5 factors to help you identify, handle conflict

Nobody likes conflict. It can be uncomfortable and difficult to tackle. There may come a time when you have a concern but choose to ignore it because you don’t want to ruffle any feathers. But this is counterproductive.

“It’s so much easier to ghost someone than tell them how you really feel, whether that’s personally or professionally,” said Lisa Low, associate professor of practice in public relations and strategic communications for the College of Media and Communications at Texas Tech.

There’s a growing apathy for conflict resolution in today’s world, she said, especially among younger communicators who may feel their status is too low to voice concerns.

But if you reframe how you think about problem-solving, it doesn’t have to keep you up at night.

An effective leader can face conflict head-on and show others that some dissent is normal. It’s OK to clash sometimes as long as it is managed with courtesy and respect, Low said.

“People tend to walk away and not say anything rather than ask questions or for some understanding,” Low said. “Just because I have a different opinion doesn’t mean I respect you less or think I’m absolutely right.”

Encouraging healthy disagreement will get you further in the long run and be able to lead with clarity and compassion, she said.

Conflict model

People approach conflict in different ways and understanding this can help you form the best strategy for resolution. There are typically five modes of conflict that can be broken down into the following categories:

1.Competing: I win, you lose; low cooperativeness, high assertiveness.
2.Collaborating: Let’s work together; high assertiveness and cooperativeness.
3.Avoiding: Ignore it and it will go away; low cooperativeness and assertiveness.
4.Accommodation: We’ll do it your way; low assertiveness and high cooperativeness.
5.Compromising: We all get much of what we wanted; equal cooperativeness and assertiveness.

Leaders can benefit from evaluating what category employees fall into and address discourse more effectively. They can then set clear goals, Low said.

”One thing that we forget that’s important is clearly elevating goals and a unified commitment,” she said.

Having a clear goal that every single employee understands is crucial for mitigating conflict, Low said. If you’re on the same page, there’s less likely to be a major issue, she added.

“The strategy is only as good as the last employee who knows it and can perform,” Low said. “Communicating what we’re doing and why we’re doing it in a way that is understandable for the rest of the team, maybe the C-suite or executive team, is really important.”

Join Low for Ragan’s Leadership Communications Certificate Course on June 11, 18 and 25 here.

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].