By David Flint - Integro Learning

A certain level of conflict in an organisation can be productive. Conflicting ideas when discussed can result in increased creativity, but if they are unresolved they can also result in stalemates that lead to disputes.

The ability to resolve disputes and conflict is an essential part of any effective manager's tool kit but to do so they need some understanding of people and what causes conflict. There is a simple model that I use to explain why people do what they do called The Whole Person Concept.

It is also referred to as The Iceberg Model, because people are very much like icebergs.

Behaviour is the tip of the iceberg, the part you can see or measure. But people, like the iceberg, have a lot more that is buried under the surface. That is why some people are a mystery to you. You look at their behaviour and say: How can they do that? It doesn't make sense!

To get a better understanding of why people behave differently we need to go below the waterline. Just below the surface of The Iceberg Model is Thinking and Feeling, both of which have a direct impact on behaviour. For example, if you don't feel like getting out of bed when your alarm goes off, do you stay there? Unlikely. You'll drag yourself out of bed, into the shower and get yourself ready for work. You do it because you think you should. Thinking and Feeling are often in conflict. You may feel like yelling at someone, but you think better of it.

To understand the reasons behind this level of internal conflict we need to go deeper into the iceberg to Values or Beliefs. If you value something highly, or believe in it strongly, you will feel strongly about it and think about it a lot. Values are a significant source of conflict.

Why do people demonstrate at public meetings or political rallies and try to disrupt them? Because their values are very different from those of the speaker or political party and they feel so strongly about it that they have to come along to tell them they are wrong.

If I'm right, you must be wrong… right? Therein lies the problem. When people have different values and beliefs, each person believes that they are right.

Most of us were also brought up under a very traditional set of values where things were more black and white. There was only one right way. Some people still believe that and get into conflict because they continually come up against people who believe otherwise.

At the bottom of the iceberg are your Needs, what you want deep down, what you like to do, what is most comfortable or pleasurable for you. Many of the conflicts in the workplace come down to needs versus values conflicts. You believe that employees should do what's best for the company and some of them believe they should do what's best for themselves. In other words, they are more concerned with meeting their own needs than in what their responsibilities are.

Rights versus responsibilities has long been a major cause of conflict. Some people are more concerned about what their rights are and not at all concerned with their responsibilities. Others recognise that with rights come responsibility. You have a right to keep your job if you complete your responsibilities.

There are two things we can do to reduce destructive conflict in the workplace:

1. The first is to get agreement about what our work values should be. That can only be done by getting input and buy-in from all involved. Companies who create and publish a set of values that have been discussed only by management have no chance of eliminating the us versus them mentality. The key question to ask in order to establish a set of team or business values is: "How do we need to operate in order to perform at our best?"

2. The second thing you can do is to start trying to understand what the values of others are, especially in those situations where conflict arises. If you can understand what the beliefs are that result in people believing that they are right, when their right is different to yours, you will have a better appreciation of where they are coming from. When you demonstrate an interest in understanding their point of view, they are more likely to be willing to listen to yours.

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David Flint is the General Manager of the Integro Learning Company Pty Ltd. Integro specialise in learning and personality suystems and distribution.

Phone: +61 2 9453 4555
dflint@integro.com.au
www.integrolearning.com