LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 2012-2013Sponsored by the Provost’s Office

Johns Hopkins University

Catherine J. Morrison, JDAssociate Faculty

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healthcmorrison@createagreement.com

When Things Don’t Work:Recognizing and Resolving Conflict

Learning Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts of conflict management

Acquire specific tactical approaches to conflict situations

Apply that understanding to more effectively assess and manage two-party and multi-party conflicts

 • s

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CONFLICT HAPPENS

Conflict is…•a normal, inescapable part of life

•a periodic occurrence in any relationship

•an opportunity to understand opposing preferences and values

•ENERGY

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How can we manage the energy of conflict?4

Use cognitive conflict

Disagreement about ideas and approaches

Issue focused, not personal

Characteristic of high performing groups

Amason, A.C., Thompson, K.R., Hochwarter, W.A., & Harrison, A.W. (1995, Autumn). “Conflict: An Important Dimension in Successful Management Teams.” Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 22-23.

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Avoid affective conflict6

Personal antagonism fueled by differences of opinion

Destructive to group performance and cohesion

Ibid., 24.

How can we keep conflict cognitive?

1. Make the approach

2. Share perspectives

3. Build understanding

4. Agree on solutions

5. Plan next steps

Mediation Services. (2003). Foundational concepts for understanding conflict. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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Step 1. Make the approach

Reflect before you begin

Invite the other party to a conversation

Be clear about your intentions

State your goal - a positive resolution

Ibid.

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Step 2. Share perspectives

Ask for the other person’s perspective

Paraphrase what you hear

Acknowledge your contribution

Describe your perspective

Ibid.

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Understand why your views differ10

(Read from bottom to top)

I take actionI adopt beliefsI draw conclusionsI add meaningI select dataObservable dataClark, W. (October 17, 2005). People Whose Ideas Influence Organisational Work

- Chris Argyris. In Organisations@Onepine. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from http://www.onepine.info/pargy.htm

Name the issues

Identify topics that the parties view as important to address

Use concise neutral language

Avoid pronouns

Use issues to create the agendaFoundational Concepts for Understanding Conflict.

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Step 3. Build understanding

Discuss one issue at a time

Clarify assumptions

Explore interests and feelings

Ibid.

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Step 4. Agree on solutions

Reality test – Is this doable?

Durability test – Is this durable?

Interest test – Does this meet all parties’ interests?

Ibid.

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Step 5. Plan next steps

Jointly create action plan

What needs to happen?

Who needs to do what? By when?

How will interaction take place if problems occur?

Ibid.

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Tools forConflict Management

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That’s true but…

What doesn’t

work

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That’s true and…

What doeswork

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BLAME

What doesn’t

work

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The “third story”

What doeswork

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Contribution Mapping

What doeswork

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You get the picture…

What doesn’t

work

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Match and lower,match and raise

What doeswork

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“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof.”

John Kenneth Galbraith

Sources andRecommended Reading

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Sources

Amason, A.C., Thompson, K.R., Hochwarter, W.A., & Harrison, A.W. (1995, Autumn). “Conflict: An Important Dimension in Successful Management Teams.” Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 20-35.

Clark, W. (October 17, 2005). People Whose Ideas Influence Organisational Work - Chris Argyris. In Organisations@Onepine. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from http://www.onepine.info/pargy.htm

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Sources

Garmston, R.J. (Summer 2005). “Group Wise: How to turn conflict into an effective learning process.” Journal of Staff Development, 26(3), 65-66.

Mediation Services. (2003). Foundational concepts for understanding conflict. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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Recommended Reading

Conger, J. A. (1998, May-June). The Necessary Art of Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, pp. 84-95.

Eisenhardt, K., Kahwajy, L., & Bourgeois, L. J. (1997, July-August). How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight. Harvard Business Review, pp. 77-85.

Robinson, R. J. (1997, February 6). Errors in Social Judgment: Implications for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. Harvard Business School Publishing, Case Note 897103, pp. 1-7.

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Recommended Reading

Sussman, L. (1999, January 15). How to Frame a Message: The Art of Persuasion and Negotiation. Business Horizons, pp. 2-6.

Tannen, D. (1995, September-October). The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why. Harvard Business Review, pp. 138-148.

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