Conflicts and disputes within an organization
- Conflicts and disputes within an organization is a fairly common occurrence and based on the type of organization, the necessity of using an appropriate negotiation strategy arises. Small disagreements are also common and there is no need for planning in order to resolve the disagreements. In the case of major conflicts, goal establishment and finding the alternatives is a necessity to resolve conflict. Negotiation is a process that creates a “win-win” situation for both the parties. Instead of focusing on fighting and confronting, negotiations involve understanding the real motives and striving towards a common goal. In an organization, a good negotiator is able to resolve fights and focus on the end result. Moreover, an organization should consider an alternative of a negotiated agreement, referred as BATNA. It is a plan that involves the necessary actions to be taken in case; the negotiated agreement does not work. A common goal can be achieved in this way.
- The necessary skills required to resolve a conflict and reach a common goal are good confrontation skills and along with appropriate negotiation skills. Successful negotiation is the ability to manage people and organizations can achieve their goal if people learn to negotiate and persuade others. Moreover, managing interpersonal confrontations effectively can minimize the instances of conflict in the workplace. These are often regarded as creative approaches. Negotiation is another team-building exercise and it enables others to gain confidence. At first, trade-offs should be identified and thereafter, the HR department can focus on finding alternatives so that problem can be resolved within a specified time. Anger between team members is common and it can be minimized by handling angle in a constructive manner. Analyzing the cause of anger is necessary because it will help reduce personal biases. Using the ZOPA technique or Zone of Possible Agreement can lead to workplace agreements.
- In an organization, success depends on the degree to which everyone feels like a winner. It is not equal to victory. Instead, the objective of a successful organization is to focus on negotiation and reaching an agreement between parties whenever conflict arises. During the negotiation, people are likely to exchange ideas, and their intention should be paying attention to a common objective. Conflict arises due to a conflict of interest. In such a situation, it is common for the parties to prefer their individual sides rather than identifying a solution. Conflict leads to avoidance, anger, and frustration. The overall productivity of the firm also decreases. Hence, in such a scenario, a negotiation can be useful. An interrogator is a type of negotiator who focuses on searching questions and challenges the opposition in a confronting way so that the opposition provides enough answers and a proper explanation regarding their claims.
- Negotiation and confrontation are effective strategies that help in solving issues within an organization. The former is a method that should be applied in order to reach an agreement while the latter could be used in order to investigate an issue further and to seek out appropriate answers. Both the techniques are effective for conflict resolution and ensure positive outcomes. During the negotiation process, it is vital to look at the problem objectively and in an unbiased manner. Thereafter, the problem should be separated from the people, and finding a common ground should be the ultimate goal. Different options or alternatives should be identified so that the parties feel satisfied with the end result. Similarly, confrontation is another crucial way of analyzing the underlying problems and, thereafter, focusing on an action plan. When the authorities focus on confronting a problem directly, the chances of conflict resolution increase as well.