Conflict Management Workshop
Workshop Summary
The essence of the workshop was on conflict and conflict management. Conflict was defined as a struggle or contest between people with opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values, or goals. Conflict on teams is inevitable; however, the results of conflict are not predetermined. Conflict might escalate and lead to nonproductive results, or conflict can be beneficially resolved and lead to quality final products. Therefore, learning to manage conflict is integral to a high-performance team. Although very few people go looking for conflict, more often than not, conflict results because of miscommunication between people with regard to their needs, ideas, beliefs, goals, or values. Conflict management is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of nonproductive escalation. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a structure for management of conflict in your environment.
Practical Application
The information or skills conveyed in this workshop helped me to understand conflict within an organization and that the success of an organization is based on how well it deals with conflict. The workshop was highly experiential and interactive. We were given activities, improvisational skit to anchor concepts, and practice time to enhance our skills. Dysfunctional versus functional conflict. Functional conflicts are constructive, support your company's goals, and improve performance. Dysfunctional conflicts on the other hand, consist of disputes and disagreements that hinder your company's performance. The various types of conflict management styles, for example accommodating, avoiding, competing, collaborating and compromising were explained. The steps involved in initiating conflict resolution- plan a BCF statement that maintains ownership of the problem, present your BCF statement and agree on the conflict, ask for and/or give alternative conflict resolutions. Responding to conflict resolution-listen to and paraphrase the conflict using the BCF model, agree with some aspect of the complaint, ask for and/or give alternative conflict resolutions, make an agreement for change. Mediating conflict resolution –have each party state his or her complaints using the BCF model, agree on the conflict problems, develop alternative conflict resolution, make an agreement for change and follow up to make sure the conflict is resolved. This information is useful in the real world, knowing how to manage and resolve conflict is