New Managers

Coping with conflict

The main idea

Conflict at work can be creative or destructive. As a manager you need to develop your skills in dealing with it and resolving it in a way that has good long-term outcomes for you, for the staff, and for the organisation. It's well worth developing your personal skills in this area.

Try this: assess yourself and decide which areas you need to develop.

What is your usual response when a conflict seems likely?
Are you good at distinguishing when it's important to let things go, and when it's essential to make a stand? How do you decide?
How good are you at seeing other people's point of view and why they are disagreeing?

Here is a list of skills that are very useful in dealing with and resolving conflict. Which are you best at?

using the conflict to look for better solutions
listening, hearing and showing that you've heard the different parties to the conflict
understanding and acknowledging the different positions and needs of the people involved
mapping the genuine issues and concerns and possible solutions
generating and considering different options in the situation
managing your own emotions, and acknowledging others' without being driven by them.
looking for satisfactory outcomes rather than 'wins'

Why this matters

Unresolved conflicts can use up energy, waste time, and affect your working climate.

If you can succeed in this area, you are well on the way to being an excellent people manager.

You can find more about managing conflict in the Member's section. Please click here to join.