Social entrepreneurship through cultural heritage-CHEER - EN

Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflict while increasing the positive aspects of conflict. The aim of conflict management is to enhance learning and group outcomes, including effectiveness or performance in an organizational setting. Properly managed conflict can improve group outcomes.ⁱ

Conflict resolution involves the reduction, elimination, or termination of all forms and types of conflict. Five styles for conflict management, as identified by Thomas and Kilmann, are: competing, compromising, collaborating, avoiding, and accommodating.ⁱⁱ

The aim of conflict management is a systematic analysis of the causes, not least to mitigate future conflicts. Of course, conflicts can never be completely avoided using conflict management. Rather, the aims of conflict management are:

• Overcoming existing conflicts

• Solving necessary conflicts

• Avoiding of unnecessary conflicts

4.2.1 Requirements for successful conflict management

There are conflicts everywhere, but the ability to deal with them is often sought in vain. As soon as a conflict is even in the air, many try to avoid a possible conflict, but constructive conflict management looks different.

Firstly, communication is crucial. Conflicts can only be resolved through discussion and dialogue. Anyone who does not speak to each other can never resolve a difference of opinion or a misunderstanding, and so it continues to bubble away - escalation is then only a matter of time.

Secondly, no successful conflict management can be achieved without willingness to compromise. Talking about it is indispensable, but at the same time it also requires the willingness to meet the other and make compromises. If both sides simply insist on their rights and behave stubbornly, conflict management hardly has a chance to do much about it.

Thirdly, conflict management requires control at several levels. On the one hand, team members must have self-control in order to solve conflicts constructively. Conflict management is not possible if the participants get upset and yell at or insult each other.

These prerequisites include some basic rules for successful conflict resolution, those being:

Staying objective is the top priority in a dispute. Anyone who becomes polemical or personal in the process disqualifies himself and can just as easily save the conflict discussion. In any case, there will be no meaningful results from attacks below the belt. Instead, keep calm and always remain sovereign - even if you are attacked unobjectively.

Let the other finish. It is a matter of allowing, listening to and understanding both points of view. Both parties of the dispute should never interrupt each other - that would be disrespectful and would not exactly serve the better understanding.

Demonstrate appreciation. In order to defuse a conflict, you should at the same time signal that you understand the other person's attitude. This does not mean that you share his opinion or find it good. But you show clearly (also verbally) that you understand the motives and respect them on a human level.

4.2.2 Methods to manage a conflict

4.2.2.1 The iceberg model

Conflicts that are deeper and more difficult to resolve can be solved with the iceberg model. It is about the huge iceberg, of which only the top sticks out of the water. At first glance it seems harmless, small and insignificant. But beneath the surface there is much more. This is how you can imagine it in conflicts. Conflicts arise on different levels. And mostly they are not fought out on the level on which they arose, but on the levels above.

That's why it's important to tackle the conflict at the level of origin. In the case of personal conflicts, it is also advisable to consult a neutral moderator to settle the dispute.

If you'd like to get more information on this topic, take a look at this video from Dr. John Ungerleider on the iceberg model:

4.2.2.2 The LEAF model

The name consists of the terms "listen", "empathize", "apologize" and "fix". This method is suitable for acute arguments that can be solved quickly. You certainly know the problem: Person A says something to person B and person B says it differently than person A meant it. And already there is an unnecessary conflict.

This is where the first point "listening" comes into play. Because those who feel attacked react defensively. We don't let our counterpart finish talking and instead try to defend and justify ourselves. But if you don't listen, you can't understand either.

At this point the second term, "empathize", becomes important. If we put ourselves in the position of our "opponent" and try to see things from his point of view, then we can better understand his statement and his reactions. We reflect internally on the problem and perhaps conclude that we ourselves could have done something wrong. At this point an apologize should follow. With this we show that we realise that our behaviour contributed to the conflict. Apologizing is a sign of greatness, just try it out.

After one of the opponents (or both) has apologised, the conflict is defused. The next step is to identify the original problem and “fix” it.

4.2.2.3 The Gordon Model

The Gordon model describes a form of communication for peaceful conflict resolution. Originally developed for communication in families, the Gordon model can also be applied to other areas, such as professional life.

The aim is to improve communication between the two persons and to arrive at a joint solution in which neither of them emerges as the loser. Such peaceful communication is based on three pillars.

The first pillar is the correct listening. This is important in order to understand our interlocutor. Depending on the situation, a party can act as an active listener, signalling by nodding or "yes I understand" that it is listening attentively, or as a tacit passive listener.

The second pillar is to use I-messages instead of YOU-messages. When we tell our opponent "you do this and that...", he feels attacked and switches to defence. If we say "I don't feel well when this and that happens...", then such a statement seems less aggressive to the recipient.

The third pillar of the Gordon model is the so-called gear change. This doesn't mean that you have to add another gear and engage the forward gear, but rather that you try to reach your conversation partner, for example with an I message, but he misinterprets the message. Then you should switch back and switch to listen mode.

At best, at the end of the conflict you will come to a win-win solution. This means that for both parties the issue has been resolved and no one has emerged from the conflict as a loser.