How can knowledge of conflict, negotiations, and power in organizations help you

Question

How can knowledge of conflict, negotiations, and power in organizations help you be more successful in your career? Please be specific in your response for each of the three topics

First if you do not know what they conflicts are then you run a risk of making them worse. It makes me think of work and I know their are certain people who can not work together, not just because of negative things like not being able to get a long, but things like being friends and spending more time talking to each other then doing their job. It may not be a bad thing that they are friends, but their lack of focus on their job will be a conflict when the machines are not done on time or correctly. This can lead to us managers getting in trouble and then we pass that on to them .

In negotiations you need knowledge so you know what the other party wants and how much you are willing to give them. if you do not know what they want before hand you can go into negotiations blind and end up with a bad deal that is bad for you and your team. Negotiations work good in parenting to. You child wants money and you want chores around the house done so you work it out to get what you both want. the same can be used in the workplace. You can work with your team to give them something they want in return for something you want, something like a dinner or a get together. Everyone wins in a negotiation.

Last is power, just like the saying goes knowledge is power. You need to know what is going on to make sure you have all the options available to you. Power is a good thing to have sometimes. It can get you more help if you need it, it also can be bad if you use it wrong. I have seen many mangers start out, tripping on the power and at first it can cause some waves and that is something that is hard to come back from when you are working with a team. If they do not feel comfortable with your leadership then they can break you, but power can also be good. It makes people follow your word and do they things that you need to do to be successful.

Simple fact is having all the knowledge of the situation available to you can help you from making a bad mistake that can cause a lot of irreversible damage.

Explanation / Answer

Definition of Conflict

There has been no shortage of definitions of conflict.2 Despite the divergent meanings the term has acquired, several common themes underlie most definitions. Conflict must be perceived by the parties to it; whether or not conflict exists is a perception issue. If no one is aware of a conflict, then it is generally agreed that no conflict exists. Additional commonalities in the definitions are opposition or incompatibility and some form of interaction.3 These factors set the conditions that determine the beginning point of the conflict process. We can define conflict, then, as a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.4

This definition is purposely broad. It describes that point in any ongoing activity when an interaction "crosses over" to become an interparty conflict. It encompasses the wide range of conflicts that people experience in organizations-incompatibility of goals, differences over interpretations of facts, disagreements based on behavioral expectations, and the like. Finally, our definition is flexible enough to cover the full range of conflict levels--from overt and violent acts to subtle forms of disagreement.

people use to address conflict.

All people can benefit, both personally and professionally, from learning conflict management skills. Typically we respond to conflict by using one of five modes:

Competing

Avoiding

Accommodating

Compromising

Collaborating

Each of these modes can be characterized by two scales: assertiveness and cooperation. None of these modes is wrong to use, but there are right and wrong times to use each. The following sections describe the five modes. The information may help each team member to characterize her/his model for conflict management.

What factors can affect our conflict modes.

Some factors that can impact how we respond to conflict are listed below with explanations of how these factors might affect us.

Gender- Some of us were socialized to use particular conflict modes because of our gender. For example, some males, because they are male, were taught “always stand up to someone, and, if you have to fight, then fight.” If one was socialized this way he will be more likely to use assertive conflict modes versus using cooperative modes.

Self-concept- How we think and feel about ourselves affect how we approach conflict. Do we think our thoughts, feelings, and opinions are worth being heard by the person with whom we are in conflict

Expectations- Do we believe the other person or our team wants to resolve the conflict

Situation- Where is the conflict occurring, do we know the person we are in conflict with, and is the conflict personal or professional

Position (Power) -What is our power status relationship, (that is, equal, more, or less) with the person with whom we are in conflict

Practice -Practice involves being able to use all five conflict modes effectively, being able to determine what conflict mode would be most effective to resolve the conflict, and the ability to change modes as necessary while engaged in conflict.

Determining the best mode Through knowledge about conflict and through practice we develop a “conflict management understanding” and can, with ease and limited energy, determine what conflict mode to use with the particular person with whom we are in conflict.

Communication skills The essence of conflict resolution and conflict management is the ability to communicate effectively. People who have and use effective communication will resolve their conflicts with greater ease and success.

