A supervisor’s conflict style tells a lot about an individual’s personality and leadership style. Managing conflict, rather it be internal or external, is an important aspect of day-to-day functions for humans (Gross, 2010). Different styles can even impact the health of an individual. However, this is dependent on the stress level causes by the technique used. Regardless of which style a supervisor chooses, they must decide quickly and keep the best interest of a group as a whole in mind. The five conflict management styles according to K.W. Thomas and R.H. Kilmann include compromising, smoothing over the conflict, withdrawing, forcing the conflict to a solution, and confrontation (Gross, 2010).
Five Strategies of Conflict Management Compromising …show more content…
Even though arguing over office space may seem petty on the surface, it must obviously be a big deal to a fellow coworker. I would ask what an employee needed and ask if we could reach a viable solution. Being civil also works and causes people that would previously argue, to compromise and work with me. I would only force a conflict to a solution if I felt if others knew more about a topic than myself. Certain projects would involve a team consensus. Even though I would have final say on budget cuts, I would want my group to feel included in the process. I do not know everything. However, I have confidence that someone in my team does know.
I would also implement the smoothing over conflict theory instead during group discussions over budget cuts. I need to represent myself and have a voice in meetings. Instead of just waiting until the last second and overriding somebody or a group, I need to have everyone contribute. A budget cut can dramatically impact somebody. Letting them feel apart of a process can ease their nerves …show more content…
However, if I knew I had a deadline for a budget proposal, I made the final decisions. I knew sometimes my decisions would not be popular, but as a supervisor I got paid to make the tough decisions. I tried to think of my group when making budget cuts, but sometimes somebody would simply be screwed over by my decision making. I try to avoid confrontation because I want to have trust amongst my group. In the case of annual budget, I would take a more group consensus such as the smoothing over process. Especially if I have a large amount of time to make a decision.
Conclusion
Managing conflict is a very difficult task that all supervisors must face. Cooperation and acknowledging when two sides cannot agree on a discussion are paramount to diffusing an often tense conflict (Isard & Smith, 1980). As a result, it is critical for supervisors to be self-aware in regards to their own personality styles. Supervisors must find a style which works best for them and not shy away from using different styles too. Different situations may require different styles. Supervisors need to strive for achieving the best and most healthy outcome possible (Isard & Smith,
Five Strategies of Conflict Management Compromising …show more content…
Even though arguing over office space may seem petty on the surface, it must obviously be a big deal to a fellow coworker. I would ask what an employee needed and ask if we could reach a viable solution. Being civil also works and causes people that would previously argue, to compromise and work with me. I would only force a conflict to a solution if I felt if others knew more about a topic than myself. Certain projects would involve a team consensus. Even though I would have final say on budget cuts, I would want my group to feel included in the process. I do not know everything. However, I have confidence that someone in my team does know.
I would also implement the smoothing over conflict theory instead during group discussions over budget cuts. I need to represent myself and have a voice in meetings. Instead of just waiting until the last second and overriding somebody or a group, I need to have everyone contribute. A budget cut can dramatically impact somebody. Letting them feel apart of a process can ease their nerves …show more content…
However, if I knew I had a deadline for a budget proposal, I made the final decisions. I knew sometimes my decisions would not be popular, but as a supervisor I got paid to make the tough decisions. I tried to think of my group when making budget cuts, but sometimes somebody would simply be screwed over by my decision making. I try to avoid confrontation because I want to have trust amongst my group. In the case of annual budget, I would take a more group consensus such as the smoothing over process. Especially if I have a large amount of time to make a decision.
Conclusion
Managing conflict is a very difficult task that all supervisors must face. Cooperation and acknowledging when two sides cannot agree on a discussion are paramount to diffusing an often tense conflict (Isard & Smith, 1980). As a result, it is critical for supervisors to be self-aware in regards to their own personality styles. Supervisors must find a style which works best for them and not shy away from using different styles too. Different situations may require different styles. Supervisors need to strive for achieving the best and most healthy outcome possible (Isard & Smith,