How to Mediate and Resolve Conflict

Meet with the antagonists together. Let each briefly summarize their point of view, without comment or interruption by the other party. This should be a short discussion so that all parties are clear about the disagreement and conflicting views. Intervene if either employee attacks the other employee. This is not acceptable.

Ask each participant to describe specific actions they’d like to see the other party take that would resolve the differences. Three or four suggestions work well. An example is, “I’d like Mary to send the report to me by Thursday at 1 p.m. so I can complete my assignment by my due date of Friday at noon.” A second example is, “I would like to have responsibility for all of the business development and follow-up with that client. The way the work is divided now causes Tom and I to never know what the other person is doing.”

Sometimes, as in the second example above, you, as the supervisor, must own some of the responsibilities for helping the employees resolve their conflict. Always ask, “What about the work situation is causing these staff members to fail?”

- If the situation needs further exploration, use a process in which you ask each participant to additionally identify what the other employee can do more of, less of, stop and start.

- All participants discuss and commit to making the changes necessary to resolve the conflict. Commit to noticing that the other person has made a change, no matter how small. Commit to treating each other with dignity and respect. It is okay to have reasonable disagreements over issues and plans; it is never okay to have personality conflicts that affect the workplace.

- Let the antagonists know that you will not choose sides, that it is impossible for a person external to the conflict to know the truth of the matter. You expect the individuals to resolve the conflicts proactively as adults. If they are unwilling to do so, you will be forced to take disciplinary action that can lead to dismissal for both parties.

- Finally, assure both parties that you have every faith in their ability to resolve their differences and get on with their successful contributions within your shared organization. Set a time to review progress.

Mediating a conflict is challenging, but as a manager or supervisor, the role of mediator comes with your territory. Your willingness to appropriately intervene sets the stage for your own success. You craft a work environment that enables the success of the people who work there. Conflict mediation is an example of “practice makes perfect.”

Questions to Unit 9

1. Do you agree that conflicts in a work environment are inevitable? Can you give reasons and explain sources of such conflicts?

2. What factors must be analyzed in order to manage conflict?

3. What conflict situations do you know? Can you give your own example?

4. Should you, as a manager, intervene in conflict?

5. Should you wait for conflict to go away?

6. Why is it not advisable to meet people in conflict separately? Do you agree with this advice?

7. Why do conflicts affect everyone in the office, not only conflicting parties?

8. What recommendations for resolving conflicts do you know?

9. Who are mediators and why is their role important for creating a good work environment?

Vocabulary to Unit 9

1. inevitable    adj. неизбежный, неминуемый

2. perception   n 1)восприятие,; 2) понимание, осмысление, осознание

3. be helpful in  smth быть полезным в чем-либо

4.handle a conflict  справляться с конфликтом

5. heat the situation   накалять ситуацию

6. resolve the conflict  решить конфликт. Syn.: settle, solve

7. allocation    n распределение, размещение, выделение средств

8. eventually   adv. В конечном счете, в итоге, в конце концов

Syn.: ultimately, in the end

9. overtime work  hours   сверхурочные часы работы

10. obvious   adj. очевидный, явный

Syn.: evident

11. workload     n объем работы

12. inequity    n несправедливость, пристрастность

13. outcome     n итог, последствие, результат

Syn.: result, consequence

14. words of wisdom  мудрые слова, благоразумие, здравый смысл

15. combative   adj. боевой, агрессивный, воинственный

16. be reflective of   adj. мыслящий, размышляющий

Syn.: thoughtful, intellectual

17. argumentative approach   аргументированный, логический подход

18. response    n ответ, отклик; реакция

19. turf wars   борьба за влияние

20. escalate  v расширять, обострять (ситуацию, конфликт)

21. intervene v вмешиваться, возникнуть (с целью помешать)

Syn.: interfere

22. burble   v бормотать, болтать, трещать

23. vested interests   заинтересованные круги

24. walk on egg shell  ходить очень осторожно, быть осмотрительным

25. commit to (doing smth ) v держать обещание, выполнять обязательства

26. proactively    adv. проактивно, упреждающе

 

 

Unit 10. Cross-cultural Differences