Life experiences As mentioned earlier, we often practice the conflict modes we saw our primary caretaker(s) use unless we have made a conscious choice as adults to change or adapt our conflict styles. Some of us had great role models teach us to manage our conflicts and others of us had less-than-great role models. Our life experiences, both personal and professional, have taught us to frame conflict as either something positive that can be worked through or something negative to be avoided and ignored at all costs. Discerning how we manage our conflict, why we manage conflict the way we do, and thinking about the value of engaging in conflict with others are important. With better understanding we can make informed choices about how we engage in conflict and when we will engage in conflict. The next section provides points for us to consider when determining if we will enter into a conflict situation or not.

MANAGING CONFLICT WITH NEGOTIATION

Many people stereotype negotiation as a formal process of bargaining between labor and management or buyer and seller. However, negotiating is much more, job applicants negotiate for starting salaries, employees negotiate for better job assignments, and people with sick kids negotiate to leave work early. To encompass all of these situations, we might define negotiation as "a decision-making process among interdependent parties who do not share identical preferences." 33 Negotiation constitutes conflict management in that it is an attempt either to prevent conflict or to resolve existing conflict. Negotiation is an attempt to reach a satisfactory exchange among or between the parties. Successful negotiating requires a strong knowledge of techniques. It is a mistake to assume that because a person has good communication or "people" skills, he or she is therefore a good negotiator. Although those abilities will allow you to be a better negotiator, you are not a good negotiator simply because you are personable and outgoing. 34 There are two common negotiation tactics.35 The first is known as distributive negotiation; this assumes a zero-sum, win-lose situation in which a fixed pie is divided up between the parties. Parties will more or less tend toward some compromise. The other is known as integrative negotiation, which assumes that mutual problem solving can result in a win-win situation in which the pie is actually enlarged before distribution. Integrative negotiation occurs between avoiding and collaborating, ideally tending toward the latter. Distributive and integrative negotiation can take place simultaneously. We'll discuss them separately for pedagogical purposes.

Negotiating Tips - Seven Basic Steps

1. Identification of the problem. It is essential to establish what the issue is before you try to resolve it. Often arguments occur because you and the other person are discussing different issues or the crossover relationship is not apparent to one of you.
2. Researching the issues. Knowing what the issue is allows you to do the basic research into why you are in disagreement and how important the issue is to you.
3. Selecting the participants. Both you and the other person are entitled to add or object to a potential participant in any negotiation. How the two sides populate their teams usually will have an impact on the outcome. Among other things you should try to keep people out of the negotiation who tend to inflame the situation.
4. Researching the participants. Once you and the other person have established the people to be involved in the discussion/negotiation you need to assess who The other person has on his or her team, why they were added and what position they are likely to advocate. The other person's selection of co-negotiators will indicate the areas he feels are important to his position or the areas he feels he lacks expertise.
5. Preparing for the negotiation. Before you actually start any negotiation take a few moments or a few weeks, depending on the importance and complexity of the negotiation, to prepare for the negotiation session.
a. Separate facts from assumptions. Understand what you know about the situation and what you assume to be true.
b. Validate your facts. Sometimes facts change. Make sure your information is current. If you can't do this, consider the unverified facts to be assumptions.

c. Validate your assumptions. Assumptions should be validated by third party confirmation or simply asking the other person if they are valid.
d. Test your assumptions. Assumptions that can't be validated need to be tested or discarded. Erroneous assumptions can impair an otherwise sound negotiating strategy. Don't set yourself up for failure relying on an invalidated assumption because you like it or it helps your case.
e. Adjust your strategies. Using the newly acquired information, make sure your initial strategies, objectives and goals are still appropriate. The new information can often change strategies and on occasion can obviate the disagreement altogether.

6. Meeting the Participants. When the participants first get together to start the negotiation there is usually a short period of time when people meet each other and get settled. This is an excellent period during which you should take the measure of everyone about to take a seat at the table. Observe who are comfortable and who appear uneasy. Participate in casual conversations to determine the interests and backgrounds of the other person's co-negotiators. Make sure your advocates are comfortable and ready.
7. Establishing the parameters of the situation. Once seated at the table it is helpful to make sure everyone is aware of the issues to be discussed and uncover any new issue that needs to be addressed. If new information is provided or the issues changed feel free to take a break to reflect or regroup with your team if necessary.

You are now ready to enter into the negotiation. This is most typically done by asking or soliciting an initial offer. The early stage of any negotiation should be used to establish the parameters of the situation. That is, the bid/ask disparity between you and the other person.

Each step deserves to be mentally considered before it is undertaken. A negotiator should prepare, plan, and execute on the sub-task or individual step level to maximize the potential from the process. The skill is in the preparation and the art is in the execution. Obviously more complex negotiations will have added steps and a more detailed approach but even simple negotiations can be better resolved if these steps are fleetingly considered before you enter the fray with the other person.

