# Transcript

INSTRUCTOR
Our third video is about dealing with conflict.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KEVIN SAMPSON
I think you have to deal with it. So I mean, for me, conflict is perhaps unavoidable sometimes. A workplace is never going to be a perfect utopian place where there's lots of flowers and nice-smiling gardens about all over the place.
So my perspective on it is to never-- don't be shy about it. And never shy away from it because I've found there are a couple of examples where some managers have chosen to do that. And then it festers, and it musters.
And then all of a sudden, it becomes alienation. And then it becomes a group of people. And then so you have to deal with the group of people rather than the individual.
So my advice has always been, with my guys and their teams is actually, don't shy away from it. But tackle it in a way that actually means you're going to do something meaningful about it. So have a touch base or sometimes have a prayer meeting and confess your sins. And it's that simple. It's just try and make a light heart of it, to some degree.
But I think that sometimes it's a true strength of character that what a manager or a leader is in an organisation is that if something's not quite right is to actually nip it in the bud quite quickly before it then escalates into something else and then before you find that actually an employee or a person on the team doesn't feel that you are dealing with it and then all of a sudden escalates it above you. And then your integrity's then called into question. I think if you can do that, then you might find that actually, it actually becomes better, you know? Because people don't feel that if there is a problem that they can come to you. And you also recognise the problem before it stops to muster and get out of control.
SUE PARR
So the old adage about how you actually deal with a problem is-- or the conflict-- is more important than the fact that it is bound to arise at some point.
JOHN TURZYNSKI
I think there are some tools and some training that you can give people in terms of how to deal with those conversations because they could go horribly wrong as well. Then you end up with another stressed person because you're now both really stressed, rather than one of them. So there's an anticipation.
I think staying in touch is important, getting feedback all the time so you know how it's going, and just checking in from time to time. But when you do need to sit down, and if it's a formal conversation-- and you might need someone else there with you-- I think that does-- you go through your education. You're doing projects. You work.
No one actually tells you some of this stuff about human relationships and nonverbal signals and all this sort of thing. But they are, I think, part of the armory of managers. You do need that if-- because at the end of the day, for most of us, our only asset is the people around us. Laptops, phones, the desks-- that's not what makes a difference. So I think giving people some help, is really important.
SUE PARR
OK.
EILEEN ARNEY
One of the things that I think is incredibly important in helping people to deal with conflict is to recognise that we all have characteristic ways of dealing with conflicts. And some of us are incredibly good at dealing with conflict. And some people are very good indeed at avoiding it and find it incredibly difficult to have those conversations.
So I completely agree that it's so right to say that it's part of a manager's armoury to understand how to be flexible in managing conflict. And although it's never a good thing to shy away from it, it possibly is sometimes worth making a judgement that a particular conflict is worth avoiding. I'm not advocating avoiding conflict in people management.
But within an organisation, there will be times when you think, surely, possibly not this one. I'll leave it alone. That's got to be true, hasn't it? So having an awareness of how to manage conflict and different approaches to it and your own strengths and weaknesses and how to manage those has got to be a plus for any manager, I think.
JOHN TURZYNSKI
Or picking up that somebody else should be managing that conflict and not you.
EILEEN ARNEY
Yeah.
JOHN TURZYNSKI
And having a word with the other person I think's important, as well, because actually, they're not performing in dealing with that. So it's being aware of if you're going in there, is it your place, your role to do it? Or are you just doing it for somebody else, which I think is equally not helpful.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
INSTRUCTOR
And welcome back. So what do you think about that? How can you improve the way you anticipate and manage conflict?
Now option A, you could create a culture of discussing problems early so they don't build into conflicts. Now point B, you could develop own personal skills in different ways of managing conflict. Option C, simply spend more time listening to people to get to know them better. Or option D, support own team and colleagues with different ways for them to manage conflict.
Well, here is what our webinar audience thought. They, going with option A. 60.7% of them believe that creating a culture of discussing problems early so that they don't build into conflicts is the way forward. That is the best way to anticipate and manage conflict.
Some thoughts about this point. "Conflicts often arise between individuals and groups that do not understand one another, whether that be their objectives, motives, or just the way that they do things. Therefore, the manager has to play an important role in creating the right atmosphere and opportunity for the different sides to resolve their issues." "Important to consider the cross-cultural dimension when looking to manage tensions or conflicts. Understanding the cultural drivers of tension can help."