Lesson 5

• Conflict


  An active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles
• Conflict


  A mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands
• Conflict


  The energy created by the gap between what we want and what we're experiencing
• Negative conflict, characterized by struggling against other people, drains energy, which is costly to companies, teams and relationships
• The annual cost of workplace conflict in the U.S. is $359 billion in lost time and productivity
• Conflict can occur in any organization when employees with different backgrounds and priorities work together
• Conflict can be expressed in numerous ways such as insults, noncooperation, bullying and anger
• Causes of conflict


  • Personality differences
  • Workplace behaviors regarded by some co-workers as irritating
  • Unmet needs in the workplace
  • Perceived inequities of resources
  • Unclarified roles in the workplace
  • Competing job duties or poor implementation of a job description
  • Systemic circumstance such as a workforce slowdown, a merger or acquisition, or a reduction in force
  • Mismanagement of organizational change and transition
  • Poor communication, including misunderstood remarks and comments taken out of context
  • Differences over work methods or goals or differences in perspectives attributable to age, sex or upbringing
• Negative effects of workplace conflict

  • Work disruptions
  • Decreased productivity
  • Project failure
  • Absenteeism
  • Turnover and termination
  • Unionization
  • Litigation
  • Emotional stress (can also be a cause of workplace conflict)
• Ways to manage conflict

  • Make certain that policies and communication are clear and consistent, and make the rationale for decisions transparent
  • Ensure that all employees—not just managers—are accountable for resolving conflict
  • Do not ignore conflict, and do not avoid taking steps to prevent it
  • Seek to understand the underlying emotions of the employees in conflict
  • Keep in mind that approaches to resolving conflict may depend on the circumstances of the conflict
• Many experts maintain that although conflict is generally regarded as having a negative effect in the workplace, a degree of properly managed conflict can be beneficial for an organization
• 64 percent of 400 respondents indicated that they would compromise rather than make an argument for their preferred approach to avoid conflict
• What good managers do to promote healthy conflict

  • Be more open. Empathize with others. Understand their motives, emotions and responses. Ask "How are you doing with this transition?" Avoid "How did that make you feel?" as if others control their emotions. Take time to listen and then validate their feelings.
  • Be more resourceful. Avoid sharing your ideas first. Instead, ask others for their thoughts. Disagree while respecting others' intentions.
  • Be persistent. See things through with integrity and respect. Be clear about your expectations. Hold yourself and others accountable. Acknowledge when you make mistakes, and try to make it right.
  • Recognize that conflict is always emotional. Thus, it's paramount that HR professionals are able to create a safe place for people to talk about and pursue their emotional motives and develop strategies for healthy resolution
• Tools HR professionals can use to create a positive workplace climate


  • Written rules, policies and agreements
  • Effective management
  • Careful hiring
  • Fair grievance processes
  • Training for managers
  • Performance management and feedback
  • Fair termination processes
• Role model behavior


  Behavior that serves as an example, exemplifying professional behavior and image, recognizing that what they say and do is imitated by others
• Role model


  Someone who serves as an example, exemplifying professional behavior and image, recognizing that what they say and do is imitated by others
• Role modeling behavior demonstrating respect for diversity

  • There is no single action that demonstrates personal orientation to respecting diversity – rather, a mix of attitudes and actions are required
  • Managers and supervisors can role model appropriate behavior by realizing all their actions and communications can be seen/heard by others, who will infer values into what is done, and by creating a suite of 'diversity' documents to underpin the implementation of workplace diversity
• Role modeling in action

  • Having congruency between your words and actions
  • Persuasive words may help to influence, but the buy-in of your employees is gained through your actions
  • Your credibility as a leader depends on being able to do what you say
  • Role modeling inappropriate behaviors can lead your team to become disengaged, dysfunctional and unable to produce the desired outcomes
  • Role modeling does not mean that all your employees mirror you identically, but that you nurture specific behaviors that then become positive workplace habits
• Steps to becoming a better role model

  1. Treat your employees with respect and tell them you appreciate their efforts and hard work

  2. Provide honest and descriptive feedback to help your employees improve or sustain their performance; encourage feedback from them as well

  3. Keep commitments and never promise to do something you cannot deliver

  4. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn't do

  5. If you make a mistake, own up to it and don't cover it up or blame others

  6. Be mindful of how you respond to change and create an outlet for employees to voice their concerns

  7. Follow the rules and policies, as you model what's expected
• Positive modeling in the workplace


  A system of mentoring and discipline that focuses on positive workplace behavior and performance, with an effect on both the individual worker and those who are part of a larger team effort
• Ways to do positive modeling

  1. Mentoring - demonstrating proper behavior to mentor workers to success

  2. Teamwork - engaging workers in a positive manner to feel more connected to their job and fellow employees

  3. Reinforcement - assessing performance with a focus on the positive aspects rather than the negative
• Why role modeling is important

  • Managers rely on their employees to get things done, so they must create an environment that helps to produce results, which requires consistently and deliberately demonstrating the type of behavior they expect to see from their employees
  • Role models increase employee morale, inspire healthy competition, create a positive atmosphere, motivate others, and communicate openly
• Characteristics of effective role models

  • Accountability - taking responsibility for actions and admitting mistakes
  • Hard work - working hard, completing more than expected, and helping colleagues
  • Positivity - maintaining a positive attitude even in stressful situations
  • Persistence - facing obstacles with a sense of urgency and resolve
  • Integrity - being honest and following company rules and guidelines
  • Respect - treating employees, coworkers and customers with respect
• Language


  A system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves
• Functions of language


  • Communication
  • Expression of identity
  • Play
  • Imaginative expression
  • Emotional release
• There are approximately 7,000 languages believed to be spoken around the world
• Despite this diversity, the majority of the world's population speaks only a fraction of these languages
• The three largest language groups (Mandarin, Spanish, and English) are spoken by more than 1.5 billion people
• Other estimates state that 2/3 of the world's population share only 12 languages
• Language diversity


  A broad term used to describe the differences between different languages and the ways that people communicate with each other
• Language is one of the features of humanity that sets the species apart from others on Earth, as far as scientists are aware
• Languages are necessarily systematic, meaning that they are bound by rules
• This mechanism has been instrumental in allowing humans to communicate with each other and form complex cultures and civilizations
• Body language differences


  • In Albania, shaking the head from side to side means "yes" and nodding the head up and down means "no"
  • Reversal of meaning of yes/no head gestures occurs in Bulgaria too
  • People from India tilt their heads to one side or both to indicate agreement
  • On many South Pacific Islands, they signal yes by raising their eyebrows
• Scenario 1: American visiting Albania


  • At the airport, the attendant asked the usual questions about packing and leaving bags unattended. The American misunderstood the head shaking gestures.
• Scenario 2: American tourists in Bulgaria


  • They asked if stuffed cabbage was available. The waiter nodded "yes," but the stuffed cabbage never appeared. The disappointed diners learned that when the waiter shook his head "yes," he meant that they had none.
• Be careful when appropriating the jargon or gestures of other ethnicities, lest it be considered patronizing. These actions can sabotage a relationship.
• Scenario 3: Community leaders meeting in Las Vegas

  • The white chairperson greeted the African American director with a mock African dialect and a high-five hand slap, which the director found insulting.
• It is taboo for unrelated males and females to have body contact in some cultures
• Unrelated Orthodox Jewish men and women cannot touch