Conflict resolution skills are abilities that enable you to mediate disputes and achieve consensus.
How Do Conflict Resolution Skills Work?
Conflict resolution skills are required for a wide range of positions across many job sectors. This requirement is based on the fact that conflict tends to reduce productivity and create a difficult work environment, leading to unwanted turnover in staff and reduced morale. Individuals who can resolve conflicts are often excellent mediators, rational, and able to manage difficult personalities from a place of empathy.
What Is Conflict Resolution?
Conflict resolution is the process by which two or more parties reach a peaceful resolution to a dispute. In the workplace, there can be a variety of types of conflict:
Conflict may occur between co-workers, supervisors and subordinates, or between service providers and their clients or customers.Conflict can also occur between groups, such as management and the labor force, or between entire departments.
The Conflict Resolution Process
The resolution of conflicts in the workplace typically involves some or all of the following processes:
Examples of Conflict Resolution Skills
Assertiveness by a supervisor who convenes a meeting between two employees who have engaged in a public dispute.Interviewing and active listening skills are utilized by a human resources representative to define the nature of a conflict between a supervisor and a subordinate.A supervisor encouraging empathy by asking opposing employees to describe how the other might feel in conflict situations.Managers of rival departments facilitating a brainstorming session with their staff to generate solutions to ongoing points of conflict.Mediation skills by a supervisor who helps rival subordinates to identify mutually agreeable changes in behavior.A co-worker seeking out a rival and suggesting that she would like to find a way to co-exist more peacefully.Creativity and problem-solving by a supervisor who redefines the roles of two conflict-prone staff to eliminate points of friction.Accountability established by a supervisor who documents conflict-initiating behaviors on an employee’s performance appraisal.
Types of Conflict Resolution Skills
Assertiveness
An employee might seek out a person with whom they’re having conflict to suggest working together to find ways to co-exist more peacefully.
Articulation Balanced Approach Candor Decisiveness Delegation Fact-Based Fairness Firmness Leadership Managing Emotions Management Negotiation Socializing Voicing Opinions Problem-Solving Self-Control Stress Management
Interviewing and Active Listening
A human resources representative might have to ask questions and listen carefully to determine the nature of a conflict between a supervisor and a subordinate.
Articulation Attentiveness Conscientiousness Consideration Empathy Encouragement Intuition Listening Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Persuasion Prediction Presentation Professionalism Relationship Building Respect Sense of Humor Sincerity Socializing Understanding Verbal Communication
Empathy
A mediator might encourage empathy by asking employees in conflict to each describe how the other might be feeling and thinking, and how the situation might look to the other party. Empathy is also an important skill for mediators, who must be able to understand each party’s perspective, without necessarily agreeing with either.
Asking for FeedbackBuilding TrustCompassionInclusionGiving FeedbackHandling Difficult PersonalitiesManaging EmotionsHigh Emotional IntelligenceIdentifying Nonverbal CuesRecognizing DifferencesUnderstanding Different ViewpointsInterpersonal skillsPatiencePersonableSelf-AwarenessSelf-ControlTrustworthinessWelcoming Opinions
Facilitation
Managers of rival departments might facilitate a joint brainstorming session with their teams to generate solutions to ongoing points of conflict. Group facilitation techniques can also be used to avoid triggering conflict during group decision-making in the first place.
Brainstorming Collaboration Conflict Management Diplomacy Ethics Humility Influence Insight Intuition Listening Organization Patience Perception Planning Practicality Realism Reflection Teamwork
Mediation
A supervisor might guide subordinates who are in conflict through a process to identify mutually agreeable changes in behavior.
Assertiveness Compassionate Decision Making Emotional Intelligence Empathy Honesty Impartial Insightful Leadership Measured Patience Problem Solving Professionalism Psychology Rational Approach Respect Understanding Transparency
Problem Solving
A supervisor might redefine the roles of two conflict-prone staff to simply eliminate points of friction. Creativity can also mean finding new win/win solutions.
Brainstorming SolutionsConflict AnalysisCollaboratingCreative Problem SolvingCritical ThinkingConvening MeetingsCreativityCritical ThinkingDecision MakingDesignating SanctionsFair ResolutionGoal IntegrationMonitoring ProcessNonverbal CommunicationProblem SolvingRestoring RelationshipsSense of Humor
Accountability
A supervisor might document conflict-initiating behaviors exhibited by a chronic complainer as preparation for a performance appraisal. In this way, the supervisor helps establish accountability, since the employee can no longer pretend the problem isn’t happening.
Adaptability Collaboration Delegation Drive Dynamism Flexibility Focus Follow-through Honesty Integrity Leadership Motivation Organized Planning Results-Oriented Visionary Trustworthiness Versatility
More Conflict Resolution Skills
Accepting CriticismAssertivenessBeing PresentCalmnessData-DrivenImpartialityIntuitionLeadershipLetting It GoLogicalNon-BiasPatiencePositivityPrioritizing RelationshipsProject ManagementResearchRespecting DifferencesSeparating YourselfStress ManagementTechnical Expertise
