The Big Fight
CONFLICT is a strange thing for an organisation to have. Is it good? Or, is it bad? Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. While most management gurus are staunch supporters of conflict, maintaining that it is crucial for an organisation to grow, many managers themselves are unsure. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays it seems like conflict is not such a bad thing after all, and that if controlled, this beast can be the vehicle to greater good. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays conflict is the evil plague that will be the undoing of the universe. Studies have shown that the best way to manage conflicts is to resolve them. But how much faith can you put in studies done by obscure people in obscure places? Studies have also shown that 50 per cent of people are unable to recognise a blatantly obvious statement when they come across one, and that another whopping (I'm not going to break tradition and use a different adjective) 110 per cent do not understand percentages. So much for studies.
But, coming back to track, conflict is a rather mysterious phenomenon. One can never be sure what comes out of it. Conflict has given birth to many things - the French revolution, the World Wars, Mandela, Gandhi, murder, peace, riot, economic reform, women's right groups, etc; etc; Some of it has been great, some of it has been horrible. But organisational conflict is different. Couched in the belly of conflict is the hope for a better tomorrow. Conflict drives change. It has been doing that for the last two thousand years now. The first step is to understand conflict. What is conflict? It would be hard to throw a noose around it and pin it to the parameters of definition, but if we are to understand it in its all-encompassing form, we have to assign it certain attributes. To begin with, let us think of it as a tussle. In the context of the modern workplace, it is a tussle between values, opinions, ideas, beliefs and attitudes. It is a tussle between cultures, interests and loyalties; between old and new. And ultimately, it is a tussle between personalities.
Conflict is often a result of two people not getting along with each other. This is the evil plague part of it. For an organisation, it squashes any hope of growth or productivity, especially if the people in conflict hold top positions in the company. For instance, if every meeting that the CEO had with the CFO ended with police intervention, or if two general managers of a company spent their spare time scrapping in the parking lot, it can get a tad hard for the company to concentrate on increasing its sales by 10 per cent and reducing production cost by 15 per cent. That sort of thing generally slips down the priority list.
The second question that needs to be addressed is when does conflict occur? Conflict occurs when people disagree and cannot agree to disagree. Conflict is constructive when someone challenges established norms or practices. Conflict is also constructive when two people differ on what is the best way to do things. This is primarily because this sort of conflict is an indication that people are striving for perfection. And that, as the saying goes, is always a good thing.
Now, we come to the hardest part of it. What we have to do here is hold this beast of conflict by the scruff of the neck and ask one final question - how do we resolve conflict? There are no easy answers. Every situation is unique and warrants a different solution. Luckily, since human behaviour as just about as diverse as it is similar, guidelines can be chalked and blueprints made based on lessons learned from the past.
Here they are:
a.Compromise: The best solutions are rarely these. But sometimes a compromise is necessary. For instance, when two employees are squabbling over who gets which parking spot, a compromise is generally in order.
b.Discuss: The most effective way to resolve a conflict is to discuss it. The differing parties sit across a table and discuss the issue. For example, if it is a difference in opinion over a marketing strategy, a team meeting presided over by the head of the department or company would work wonders in deciding the issue. If a solution is still not reached upon, a show of hands can settle the argument. Democracy may not be perfect but what else have we got?
c.Negotiate: There is nothing like a good haggle to put things in place. A conflict is sometimes a lot like buying vegetables from the open market. Some bargaining and posturing is necessary.
And finally, the best way to resolve a conflict is to keep a cool head.
This goes without saying. An objective view forms the seed of a solution when it comes to a conflict.
Studies have shown that unless the parties involved can keep a tight leash on personal grudges and rein in their emotions, things are likely to stay unresolved. This is one study that cannot be ignored.
ARJUN SENGUPTA
arjuns.hyd@cnkonline.com
ARJUN SENGUPTA
arjuns.hyd@cnkonline.com
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