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Saturday, July 23, 2011

6 Steps for Managing Conflict

  1. Set the tone.
  2. Get the feelings.
  3. Get the facts.
  4. Ask for help.
  5. Get commitment.
  6. Follow up

  1. Set the tone

  • Be cordial and non-threatening.
  • Avoid abrupt statements.

2.   Get the feelings

  • Allow employees to “talk” through their feeling.
  • Don’t interrupt,seek clarification.
  • Avoid approval or disapproval.
  • Don’t question, explore, criticize, interpret, convince, or sympathize.
  • Use statements to “reflect” feelings
  • Don’t become emotional be neutral

3.   Get the facts

  • Actively listen.
  • Read nonverbal clues.
  • Depersonalize the conflict.
  • Save your comments until you have all the facts.
  • Avoid “ you “ statements: could, should, etc..

4.   Ask for help

  • Encourage employees to work out their own solution.
  • Don’t “tell” employees how to resolve the conflict.
  • Get participation and commitment.
  • Explore consequences of their proposed solutions.

5.   Get commitment

  • Ask directly for their commitments to work the solution.
  • Help put their plan in writing.
  • what is to be done?
  • Who will do it?
  • When will they do it?
  • What help will be needed?

6.   Follow up

  • It’s the manger’s ( not the employees’) responsibility to follow up.
  • Schedule a follow up meeting to check if the solution is working.