Gilbert and Sullivan, whose operettas still play the stage after more than a century, worked together for more than 25 years. Gilbert knew instinctively which words would work best with Sullivan’s music, and Sullivan was unerring in his choice of music to fit Gilbert’s libretti. Yet the two men’s dislike for each other was so strong that they were never on a first-name basis.
Another case in point: the Wright brothers. Orville and Wilbur Wright were known for their personal loyalty, but they also had very different personality styles that led to numerous disagreements. Initially, their arguments lasted days, but over time, they learned how to harness their emotions and argue in a constructive manner. The result: the first airplane.
Conflict is a natural consequence of human interaction. Put two or more individuals in an office for a significant amount of time, and a difference of opinion is likely to arise. When individuals clash, combatants can become so concerned with defending their viewpoints that they cease communicating. Mutual distrust builds. In the workplace, working relationships are threatened.
This isn’t to say that conflicts per se are bad. Disagreements can be productive and can even motivate people to excel. Conflict can generate constructive dialogue, from which new ideas are developed, refined, and successfully implemented. Whereas conflicts can impede change and undermine a sense of teamwork within your work unit or organization, they can also help build relationships. This may sound contradictory, but it’s true.
As a manager, you can use conflicts productively, converting them into opportunities for creative problem solving (the task of reconciling conflicting visions forces us to think creatively) and improving decision-making skills (entertaining other points of views to make better-informed choices). Conflict can be an excellent way to identify problems before they grow larger and more disruptive. More importantly, conflict helps us find effective, efficient solutions. Consequently, rather than focus in this chapter solely on conflict resolution, I’d like to talk about conflict management.
Your responsibility is to encourage this positive or constructive kind of conflict. What does that entail on your part?
- Identification of common goals. As differences arise, remind the parties of their common goal or mission. Stay away from personality issues. Rather, ask the individuals to review their goals to focus solely on shared or compatible ones. Once the goals have been identified, the group can move on to discuss how these goals can be shared.
- Clarify, sort, and value differences. While contrasting viewpoints will surface, so will evidence that the participants have much in common. This commonality should be emphasized.
- Gain commitment to change. Goals may be shared, but the preferred means of reaching them may vary. You want to reach consensus on the best way to move forward toward achieving shared goals.
When new ideas are presented to your team, encourage members to play devil’s advocate. Run meetings so that participants don’t feel uneasy about pointing out what is wrong with a favored idea. Attendees should feel an obligation to identify anything that may be wrong before a plan gets final approval.
When you suspect an employee is afraid to disagree with you, say that you would like to hear their ideas. Don’t kill the messenger who carries bad news. On the contrary, make heroes out of employees who spot challenges before you do.
Your goal as a manager is to prevent a conflict from becoming a disruptive force, not to prevent conflicts. Whereas positive conflict can generate new solutions to existing problems, disruptive conflict can create problems such as:
- Added tension. This may cause high turnover. After all, who wants to work in a stressful work environment?
- Poor decisions. If not properly managed, conflicts can make someone blind to facts or deaf to a logical argument. People’s good sense can be shelved because either a desire to prove themselves right or a dislike of the other individual prompts them to look for “facts” to prove their preconceived point.
- Lack of implementation of a decision, whether good or bad. Ideas, whether right or wrong, are worthless if they aren’t implemented. Disagreements can mean that the most creative thinking or the best ideas are never acted upon.
- A “get-even” attitude. Ill feelings are harbored, and employees later retaliate against each other.
- Destruction of professionalism. Arguments between managers and their employees disrupt department morale and overall workflow. Conflicts across departments factionalize an organization.