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        Conflict in diverse environments

      Chapter 1: Conflict in diverse environment

      It is a fact that if conflict is not resolved it may lead to disengagement (and following underperformance) of employees. Conflict has very different shapes, interpretations and ways of handling, especially in a diverse context. Yet, conflict is not always a bad sign. It might as well be a sign of well integrated team members that all feel the right/feel comfortable to express their opinions and feelings.

       

      Let me ask you:
      Do you know what pushes your buttons?
      Do you know if your counterpart observes conflict along a linear process and the conflict is over once there is a solution found?

      Why is this important?
      Conflict can be connected to the cultural socialization in which one grew up (national culture, family culture, expectations man/woman, etc.), yet, it does not always occur due to cultural differences in an intercultural context. Conflict can present a source of development and improvement, if well handled.
      The first step is that you know how you behave in conflict situations, and more importantly what causes conflict for you and why you behave that way in a conflict situation.
      Follow the steps in the exercise to become aware and make use of this in the next conflict situation:

      Exercise:
      Conflict in diverse team

      Conflict in diverse team

      1. Think about a conflict situation/unsettling situation, particularly one in an intercultural context.
      2. Identify your conflict habits in that situation and in general by asking yourself questions such as:
        • How do you react when you are verbally attacked?
        • How do you behave when you are annoyed or angry?
        • What is your way of handling conflict?
        • When do you subordinate yourself, when do you seek harmony?
        • Are you rather dominant in conflict situations or compliant?
        • What does conflict mean to you?
        • What are personal triggers (e.g. disappointment, trust issues, raising voices, etc.) in conflict situations?
      3. What role did the context (e.g. personal condition during the situation, time pressure, etc.) play in the conflict you initially recalled? How much of the conflict was culturally related, or was there core conflict caused by diverging individual, social or structural experiences and expectations?
      4. Do you understand what conflict means to the other person(s) involved (conflicts as a social failure, as a chance, as a taboo, as something inevitable, etc.)? Find out how your (international) employees/coworkers/superiors/etc. experience, handle and act in conflict situations*
        (E.g. What does it mean if the other person does not look into your eyes? Don’t assume and interpret from your source of knowledge or intuition, rather make sure by asking).
      5. Based on the knowledge from the exercise above, establish a common basis of knowledge on rules/proceedings in conflict situations for yourself/with your coworker(s)/team(s)/etc.

       

       

      * Also make sure you understand/know how conflict is ”OK” to have: Some individuals are socialized to express feelings and opinion forcefully with raised voice, others learned to avoid eye contact and to put on a poker face.
      That is not a problem as such, however, problems might arise in the way people interpret/judge these different behaviors.  E.g. someone that is loudly and with raised voice expressing an opinion might be perceived as arrogant to others whereas to that team member a restraint person during a conflict discussion is perceived as not trustworthy or not engaged.

      Simple and easy to implement facilitation to identify, analyze and move beyond conflict in a team/group/as a pair:

      1) Identify the conflict objectively: What is the problem?

      2) Lay out the facts

      3) Listen to the situation from the point of view of each person involved (positions and interests, feeling involved, role behavior, etc.)

      4) Establish the conflict including the newly acquired knowledge and identify the next steps (future evolution) of the conflict

      5) Point out action alternatives and agree on further proceedings

      Food for thought:
      Instead of looking at conflict (disagreement, etc.) as a problem, look at it as a chance to change perspective and an opportunity to learn. It is one of the “easiest” sources to look beyond your own point of view.

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      Chapter 1
      1. Conflict in diverse environment
      2. Conflict in diverse environment
      3. Conflict in diverse environment
      4. Conflict in diverse environment
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      Table of contents

      4 Pages
      Key takeaways
      • Conflict is not always a bad sign.
      • Conflict skills as well as conflict triggers are stringy connected to one’s own socialization and personality. Understand yourself before you understand others.
      • Conflict is the ”easiest” source to look beyond your own point of view.

      Item recap