Difficult Interactions
&
Coaching
Difficult Interactions???
• Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but it
doesn’t have to result in negative outcomes.
• It is important to understand why difficult
interactions occur, so you can begin to resolve
them productively.
Why do difficult interactions
occur???
Barriers to addressing conflict
• Fear of Interpersonal Conflict
• Failure to recognize that you have a problem with another person in the workplace
• Belief that a difficult interaction is the fault of others
• Conviction that other people won’t change, even if you try to improve the situation
• Belief that the problem will resolve itself
Benefits of effective conflict
management
• You find difficult conversations easier to handle.
• You prevent tense situations from escalating into crises.
• You engage in more productive conversations and strengthen your workplace
relationships.
• You and your team become better able to hear different perspectives and come up
with creative solutions to organizational challenges.
At an organizational level, well-managed conflict can lead to:
• Improved employee job satisfaction
• Better working relationships
• Higher levels of creativity and innovation
DECIDE WHETHER TO ADDRESS
CONFLICT
• Evaluate the relationship:
• The importance of your relationship with the person—is it high or low priority?
• The duration of your relationship with that person—will it be long term or short
term?
• The stakes involved—are they high or low?
• Weigh the cost of Avoidance:
• Weigh the Short and Long Term Cost & benefits of both options
• Think about your overall goal
• A well managed conflict can be an opportunity to forge a stronger working
relationship
Address Emotions
• Difficult interactions trigger powerful emotions. Those feelings may differ
dramatically from person to person—even within the same situation.
• Avoid the following:
• Tense Body Posture
• Strained Facial Expressions
• Snide Comments
Neutralize unproductive
behaviors
• Although you can work to manage your own reactions, you can’t control those of
the other person in the conflict. Try these techniques for dealing with
unproductive behaviors:
• Is aggressive and disrespectful: Command respect by remaining Calm
• Doesn't listen to your side: Go into the conversation prepared to support your
own perceptions and ideas.
• Has an explosive outburst: Take a break and then continue the conversation.
• Is uncommunicative: Schedule plenty of time for the person to respond to your
ideas and questions.
• Assumes that the situation can't get better: Give the person time to consider
your plan and get back to you
Asses the Facts
• Communicate, don’t confront:
• Conflict is rooted in misunderstandings. To resolve a dispute, you and your
counterpart need to communicate skillfully to gather facts that might have become
distorted or overlooked during the disagreement
Solve the Problem
• When you’re working to resolve a conflict with another person, it’s important to
define the problem and frame it constructively. Make sure to:
• Describe your difficulties as differences between you, not as character flaws.
• Focus on perceptions, not presumed truths.
• Emphasize contributions, not blame.
• Communicate feelings, not accusations.
• Practice Active Listening:
Explore solutions together
• When exploring possible alternative approaches for resolving the conflict, follow
these steps. You may need to cycle through them more than once as you approach
a resolution:
• Clearly express your point of view.
• Summarize your differences.
• Ask questions.
• Make proposals.
• Decide on a plan
• Satisfies as many interests as possible
• Is fair and reasonable
• Preserves the relationship
MANAGE CONFLICT BETWEEN
EMPLOYEES
For a team to be successful, its members need to be able to manage and resolve conflict
on their own. When people settle their own disputes, they often build trust and
become a higher-performing work unit.
When coaching employees to handle disagreements themselves, keep in mind:
• S ome people may not be aware that they lack the ability to skillfully handle conflict.
• Others may know they need to strengthen these skills but don’t know how to do so.
• Still others may understand the techniques, but need to stop and think before
applying them.
Coach Employees
Facilitate a resolution
