Creative Ways to Manage Conflict

Accept the fact that conflict is going to happen. Decide to take positive steps to manage it. When it occurs, discuss the conflict openly with the group. Don't be afraid of conflict - view it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Deal with one issue at a time. There may be more than one issue involved in the conflict at one time. Make sure that only one issue is dealt with at a time otherwise the conflict may seem overwhelming and people can get stuck in the middle of all the emotions that come along with dealing with conflict. Breaking conflict down into manageable chunks is the best way to deal with it.

For conflict resolution to work, all parties have to want to work at the issue. If there are power imbalances within the group, or members of the group feel vulnerable, there is more chance that conflict will occur. Unfortunately, some people like to manipulate situations so that conflict occurs regularly. It is their way of feeling powerful. Recognise if this is happening and try and work out who is manipulating the group, and why.

Avoid reacting to unintentional remarks. Conflict can bring up lots of negative emotions. Try not to react to the way people express themselves when discussing the conflict. Instead try and listen to what they are trying to say - what is the issue underlying the conflict? Words like "always" and "never" may be said in the heat of battle and do not necessarily convey what the speaker means.

Avoid resolutions that come too soon or too easily. People need time to think about all possible solutions and the impact of each. Quick answers may disguise the real problem. All parties need to feel some satisfaction with the resolution if they are to accept it. Conflict resolutions should not be rushed.

Avoid name calling and threatening behavior. It is not acceptable nor productive to threaten or coerce in order to try and solve the conflict. Nor is it helpful or kind to insult your opponent. Manage your anger and if you feel that you are getting too cross, suggest that it might be time for a break in order to cool off.

Agree to disagree. Respect for one another and the value of relationships are two good reasons to disagree, but to choose not to allow the disagreement to interfere with the group.

Don't insist on being right. There are usually several right solutions to every problem.

Be aware of power imbalances in the group or commission and seek to include those who are less powerful. Make sure you include women and young people in your group. Be aware of issues of illiteracy and authority. Who has the power to speak in your group? Who feel that they are more powerful than others by virtue of their position or their standing in the community? Some groups may have lots of hidden conflict because people are too scared to speak or feel they have no right to speak. If your group is going to be successful, it is important to try and modify the power imbalance and make people feel secure and able to voice an opinion.

Source: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/leaddev/he500w.htm

Dealing with Cultural Conflicts

Cultural conflicts can arise between groups because of the differences in values and beahviour of people from different cultures. A person acts according to the values and behaviours of his or her culture; another person holding a different worldview might interpret his or her behaviour from an opposite standpoint. This situation creates misunderstanding and can lead to conflict. Often people of mainstream Australia, the Anglo culture, perceive their behavior and beliefs as the only appropriate ones, forgetting that Anglo culture is just one of the multiple cultures existing in Australia and the region.

For example, a group of women wrote an excellent and detailed proposal, but did badly during the interview part of the evaluation. It happened because those women came from a culture where establishing personal relationships precedes business relationships. These women felt uncomfortable when government officials did not allow time for casual conversation and immediately moved toward firing questions at them.

Resolving cultural conflicts

It is important to recognize whether the conflict is due to a cultural misunderstanding or difference or just about a difference that has no cultural underpinnings. For example, a conflict about a budget might not have anything to do with cultural differences to money management; it might just have to do with misunderstandings about reporting requirements.

So the first thing to do is establish if there really is a cultural dimension to the conflict. Next, there should be willingness on all sides to deal with all conflict dimensions including the cultural one.

Then the conflict needs to be identified. What is the difficult issue or the difficult behaviour?

What is the significance of this behaviour in each person's culture? Each group needs to understand that what seems significant to one might seem minor to another culture.

Next it is important to discover how problems of these nature are handled in each other's culture. Arising from this understanding can come solutions to the problem and conflict.

Cross-cultural conflicts can be prevented by learning about each others cultures.. Important aspects of cultural education are understanding your own culture and developing cultural awareness by acquiring a broad knowledge of values and beliefs.

It might be necessary to adapt or reform your organisational structures so as to accommodate the cultural needs of the others in your group. Often the organizational structure reflects the norms of just one culture. In such cases, structural change becomes necessary to make the system more sensitive to cultural norms of other people.

Source: Williams, Andrea. "Resolving Conflict in a Multicultural Environment." MCS Conciliation Quarterly. Summer, 1994. Pp. 2-6.

Managing Conflict...