or resolve the conflict? How well did the participants carry out their parts in the strategy? Were there any unintended impacts and what were they? How long did the strategy take compared to the time it was planned to take? On reflection, what went well and what could be improved? When deciding on an evaluation process, the following areas should be covered. What needs to be covered The process must be relevant and fair. Why To meet the needs of the parties. Any policies and procedures must be complete, current and relevant to organisational standards. Any collected information must be complete, current and agree with those being evaluated. The process must be transparent and understood by the parties. To comply with organisation norms. To make it fair. To make it fair. The evaluation should be completed on time. To be useful. 12
Facilitating conflict resolution Conflict resolution may require an impartial person to convene a meeting and lead the discussion between the various parties to reach a solution or outcome. The expected outcome is for all the parties to jointly come up with amicable solutions. Solutions arrived at by the conflicting parties tend to be more meaningful and longer lasting than solutions imposed by others. When do you need to facilitate conflict resolution? When the parties want to resolve the conflict. When the parties to the conflict do not have the skills to do it for themselves. When the conflict has reached the point when the parties are no longer able to communicate without hostility or personal attacks and are behaving in a dysfunctional way. When the conflict has to be addressed because it is affecting the work performance of the parties or affecting others. When managing conflict it is important that you: Stay neutral and do not take sides. Step aside if there is a conflict of interest. Stay within the area of your expertise and call for help if needed. Consult with all parties involved or who may be impacted such as: The opposing parties. Their support (such as a union representative). Others affected by the conflict (such as team members). Know when to consult parties singly or together. Follow any organisational and good practice rules regarding conflict management. Use an appropriate conflict management strategy. 13
A process for managing conflict Step 1 Set the scene Setting the scene sets the whole tone of the meeting. This is where you make sure that both parties are clear on the purpose of the meeting and how it will proceed. It is a chance for you to remind the parties of any common interests they have and the impact of the conflict. It also reaffirms commitment to resolving the conflict. Step 2 Clarify facts and issues Getting an accurate definition of the issues is the key. Stay in this step until you have got a clear, concise and agreed definition of the facts and the issues involved. Make sure you take into account the views of all parties. If necessary, consult with all parties individually. Summarise your understanding of facts and issues with each party and have them summarise their understanding. Seek agreement. Step 3 Generate solutions Now that you know what the issues are, help the parties choose solutions to resolve the conflict. Only offer suggestions when the parties have run out of ideas. Also check solutions are legal and ethical and can be realistically achieved. When evaluating a solution, think about what impact it can have on others. Once you have some solutions, choose one that best meets the needs of the parties. There may be only one solution to consider. Step 4 Plan actions In this step, you plan in detail with the parties: How they will implement the solutions. How to follow up and evaluate the solution(s). Note: Check commitment throughout these steps with all parties involved in the conflict. 14
Preparing for the meeting Here are some suggestions for preparing for a facilitation meeting. Talk to both parties. Find out what outcome/aims they have in common, for example, both wanting to make sure: The team meets its targets. The outcome won t affect stakeholder relationships. The outcome won t affect other team members. Agree with each of the parties what the ground rules will be during the discussion. Agree on the procedure for the meeting the process you will use. Confirm and make arrangements. Plan the key questions that need to be addressed. Setting ground rules Some suggested ground rules/agreements: Allow equal time for each of the parties to express their point of view. Do not allow interruptions. Do not allow personal attacks. Stick to the facts. Preparing the questions During the facilitating process it is really important that you ask good questions and that you stay in questioning mode. Following the process Keep to the steps in the process the best solutions are arrived at after the conflict and all the issues surrounding it have been clarified. You need to remain impartial. You need to listen first and make suggestions last. All decisions need be checked for agreement with both parties. 15
