Two types of conflict can occur in the workplace: unnecessary conflict and resolvable conflict. The first two parts of this series looked at resolving the former; last week, we laid out a 10-step strategy to deal with the latter. Let's now see how the principles of resolvable conflict management play out within the context of three scenarios. (SafetyXChange members who want to learn more about conflict resolution can download the question and answer sheet in Tools.)

PART I: THE INEFFECTIVE APPROACH

In this section, we'll look at an ineffective approach to resolving conflict across three scenarios.

Scenario 1: The Employee Who Socializes With Co-Workers Too Much

Setup: In this scenario, an older, wiser manager is in conflict with a younger employee who "socializes constantly" with co-workers during quiet time, when employees are supposed to focus on their work without being disturbed. The employee is popular and carries a lot of influence with her co-workers. The older manager is justifiably concerned that all this socialization by the employee is reducing productivity. Okay, roll it:

Manager (confrontationally): "Sue, you've got to stop socializing with your co-workers. It's really not productive. My philosophy is that the workplace is designed for work, not recreation."

Employee (with indignation): "What do you mean "socializing!" What's wrong with talking to my colleagues?"

Manager: "If it's business, that's one thing. I'm talking about chatting during quiet time."

Employee: "What's wrong with that?"

Manager: "We're a dynamic, hard-working company, not a singles' club. From now on, I expect you to focus on your projects and leave the talking for after hours."

Employee (aggressively): "I'm the hardest worker on this team. You know when you're under the gun, I get the job done! Why don't you speak to the others?- I don't force them to talk to me!"

Manager: (firmly) "I'm talking to you now. I'll talk to them later."

Employee (with disgust): "I didn't take this job to be a workaholic; it's only human to talk to your co-workers. I can't work with someone constantly looking over my shoulder."

Manager: "I want you to focus on your projects during quiet time and leave the socializing for after work."

Scenario 2: The Employee Who Needs Help Resolving a Problem with a Higher Level Co-Worker

Setup: This scenario involves an employee who collects data from other, higher ranking co-workers in the organization and compiles the data into critical monthly reports. One of these higher level co-workers has been negligent about giving the employee the needed data on time. So the employee decides to ask her manager for help. Roll the tape:

Employee (reluctantly and non-assertively): "For months I've been trying everything - reminders, e-mail, checklists and nagging - but I've been unsuccessful at getting the data from Cindy on time. That's why I've been behind on the reports."

Manager: "You've got to get those reports to me on time."

Employee: "I know. She's friendly towards me but consistently unresponsive when I try to get the data from her. I'd like to be able to handle it better, but I don't know how to approach it because Cindy's on a higher level than me. Maybe it would be better if you spoke with her about it?"

Manager (very clipped and business-like): "I've got too much going on to handle this matter. My philosophy is just to be straight with people about what you need and don't give them so much room. Do you want me to enroll you in an assertiveness course?"

Employee (looking away and speaking hesitantly): "That would be nice, but I'm not sure it would be enough in this case..."

Manager (impatient to end discussion): "Look, it's up to you. Do whatever it takes to get the data - Cindy knows you've got to have it. Put the heat on and let her know you need it now!"

Scenario 3: The Employee Who Wants a Co-Worker to Take Responsibility

Setup: The Product Marketing Manager (PMM) is responsible for forecasting sales over the next two quarters. Halfway through the first quarter, sales are running ahead of forecasts and production is getting bogged down trying to meet demand. The PMM needs the Production Manager (PM) to ramp up more quickly. The PM, for his part, is furious that the PMM has once again botched his sales forecasts, which means more overtime, lost sales and an overall decrease in profitability for the company as a whole. The PM wants the PMM to take responsibility and devise a more accurate forecasting method so his department is not burdened with overtime and schedule overruns. Roll it:

PM: "This is the third time you've missed a sales forecast, Mark! Can't you find some way to more accurately gauge the market?"

PMM: "Look, you know that our market is fickle, and dependent on economic conditions. It becomes a game of Russian Roulette."

