Explain the process of conflict.

Explain the process of conflict. Discuss the impact of conflict on the performance of an organization you are working in or any organization you are acquainted with. Describe
the organization you are referring to.


Answer: Process of Conflict: Ken only described the conflict process on audio tapes. I don’t think I ever saw a description in print.
Sometimes you have addictions that work at cross purposes e.g.
1. You addictively demand to eat a whole raspberry pie covered in whipped cream.
2. You addictively demand to have a flat tummy.
1. You addictively demand to stay with your lover.
2. You addictively demand to leave your lover.
1. You addictively demand to get pregnant.
2. You addictively demand to avoid having children.
Often the two sides represents two different centers of consciousness. For example sensation and cornucopia may make you want to approach a handsome stranger, where security and power want to avoid being rejected.
Here is how to handle such a situation: Get a tape recorder and just talk for 15 minutes, explaining why you should take option 1. Get into your emotions, explaining how you would feel if you got what you wanted and how you would feel if you did not. If you have a particularly horrendous conflict, you made need more time. Take all the time you need. Then repeat arguing for option 2.
Usually no matter what you do, you can’t satisfy all your "requirements". However, if "everyone" has at least had a chance to speak, they know their concerns were at least considered in deciding the best option to take. Those voices will be more willing to go along with the final decision they may not like.
Conflicts are an inevitable part of our daily lives. They arise between individuals and teams in an organization, between companies, and with your customers and clients. Employees' inability to effectively deal with conflict in the workplace takes its toll. It results in an enormous loss of productivity and profit, and negative emotional impact to those directly and indirectly involved.
Every organization pays the price for mismanaged conflict. It saps the financial health of an organization, repels customers, and damages human resources. Can you identify the impact of conflict in your organization?




We can help you stop the financial bleeding and the destructive interactions among business associates caused by poorly managed workplace conflict. We specialize in conflict resolution processes and tools that help you turn conflict into capital.
Every organization has a strategy for handling conflict.
Look at what conflict costs your organization:
1. Wasted time
How much time do your managers spend dealing with conflict? How much time do individuals spend focusing on disagreements and dissatisfaction instead of using their time productively?
2. Reduced quality of decisions
Are your team members withholding information or not fully cooperating with others? What decisions are being made without full, accurate and timely information?
3. Loss of skilled employees
What is it costing you to replace employees and the knowledge they take with them when they leave?
4. Restructuring
Are you or your managers making changes to work allocation to accommodate employees who aren't getting along?
5. Sabotage/damage/theft
Are you experiencing theft or damage to your equipment and inventory? Are work processes being compromised?
6. Lowered job motivation
Are your good employees losing motivation and time when they constantly have to deal with difficult co-workers?
7. Lost work time
Are employees choosing to take "sick days" off because of their frustration with unresolved disputes and stress?
8. Health costs
Is conflict contributing to employees' susceptibility to illness and injuries? Is your company paying more for health insurance and paid time off because of the associated stress?
TAKING THE EXAMPLE OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONFLICT WE SEE ITS IMPACT or OUTCOME and its SOURCES :
Example: Interdepartmental conflict
The president of the company was at the end of his rope in dealing with two employees who seemed to constantly march to their own drummer. These two employees would go around their bosses and create problems in other departments. The managers lacked the skills to address the issues with these problem employees. By the time the President asked to discuss the situation with him, he wanted to fire all four of them!

A plan was developed to identify the work related needs of the President, the managers and the employees. It was clear what the President wanted! It was not so clear what the managers and employees wanted. One-on-one meetings with each person identified what each needed from the other. These needs were outlined to identify what each need would look like when it was satisfactorily achieved and what the resulting benefit would be to the person and the company. Once the initial needs were addressed and achieved, additional needs were identified. This process continued until the parties involved could conduct the process themselves and report the achievements up the chain of command.

Today, the President, one manager and the two lower level employees remain and are achieving or exceeding performance expectations. The other manager decided on his own he did not enjoy being a manager and obtained a new position as an individual contributor within the same industry.


Example: Domestic/International Airline Carrier - Interdepartmental Conflict
This domestic in-flight services department has the responsibility of planning and delivering in-flight meals. Meals must be reproducible, storable and must conform to space and weight specifications. They depend on vendors to provide this service in a timely manner. This requires phenomenal teamwork which unfortunately was not present a short while ago. Infact, three teams constantly blamed the other two for poor performance. You could cut the tension with a knife. Essential communications that needed to take place - weren't! Vendors were catching the fallout and the quality of their service dropped even further.

The management thought of giving all the teams’ leadership training. Employees from each team were selected to join together for three separate Pathways to Leadership programs. They discovered that they had been strongly focused on everything that wasn't working. With so much energy focused backwards, there was very little left to solve problems in a healthy productive way. They learned a combination of tools that would enable them to focus on solutions.
• They discovered one of the most effective tools for turning dissension into cooperation -- the Recipe for Partnership. The tool works masterfully because the answers (and solutions) are their answers, not management's.
• At a special meeting, the three managers asked the first question of the Recipe: "What are some of the successes these three teams have created over the last year?" At first, there was silence. Then they began to identify these successes.
• The second question was, "What are some of the qualities that generated those successes?" Again, the group listed an array of virtues they shared within the department that made possible those wins.
• Rather than telling the staff what managers wanted from these teams, they asked. "What is your vision for what you want to produce together, and the way you want to treat each other in the process?"
• To really anchor the buy-in for the vision they created, the managers asked, "When you achieve this vision, what will be the benefits to you, your team members, the department and the company?" Finally the teams were at such a point of cooperation, they could address the last question in earnest; And this guaranteed teamwork and a successful resolution.

"Even before the end of the first Leadership training, the turnaround was evident. Participants came to know members of other teams on an individual basis and the resentments quickly began to fall away. With their new leadership skills, team members literally discovered a 'technology for communicating' they could immediately put to work. Even before our second session, I could see a 180-degree shift in how team leaders treated their front line workers. Vendors who used to be a tremendous headache, responded beautifully to our new approach. Also, we were on the verge of losing one of our key people, but now the comment I hear is, 'There's no place I'd rather be working.' I have to say that the overall shift is quite amazing."