Conflict Competence in the Workplace
Conflict Competence in the Workplace
Craig E. Runde
I
s conflict inevitable in the workplace? If you are like most leaders, your answer will be “yes.” Once that threshold is crossed, the only issue left is whether conflict will lead to good or bad results. Most people view conflict as something negative to be avoided. When asked, they readily agree that this approach rarely works and usually leads to unproductive outcomes. So, what does it take to address conflict competently? Conflict management involves a complex range of skills that are not inborn—they need to be learned. In this article, we examine the importance of developing the competence of leaders, managers, and employees to be able to deal with this inevitable part of work life. We review the costs of managing conflict poorly and the benefits of dealing with it effectively, because adults will not put effort into developing skills unless it results in benefits they care about. Most importantly, we will look at the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and normative skills that need to be employed to help people become competent in getting the best out of conflict while at the same time avoiding its most challenging aspects.
THE VALUE OF MANAGING CONFLICT
EFFECTIVELY
When most people are faced with conflict, they tend to avoid addressing it and hope that it goes away; they do not consider that there may be value in dealing with it. In organizational
contexts, the most effective manner of getting the value out of conflict involves linking conflict management with strategic goals.
A company’s leaders or a division’s managers focus their attention on achieving the strategic goals that they have typically been involved in developing. They will be aware of many challenges that could thwart their efforts, but they are typically not as aware of one particular challenge—poorly managed conflict. In the nuclear power industry, plants need to be shut down periodically for
Craig E. Runde
I
s conflict inevitable in the workplace? If you are like most leaders, your answer will be “yes.” Once that threshold is crossed, the only issue left is whether conflict will lead to good or bad results. Most people view conflict as something negative to be avoided. When asked, they readily agree that this approach rarely works and usually leads to unproductive outcomes. So, what does it take to address conflict competently? Conflict management involves a complex range of skills that are not inborn—they need to be learned. In this article, we examine the importance of developing the competence of leaders, managers, and employees to be able to deal with this inevitable part of work life. We review the costs of managing conflict poorly and the benefits of dealing with it effectively, because adults will not put effort into developing skills unless it results in benefits they care about. Most importantly, we will look at the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and normative skills that need to be employed to help people become competent in getting the best out of conflict while at the same time avoiding its most challenging aspects.
THE VALUE OF MANAGING CONFLICT
EFFECTIVELY
When most people are faced with conflict, they tend to avoid addressing it and hope that it goes away; they do not consider that there may be value in dealing with it. In organizational
contexts, the most effective manner of getting the value out of conflict involves linking conflict management with strategic goals.
A company’s leaders or a division’s managers focus their attention on achieving the strategic goals that they have typically been involved in developing. They will be aware of many challenges that could thwart their efforts, but they are typically not as aware of one particular challenge—poorly managed conflict. In the nuclear power industry, plants need to be shut down periodically for