PM: "That sounds like a weak excuse for poor planning to me. Other departments seem to have a handle on what they need from us on a quarterly basis."

PMM: "Selling product is a lot different from estimating production costs of packaging and the number of shipping containers required for emergency shipments."

PM: "Next time, I need you to come up with an alternate plan so that if this happens again, my department's schedules aren't disrupted. We're getting hell from the VP of Sales!"

PMM: "You got it backwards. We make the money for the company by developing and closing sales leads. It is your responsibility to make sure that we have plenty of product available for sale."

PART II: THE RIGHT APPROACH TO CONFLICT

When it's win-win, conflict can be a productive force that produces creative, workable solutions. Clearly, though, the approaches to conflict pursued by the managers in the three scenarios above do not create a win-win situation. Let's rewind the tape and see how each conflict could and should have been handled to make the situation win-win.

Scenario 1: The Employee Who Socializes With Co-Workers Too Much

Setup: The older manager's concerns about the disruptive effect of the younger employee's socialization on productivity are legitimate. Now he must persuade the younger employee that she needs to go easy on the socializing during "quiet time." But he needs to do so in a way that does not demoralize an enthusiastic and influential member of his team. Watch how he addresses the issue using a problem-solving approach that enables the two sides to work together to find a creative solution. Roll it:

Manager: "Sue, I wanted to talk with you about using your "quiet time" in a new way. I've noticed that after putting in a lot of energy on a project, you tend to gather with certain employees to shoot the breeze. While I can understand the need to do this, you're infringing on the quiet time of other employees. Let's put our heads together and see if you and the others can help me find a creative solution to this issue."

Sue (tentative, not sure what manager is really getting at): "OK."

Manager: "How do you see the situation?"

Sue: "Well, we work hard here, and I think I'm the hardest worker on the team. You know when the pressure is on, I get the job done! I want to enjoy my work and not have it be a grind with no opportunity to interact with my colleagues."

Manager: "So you enjoy hard work and feel the need to share your efforts with your co-workers?"

Sue: "Yeah, that's how I see it."

Manager: "That's fine with me. I believe that enjoying your work often makes you more productive. I want to make sure we don't lose that. But I also need to make sure that every staff member continues to make progress on projects, no matter how insignificant. That is why we have "quiet time." Just to be sure that I'm being clear - what do you see me driving at here?"

Sue: "You're afraid that my interacting with employees during "quiet time" adversely affects productivity."

Manager: "Exactly. We need to find a way of working together that keeps things enjoyable and interactive without disrupting "quiet time." Do you have any ideas about ways we could do this?"

Sue: "Well, I'm not sure. I don't want to interfere with anyone's work but I do enjoy being part of a team and sharing my ideas with my colleagues."

Manager: "How about this. Suppose you and several of the project planners divide up routine tasks for common projects. Schedule 15 minutes during quiet time to meet informally at the coffee machine to give yourselves a "brain break" and review notes. We'll meet on a weekly basis to see how it's going. How does that sound?"

Sue: "I think it sounds pretty good."

Scenario 2: The Employee Who Needs Help Resolving a Problem with a Higher Level Co-Worker

Setup: In this scenario, the effective problem-solving approach the manager uses is to coach the younger employee who is having problems collecting essential data from a higher level co-worker. Notice how the manager tries to build the employee's confidence and assertiveness. Okay, roll the tape:

Employee (reluctantly and non-assertively): "For months I've been trying everything - reminders, e-mail, checklists, and nagging - but I've been unsuccessful at getting the data from Cindy on time. That's why I've been behind on the reports."

Manager: "Why don't you present the issue to Cindy by telling her that you'd like to talk to her about a way to make both of your lives easier. Explain that you need to have the data by a certain time each month, but you find yourself having difficulty getting it from her without pressing her, which you want to avoid. Ask her how she sees the situation, and really listen to what she says, making sure you reflect back her key points on why this is hard for her. Knowing Cindy, what do you think she'll say? "

Employee: "That she tries but she has so many more pressing projects."