Conflict Resolution Techniques

Consider the following conflict resolution techniques to help resolve issues in your organizations.

It’s important to note that while resolving workplace conflicts, you need to consider your company’s regulations and policies. With the right conflict resolution training, you’ll have the tools and techniques necessary to keep harmony among your team!

Resolve Conflict with Negotiation Courses – 100% Online!

While a number of providers offer conflict resolution courses, there is only one source for expert led, university backed, 100% online conflict resolution training. Notre Dame offers an Executive Certificate in Negotiation that is designed for every level within the workplace.

Notre Dame’s executive certificate program consists of an 8-week online course. All courses are led by Notre Dame program faculty delivered through a convenient, video-based e-learning platform. By enrolling in the Executive Certificate in Negotiation program, you’ll gain the power to improve your interpersonal relations, develop more effective decision-making strategies and enhance your influence and success in any business setting. Upon completion of each course and the entire executive certificate program, you’ll receive a framed certificate of achievement from Notre Dame, which is regionally accredited and consistently ranked a Best National University by U.S. News & World Report. With the advanced skills and powerful credentials you gain through Notre Dame’s executive certificate in negotiation, you’ll be able to successfully compete for sought-after management jobs

Confronting conflict

When you enter into a negotiation thinking “I don’t trust you, I don’t like you, I don’t think you deserve your position”, it may seem there is little chance any conversation will go well. But there are many ways you can address these issues and perceptions with very positive outcomes. When entering sensitive negotiations consider these things:

· Timing-Don’t act too soon and make sure the issue is something that needs confronting. Not every problem needs to be addressed. In some situations, an employee may be angry or frustrated over a specific problem – such as missing out on a promotion or having their ideas rejected – but, if done fairly and in caring ways, given time most people are mature enough that they will bounce back.

If this doesn’t happen, and if their actions (or inactions, such as the case with Rupert) continue to impact your happiness, productivity or your working relationship, then perhaps it is time to have the conversation. When this happens the key is patience.

Walking into someone’s office and saying, “We’re having issues here and we need to sort it out”, may catch them off guard and prompt the wrong response. They could see your approach as confrontational and take an aggressive comeback or, if they are a risk-adverse type person or a conflict-avoider, they may simply deny the problem exists. Be open to having the conversation and even initiating the conversation, but look for a culturally appropriate hint to suggest the issue is on the table and that it’s okay to talk about it. For instance they may react a little bit strongly to a comment or make conflict over something small. At this stage you might say “Well your response seems to be a bit out of proportion, there seems to be something else bothering you, shall we talk.

  Power- A manager naturally has the authoritative position and the ability to fire the employee. But when addressing issues of trust they should be very careful not to resort to power moves, a wrong word or expression, even if well-meant could be taken out of context and interpreted as a threat.

Trust-Often in negotiations with people who know each other, the real obstacle is not the issue at hand but the underlying relationship between the parties. In a situation where there is conflict, there is negative trust often accompanied by prejudices, preconceptions and biases. Think of ways to rebuild trust, such as sharing information about each other’s plans and experiences.

When communication starts and people begin to understand each other, it’s not unusual for them to discover the conflict in the relationship was based on misconceptions and misunderstandings. Once these are clarified a lot of broader issues can be resolved and parties can come back and look at each other, if not with total trust and care, at least with some respect and an ability to work together productively in the future

  Common ground- Don’t assume points of similarity too quickly. It’s easy to give in to wishful thinking and the idea that because common ground was found on a couple of issues everything will be fine. This is one of the myths around win-win negotiations that frustrates many when it does not happen. People try to get to a place of harmony too fast and tend to brush the risk of potential conflict under the carpet when there’s still a chance it may explode.

We need to recognise that relationships need time to build and even more time to rebuild. A successful negotiation on one point is a step in the right direction, but there may be other negotiations coming up which won’t go so well.

Nurturing the working relationship- A relationship is like a chain, every negotiation is a link and, while it sounds cliché, the chain or relationship is only as strong as its weakest link. As with a marriage, it’s a continuous effort. While Joanna is expected to maintain a close professional relationship with Rupert, she has to be careful to make sure the relationship goes at a proper pace. Once communication has begun she should make sure it continues, that expectations are understood and accepted and that, in her eagerness to make it work, she doesn’t take too much risk too quick

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