What Is "Good" Conflict? How Can I Take Advantage of It?
Conflict is natural. However, a lot of the time when individuals clash, they can become so concerned with defending their turf that mutual distrust replaces basic communication techniques like “listening”.
Many people don’t realize that conflict can be an excellent way to find effective, efficient solutions. Here are some quick and easy ways to turn a potentially volatile situation into a “good conflict”:
Identify common goals. As differences arise, remind the parties of their common goal or mission. Ask them 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. Make sure to keep the conflict away from personal issues.
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 means of reaching them may vary. You want to reach consensus on the best way to reach a shared goal. Reconciling conflicting visions forces people to think creatively and put everyone in a position to move forward.
Your goal as a manager is to prevent a conflict from becoming a disruptive force, not to prevent conflicts. Whereas positive conflict can come up with new solutions to existing problems, disruptive conflict can create problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment