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Conflict Management

On January 6, 2019 in peopleware • 1 minutes read

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Mediation
  • Arbitration

These are my notes from the excellent Applications of Everyday Leadership course from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Introduction

Managers need to resolve conflicts in order to get resolutions that satisfy the underlying interests of both parties in an executable and efficient process.

Mediation

Managers can intervene as mediators, controlling the decision process; this is the preferred approach as the disputants maintain control of the end decision and are more likely to come to a mutually satisfying, committed and thereby effective conclusion.

When mediating, the manager should actuate a content and process strategy, to ensure that both parties perceive fair and objective treatment, for example by ensuring all parties have equal opportunities to present their positions, fostering information sharing to discover common underlying interests.

Arbitration

Mediation alone does not guarantee a resolution, but is effective when combined with the threat of arbitration. In arbitration, the manager makes the decision for parties who fail to resolve the conflict on their own; this approach removes the chance no decision is made, but can force sub-optimal decisions on the parties, as they manager won’t understand the problem as well.

Luckily, a “gentle threat” of moving to arbitration might be enough for people to do their best to find positions satisfying their underlying interests, as they don’t want to lose control of the final decision.

By combining mediation with the possibility of arbitration, managers can resolve conflicts while maintaining team relationships and ensuring parties remain committed to the outcome.