Conflict management is often a term we hear at work. However, conflict occurs in every aspect of life – between family members, friends, neighbours, or even fleeting acquaintances. Once there are interactions, there will be conflict. In Jamaica, we would say, “Teet and tongue will meet.”
We have all heard that conflict is good because:
- Great ideas can come out of our conflicts
- It can unearth hidden “truths”
- Personal growth is possible
Its virtues out of the way, conflict can be hazardous to our wellbeing. One way or other, conflict can impact our physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. It, therefore, means that we must manage our conflicts to prevent possible ill effects.
40-Forwarders, we are part of the solution, and we are bridges of peace. 🙂 In the coming weeks, we are going to equip ourselves to properly handle conflicts thereby ensuring successful outcomes.
Stick around as we will be taking a deep dive into conflict management (the terms conflict management and conflict resolution will be used interchangeably in these articles).
Have you found that people seem a little “touchy” or “hot around the collar”? Do you think this could be a result of us being “locked down” and couped up for so long?! It just seems like it takes nothing for an argument to start, and we have seen some of these (conflicts) turn into violence. There is therefore no time like the present to get this conversation going.
What is Conflict?
So what is the definition of conflict?
Conflict means to be in opposition to one another. It refers to disagreement between people or members of organisations. Such disagreement is inherent in relationships between all human beings.
Larfela, 1988
We will always have differences of opinions and disagreements because we are different. Why? Our attitudes, expectations, personalities, values, and beliefs are different.
How we handle conflict is what makes the difference. The conflicts we have are not always serious. Our interpersonal conflicts can range from mild to severe. Wherever on the continuum, it is important that we learn how to recognise and work through the conflict in healthy ways.
Conflict Management
Goals of Conflict Resolution
We will look at conflict resolution with the end in mind. So my dears, here are three (3) goals – the end game – of conflict resolution.
- Come to an agreement that benefits all parties concerned: This is the ultimate goal. To achieve this end result, the parties must actively participate in the resolution process.
- Find a solution as quickly as possible: It is only by working together that we can achieve this goal. Notice I did not say rush through the process. No, no. Dragging on conflict for longer than is necessary benefits no one, we must therefore prioritise conflict resolution. It is important that we stick with the process until a beneficial agreement is reached by all parties.
- Healing and improving relationships: Conflict management is not about hurting.
Why Should We Resolve Conflict?
A successful outcome is what we are after, so a willingness to listen, respect, and consider others’ opinions must be in the mix in order to have a successful resolution/solution.
In the resolution process, we get an opportunity to see things from the other party’s perspective. Their backgrounds, beliefs, values, cultural norms, and ideas may be different and therefore their reactions to conflict are different.
Another reason why we employ conflict management is to ensure that the conflicting parties’ relationship continues and grows. Just imagine opponents becoming allies and as allies, they become proponents and activists (this is not always a bad word) for conflict resolution?!
By resolving our conflicts we can also avoid the waste of resources. Conflicts that develop into full-blown fights/battles require more time, energy, motivation, and manpower to resolve. Let us, therefore, address our conflicts before they spiral out of control.
Organised Conflict Management
You may be familiar with the popular comedy programme, “Robbery Gone Wrong”. Well, violence is conflict management (or the lack thereof) gone wrong. In this case, though, it ain’t funny. A conflict that results in violence is very serious business.
The evidence shows that if we do not properly manage our conflicts, they can turn into violence. This was the case in the mid-1990s when interpersonal conflicts resulted in a rise in violence in Jamaican schools. This saw the birth of the Peace and Love in Schools (PALS) initiative. PALS Jamaica sought to tackle this problem by seeking to change the narrative and the Jamaican attitude from violence to conflict resolution. PALS’ task was to teach primary school children (ages 6 to 12 years old) how to resolve conflict constructively. Talk about bending the tree when it is young! PALS was renamed Peace and Love in Society.
In 2019, the Ministry of National Security started the “Liv Gud” campaign. Again, the narrative was about managing conflict by talking it out rather than fighting it out (no violence please). The heart of this campaign is to create “a culture of respect for each other, the sanctity of life, law and public order.” Conflict resolution is one of the main focus of this campaign.
40-Forwarders, are any of you associated with any of the programmes highlighted above? Or do you have similar programmes in your neck of the woods? Please, share in the Comments section your experiences.
Our Next Steps
So, there you have it my dears, we are now cooking with gas. We have laid the foundation, and we are well on our way to building our conflict management arsenal. 😉 In this post, we have looked at the what, the goals, and the why of conflict and conflict resolution. We will be continuing this conversation, and we will:
- Identify types of conflict
- Learn how to resolve these conflicts
- Possible pitfalls to avoid in managing these conflicts
Make no doubt, we are launching “a war” against the adverse effects of conflict. We are getting in the ring, armed with the right information (weapon) to help ourselves and others.
Digest this information and SHARE it with others. Be sure to circle back next week for Part 2 of your conflict management “battle” strategy.
Great information RonaV!!! In this season with need conflict resolution. Self-assessing throughout my reading. Thank you and stay blessed🙏🏽
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