Checklist for managing conflict resolution Points to check Yes/No Comments Step 1 Setting the scene Meeting purpose/outcome Meeting procedure Setting ground rules for meeting Identify common interests of both parties Identify the impact the conflict is having Check commitment from all parties Step 2 Clarifying facts and issues Identify facts, issues and feelings of each party Identify each party s interests Identify how long the issue has been happening Discuss the impact on others Discuss the actions taken to date to resolve the conflict Step 3 Generating a solution(s) Address the issues Are they acceptable to the parties concerned Ensure the solution will not impact on others negatively Is the solution realistic and achievable Commitment from parties has been checked Step 4 Planning action Decide who will do what, by when and with what resources Determine how all parties will be kept informed Who will document and communicate the plan How will the effectiveness of the outcome be evaluated Commitment from both parties has been checked In the discussion did the facilitator: Question the parties to get the specifics of the conflict? Remain impartial? Check for agreement throughout the process? Ensure all parties had an equal chance to put their case? Listen first and then offer facilitative suggestions? Document all agreements? 16
Scenario of a conflict situation You are a manager and manage a busy team. The team members are rostered on to work at the front counter and service enquiries from the public. You have become aware of a conflict situation between Chris and Jo, two members of your team. It has been brought to your attention by another member of the team who says it is affecting the whole team who are starting to take sides. You know it has something to do with the roster. In resolving the situation you plan the following strategy: 1 Meet with Chris and Jo individually to clarify their version of events, see if they want to resolve the conflict and would agree to let you facilitate a conflict resolution meeting between them. 2 Check with HR to see if there are any special organisational requirements relating to conflict management. 3 Meet with other members of the team to find out their perspective. Be careful to respect confidentiality. 4 Meet again individually with Chris and Jo in order to prepare to facilitate the meeting (common outcomes, ground rules etc). 5 Plan the key questions that need to be addressed. 6 Facilitate the meeting (set the scene, clarify facts and issues, generate solutions, plan implementation and evaluation). 7 Evaluate the solutions and the success of the whole strategy. 8 Reflect on what has been learnt for the future. Having planned the strategy you should then follow the steps outlined in the process for managing conflict. 17
Step 1: Set the scene Meeting purpose and outcome. Your role. Meeting procedure. Ground rules. Outcomes/aims each party has in common. The impact the conflict is having on others. The commitment required to resolve the conflict. Step 2: Clarify facts and issues Facts from each party s perspective. Position and feelings of each party. What each party s aims are. Issues for each party. How long this has been happening. Impact on others work, productivity, health, motivation. Future consequences if conflict continues. Actions taken to date to resolve the conflict. Make sure each party understands the other s point of view and reinforce common aims. 18
Step 3: Generate solutions Solutions need to: Address the issues Be acceptable to both parties Not impact on others in a negative way Be realistic and achievable. Consider: How long the solution will take Who it will involve. Decide on a solution to suit the needs of the parties and check commitment. Step 4: Plan actions Who will do what by when? What resources are needed? What outside assistance will be required? How will all parties be kept informed? Who will document and communicate the plan? How will the effectiveness of the strategy be evaluated how can you ensure the plan has been adhered to and the solutions are working? Check commitment throughout. 19
LEARNING ACTIVITY Using the step by step process outlined on the previous pages for facilitating conflict resolution, answer the following questions as if you were the manager of Chris and Jo. How will you approach Step 2? What questions will you ask? 1 2 3 4 5 20
Rewind to page 6... What will you now do differently in managing conflict? How might you continue to apply the learning about managing interpersonal conflict? 21
My notes 22
Completion and assessment Congratulations You have come to the end of the workbook. Please check over all the activities in this workbook to make sure you have completed them. Your assessment is next You need to complete the trainee assessment successfully to be credited with this unit standard. Your assessor will sign you off once you have completed the assessment tasks satisfactorily. Your assessor is able to give you a Certificate of completion for achieving this unit standard. Acknowledgements Careerforce acknowledges with thanks the significant contribution made by Learning State in providing material for the development of this workbook. Careerforce would like to thank the people who have contributed their time and effort into creating this workbook by: Research and content validation. Advice and expertise. Testing the activities. Sharing personal experiences. Appearing in photographs. Disclaimer: The images contained in these workbooks are visual illustrations only and are not representative of actual events or personal circumstances. 23