 What is conflict? Definitions and assumptions. Here's where we're going. We're going to discuss disagreement, parties involved, perceived threat, needs, interests, or concerns. Conflict and conflict participants, dimensions of conflict, conflict is normal, creative problem-solving strategies, conflict styles competing, accommodating, avoiding, compromising, and collaborating, how we respond to conflict, the role of perceptions and conflicts, and don't avoid conflict. Disagreement. There is some level of difference in the positions of the two or more parties involved in the conflict. The true disagreement versus the perceived disagreement may be quite different. If we can understand the true areas of disagreement, this will help us to solve the right problems and manage the true needs of the parties. Parties involved. There are often disparities in our sense of who is involved in the conflict. Sometimes people are surprised to learn they are a party to the conflict, while other times we are shocked to learn we are not included in the disagreement. Perceived threat. People respond to the perceived threat rather than the true threat facing them. People's behaviors, feelings, and ongoing responses become modified by the evolving sense of the threat they confront. If we can work to understand the true threat, in other words, issues, and develop strategy or solutions that manage it, in other words, agreement, we are acting constructively to manage the conflict. Needs, interests, or concerns. There are always procedural needs and psychological needs to be addressed within the conflict, in addition to the substantive needs that are generally presented. The durability of the interest and concerns of the parties transcends the immediate presenting situation. Conflict. A conflict is more than a mere disagreement. It is a situation in which people perceive a threat. This could be physical, emotional, power, or status related, or something else. Or scarce resource that impacts their well-being. Conflict participants. Participants in conflict tend to respond on the basis of their perceptions of the situation rather than an objective view of it. People filter their perceptions and reactions through their values, cultures, beliefs, information, experience, gender, and other variables. Conflict responses are both filled with ideas and feelings that can be very strong and powerful guides to our sense of possible solutions. Dimensions of conflict. As in any problem, conflicts contain substantive, procedural, and psychological dimensions to be negotiated. In order to best understand the threat perceived by those engaged in a conflict, we need to consider all of these dimensions. Conflicts are normal experiences. They are predictable and expectable situations that naturally arise as we go about managing complex and stressful projects in which we are significantly invested. If we develop procedures for identifying conflicts likely to arise, as well as systems through which we can constructively manage conflicts, we may be able to discover new opportunities and to transform conflict into a productive learning experience. Albert Einstein once wisely said, imagination is more important than knowledge. Consider the creative problem-solving techniques you used last time you were faced with a difficult situation. Creative problem-solving strategies. We need to transform the situation from one in which it is my way or the highway into one in which we entertain new possibilities that have been otherwise elusive. Conflict is normal, anticipating conflicts likely to arise in a workplace. Consider your work environment. What are some key sources of conflict in our workplace? When do they tend to occur? How do people respond to these conflicts as they arise? When we solve problems, do we do so for the moment or do we put in place systems for addressing these types of concerns in the future? Are there seasonal peaks in our workload that tend to occur annually? Do we have channels for expressing normal problems and concerns in a predictable, reliable manner? Are there certain factors in the environment that make problems worse, especially at times of conflict? Conflict styles and their consequences. Competing. This is a style in which one's own needs are advocated over the needs of others. It relies on aggressive style of communication, low regard for future relationships, and the exercise of coercive power. Those using a competitive style tend to seek control over discussion. Competing tends to result in responses that increase the level of threat. Accommodating. Also known as smoothing is the opposite of competing. Persons using this style yield their needs to those of others, trying to be diplomatic. They tend to allow the needs of the group to overwhelm their own, which may not ever be stated as preserving the relationship is seen as most important. Avoiding. A common response, feelings get pent up, views go unexpressed, and the conflict festers until it becomes too big to ignore. Like a cancer that may well have been cured if treated early, the conflict grows and spreads until it kills the relationship. Because needs and concerns go unexpressed, people are often confused, wondering what went wrong in a relationship. Compromising. This is an approach to conflict in which people gain and give in a series of trade-offs. While satisfactory, compromise is generally not satisfying. We each remain shaped by our individual perceptions of our needs and don't necessarily understand the other side very well. We often retain lack of trust and avoid risk-taking involved in more collaborative behaviors. Collaborating, also known as win-win. The pulling of individual needs and goals toward a common goal. It requires a sort of communication and cooperation in order to achieve a better solution. It offers the chance for consensus, the integration of needs, and the potential to exceed the budget of possibilities that previously limited our views of the conflict. It brings new time, energy, and ideas to resolve the dispute meaningfully. How we respond to conflict. We have emotional responses, cognitive responses, and physical responses. The role of perceptions in conflict. Culture, race, and ethnicity. Gender and sexuality. Knowledge, general, and situational. Impressions of the messenger. And previous experiences. All shape our perceptions in conflict. Don't avoid conflict. Our society tends to reward alternative responses to conflict. Negotiation requires profound courage on the part of all parties. It takes courage to honestly articulate your needs. And it takes courage to sit down and listen to your adversaries. So to review. Considering these diverse perspectives and dimensions will make you better prepared to deal with personal and professional conflict scenarios. Thank you for watching.