Manager: "Then tell her how you see it. What could you say then?"

Employee: "That I need to get the data because the whole unit's progress and incentives are based on the information. Maybe I haven't actually talked to her about this before!"

Manager: "Then you can ask if you've made it clear why it's so important to get the data and if she sees the importance. Next, I'd figure out how to keep both your needs in mind."

Employee: "That sounds reasonable and certainly something Cindy should respond to."

Manager: "Do some brainstorming to see if you can come up with something new and creative that appeals to both of you. After you come up with some different possibilities, agree to try one and memo it to her afterwards. She reads and acts on memos faster than e-mail. You can evaluate it after the next month's report. But first get her to agree to meet one more time to see if it's working for both of you."

Scenario 3: The Employee Who Wants a Co-Worker to Take Responsibility

Setup: In this scenario, the PM decides to present the conflict over the meeting of marketing demands as a joint problem between the PM and PMM and expresses the desire to resolve it together. Notice how this approach fosters a cooperative working relationship with a colleague. Roll 'em:

PM: "Hi Mark, I wanted to talk to you about last quarter's sales forecast. It seems that we, as a company, somehow fell short in our sales forecasting and, subsequently, our unit production run. I'd like to discuss ways in which we can work together to prevent this from happening in the future. From your point of view, what happened?"

PMM: "Well, Greg, the market shifted unexpectedly in favor of our product, and we wanted to take advantage of the shift. We thought we communicated that to you and that you would ramp up production to meet demand."

PM: "I'm not sure we fully understood your intentions at that time. On such short notice, it's really tough to schedule overtime and adjust to increase production. Sounds to me like you need to be able to take advantage of these marketing opportunities. I need some sort of communication system so I can provide you with the product you need."

PMM: "It sounds as though we both agree that we need to take advantage of these market opportunities before they become lost sales. We also should have product ready to go under reasonable time frames so that we do not disappoint the market. Let's talk about alternative solutions that make sense to both of us. How about this. If we in marketing sense an increase in the market, I immediately call you for a meeting to prepare to ramp up and have product ready to go."

PM: "Well, Mark, I think we need to figure out a way to differentiate between a "sense" and a sure thing with respect to the market. I would like to avoid ramping up to produce product unless I was absolutely sure that the need was there. If we can't sell the product, it sits in inventory which adversely affects our bottom line."

PMM: "I see your point. It would help me to understand how the production process actually works at this company so that I can let you know how many unit runs you should schedule. Would you be willing to go over your production operation with me?"

PM: "No problem. Let's meet next week and I'll take you on a tour of the plant. Then we can discuss the scheduling process, potential bottlenecks and possible openings where it would be easy to fill orders within a 48-hour period."

Conclusion

Workplace conflict is a given. Managers need to able to differentiate between unnecessary conflict and resolvable conflict and then implement an effective problem-solving approach in each circumstance. I hope that the approaches I have laid out will help you do this. But remember. Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes practice and commitment to master a problem-solving approach to conflict.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Communications Tip

By Ross Dobson

"Why are you telling me this now?"

This is a comment that managers hear a lot. It sounds like a throwaway. But it actually expresses some important concerns that managers need to take seriously. Here's a tip I learned from a colleague many years ago. Before I deliver a message, I break the phrase down in my mind word by word:

Why:
What is the reason for telling the recipient this – is it to train, inform, solicit information? Will the recipient understand what you’re asking for?

are you:
Am I, the manager, the right person to be delivering this message? Should it maybe come from a peer, a leader or another third party?

telling:
Am I using the right method to deliver the message? Should this be a face to face, email, conference call?

me:
Am I giving the message to the right person?

this:
What am I trying to say? What do I want people to take away?

now?:
Is this the right time to be sending such a message?

This quick and easy to remember process helps me to verify what I want to communicate and makes it more likely that the communication will be successfully received and acted on.

Story Tools:  E-mail this to a friend  Print This Post Top