Conflict looms whenever people of differing personalities and perspectives work together. When they are confronted with issues and difficulties in the workplace, talk is inevitable. Discussion of issues usually starts on the sidelights resulting to gossips and backbiting. Or it can escalate into argumentation. When arguing sides push their standpoints further to a point of disrespecting the other sides, real conflict blows-up.
Talk is imperative in any human interaction. Hence, formal discussion of matters related to work must be done on a regular basis or whenever deemed necessary in order to give the workforce opportunity to talk about issues and concerns, raise suggestions for possible resolutions, and express opinion and insights relevant to the improvement of work. This enables management to harness the perspectives of workers in resolving possible triggers of conflict. This is what conflict management is all about. Conflict is best managed before triggers happen. Triggers of conflict can come subtly in the form of gossip whispers or as bold as rants and tirades. Human frailties can get in the way of human intentions. Feelings of envy or jealousy can worsen into prejudices and resentment. Suspicion or doubt can aggravate into distrust and defiance. Apprehension and fear can ignite disobedience and non-cooperation. These sorts of triggers are best addressed before not after they escalate into real conflict that is far more complicated to handle. Conflict happens when issues and concerns are not formally discussed. With periodic formal talks in the form of gripe sessions, meetings or conferences, ideas are free-flowed usually with good intentions. It enhances understanding and prevents disputes. It enables management to proactively make use of human ideas and opinions for the improvement of work. Human resource management involves conflict management. If you are a manager handling a pool of dynamic workers, you need to learn the following techniques in managing conflict: 1. Be aware of triggers of conflict and get into the bottom of it. Know every single issue that concerns your workers and address it before it blows up into conflict. Investigate further to know all sides of the issue. You can only do so if you are attuned with your workers. Go down to their level so you can better manage them. 2. Take a rational approach to conflict. Your workers may be emotional towards issues especially if it directly affects them. Never partake with their emotions; show empathy but deal with it rationally. Forge a reasonable discussion and resolution of issues. 3. Stand as moderator. As moderator, you take control of the discussion. Ensure that everyone gets enough time to express but in a manner that is cordial and respectful. Always direct the focus of discussion into the main issue. Gather all the suggested possible resolutions. End the discussion in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. 4. Devise collaborative measures. Devise measures to resolve the issues based on suggested resolutions by the workers. In doing so workers feel counted and will collaborate in the implementation of the measures. 5. Always follow through. Evaluate how things are going. Know how the measures are addressing the issue and where the loopholes are. Devise mitigating measures to improve on. Conflict management is not a one-time thing; it is a cycle of perfecting human cooperation and collaboration. It is a process that never ends alongside human resource management.
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Listening is one of the most crucial of human abilities. Almost all human functions rely largely on this ability to receive and interpret messages accurately. It is an active process by which we make sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear. It involves understanding of what we hear and processing it further towards acting responsively and appropriately.
Listening is more than just mere hearing. Any sort of sound or verbal information regardless how important becomes an oblivion when someone ceases to really listen to it. Like in- following instruction or taking down notes, participating in simple conversation or class discussion, interacting with others in a game or group dynamics, figuring out if the bus is coming or when the plane has already taking off- mere hearing is not enough; being able to process what is heard to a level of understanding and responding is critical. And this requires effective listening skills. Listening effectively is crucial in maintaining productive relationships. Our socially responsive actions rely heavily on how we accurately process information from our listening to people. If we fail to effectively listen we consequently fail to respond at all, lest act accordingly. Being aware why and when we fail in listening effectively is a jumpstart to honing our listening skills. We must acknowledge that indeed there are factors that hinder us from listening as intently as we should, reasons enough for us to consciously and constantly improve the way we listen. The following are 9 reasons why we fail to listen effectively: 1. message overload – Lots of information are thrown at us daily especially when we drown ourselves into social media. We have to qualify what to listen to and when. We have to filter out information that is irrelevant to our present occupation and only take in those that are valid and helpful. 2. preoccupation – Listening to all sorts of things all at the same time is but waste of our time. We can’t multi-task at listening. Like in- talking to someone while checking on a phone message while watching news on television- certainly, information gaps occur somewhere in between and failure to accurately understand information and do responsive action happen. Not only do we fail in listening and responding, we may also offend the person we are talking to because of our preoccupation. Paying attention is very important. 3. rapid thoughts – Our brain has the ability to associate topics similar to what we hear. When listening to a lecture we tend to veer away from the speaker’s topic and ponder on rapid thoughts that are related to the topic. We then lose focus in listening. We have to control our rapid thoughts in order to stay in focus and listen effectively. 4. lack of effort – We have to put a good effort at listening. When in conversation, we have to be in proper body position and keep constant eye contact to the one we are listening to. We have to put in energy in listening as a way to control attention span. 5. external noise – We have to consciously veer away from distracting noise in order to listen effectively. We have to control noise and be close to the person we are listening to. 6. faulty assumptions – It is difficult to really understand the person we are listening to if we allow our faulty assumptions and prejudices on the person talking or on what he is talking about get in the way. We have to set-aside perceptions to be able to focus at listening. 7. lack of apparent advantage – We tend to lost interest in listening about things we deem unimportant to us and won’t benefit us in any way. In order to listen effectively, we have to set-aside out egoistic tendencies and humbly hear others’ ideas. 8. lack of training – Being a bad listener is not permanent.One can always train at listening effectively by consciously doing it at all times. Listening skills can be honed. It can be developed and perfected over time with conscious effort and constant practice. |
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