Posted by In the previous post, I described why conflict is a positive thing, not just an event to be avoided. Now let’s look at the stages of conflict.
The first stage of interpersonal conflict is the latent stage, when neither party is yet acting to defend its interests, but there is already a cause that could trigger conflict in the future. In a conflict between a superior and a subordinate, this is often too many tasks or an incompetent assignment of tasks. In the next stage of conflict, the parties perceive differences in the goals they are pursuing. At this point, the conflict is often experienced on an emotional level – subordinates feel aggression and, above all, resentment towards their work and their boss. On the other hand, superiors are then frustrated and tired of managing a team whose members do not submit to any of the motivation techniques that have been proven so far.
If the conflict is not resolved at this stage of development, there is a demonstration of power by both sides. Often then, aggressive behavior prevails over reason, and parting with the company or a subordinate is considered the optimal solution. The landscape “after the battle” depends on the way the parties to the conflict chose to bring it to an end. The way affects whether the cause of the conflict has disappeared, how the conflicting parties feel and relate to each other, and whether the problem has been resolved constructively.
How to avoid harmful conflicts:
- put group goals over individual goals,
- establish clear procedures and rules of operation,
- improve information channels in the company,
- develop procedures for conflict resolution.
How to stimulate creative conflicts:
- foster positive competition between groups,
- introducing new members presenting new values to the team,
- change structures, procedures and rules of operation together,
- encourage the presentation of their views and ideas.