Understanding The Five Conflict Management Strategies

Conflicts are inevitable in any organization because there can be cultural and philosophical differences among members, as well as divergent goals. And if these conflicts are mismanaged, it can lead to loss of trust and productivity.

There are five commonly practiced techniques in dealing with conflicts, and below is a brief explanation of each strategy:

Accommodating/Smoothing

The accommodating strategy aims to acquiesce to the concerns or desires of the opposing side. However, this is only recommended when either of the parties is willing to give up on his own interests.

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Avoiding/Withdrawing

This is done when one party decides to not address the conflict by withdrawing from it or postponing his involvement in the hope that the problem would be resolved by such a decision.

Collaborating/Win-Win

Most often the best alternative, collaborating seeks to satisfy the concerns of opposing parties through working on the conflict together. Multiple ideas are integrated, and the decisions implemented should be mutually beneficial.

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Compromising

If an optimal solution to the conflict cannot be achieved within the time constraint, a compromise can instead be reached through the formulation of a mutually acceptable, if not agreeable, decision. This strategy works best whenever the conflicting parties hold similar power or authority in the organization.

Competing/Forcing

This strategy is considered a zero-sum game because one of the parties gets what he wants, while the other “loses.” This technique is typically applied when there are crisis situations and company decisions that would inevitably generate ill-will among some people.

Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch has been in the business world long enough to know that learning new skills and concepts is never a waste of time for leaders. Follow this Facebook page for more similar articles.

Leverage And Duplication: Why Effective Leaders Delegate

No entrepreneur can achieve high-level success without learning how to delegate tasks and responsibilities to other people.

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Some people say that in the business world, or any industry, for that matter, time is the great equalizer. An organization leader or manager can have all the skills and resources in the world, but their days are still limited to 24 hours each. Thus, they need all the helping hands they could get.

The late Apple founder Steve Jobs knew this limitation very well. A reason the technology company evolved into one of the best in the world is that Jobs developed a delegation system that ensured everyone was working and focusing on their responsibilities. After meetings, there would be no confusion as to who does what because every action item is assigned to a specific “Direct Responsible Individual” or DRI.

By delegating, efficiency can be highly improved. Leaders can leverage their time by asking skilled organization members to work on individual tasks that are needed to accomplish the collective goal.

Furthermore, delegation can empower team members and help them gain or improve their skills and abilities. If a business plans on expanding to greater heights, it needs to create new leaders who, as much as possible, possess or have developed the same qualities.

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Learning never stops for Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch, that is why he encourages entrepreneurs to continually educate themselves, even after already having experienced success. Follow this blog for more discussions on becoming a better leader.

Fostering Business Growth Through Strategic Planning

Having a clear vision and plans is necessary for any organization to grow and succeed. When communicated clearly to every team member, the vision can unify all organizational levels. Each employee can then understand his part and role, and focus on efficiently delivering his tasks.

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A common vision and set of goals can also prevent any perceived interdepartmental competition, and fosters solidarity across the entire company. Flow of information can also be increased, as well as the pooling of resources from the different silos in the organization; thus, coordination will be seamless.

The definition of the vision, direction, goals, and tactics can be specified through the regular conduct of strategic planning. The management initiates this activity, and in coordination with the entire organization, uses this to tackle fundamental decisions and actions that determine what should be done – and why – in the foreseeable future, as well as the adjustments needed to respond to the changes in the environment.

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Strategic planning follows no single framework. However, it typically involves the following phases:

•   Assessment of the organization’s current situation, as well as the trends in the environment

•   Vision casting, and formulation of short- and long-term strategies in every level of the organization

•   Creation of action plan on how to execute strategies, and how to evaluate said strategies

Patrick Dwyer of Merrill Lynch understands that education is needed for entrepreneurs and managers to survive the harsh and often complicated world of business. For more of his insights, follow this Twitter page.