Conflict and confrontation are words that send most people running for cover. But in today's fast-changing and sometimes volatile workplace, where diversity and interest group participation are increasingly important goals, management-by-dictatorship is no longer effective or appropriate.

One-way communication is being replaced with dialogue, consensus-building, and team problem-solving. And the predictable workplace is a thing of the past. Communicating effectively despite potential conflict can be the difference between progress and stand-off — whether presiding over communications during downsizing, for a diversity program, or throughout an environmental site cleanup. Communicators who master conflict resolution techniques will prove invaluable to organizations that must learn to survive — and thrive — in flux.

Conflict, say experts, is a natural element of worthwhile communication. It can be a catalyst to greater understanding and cooperation between diverse stakeholders. But unchecked conflict in today’s business climate creates barriers to good communication, sabotages morale, boosts absenteeism, and can lead to boycotts or worse.

"Projects can be stopped dead as a result of conflict," says Desmond Connor, of Connor Development Services, Ltd. in Victoria, British Columbia. Conflict gone amok, says Connor, can be a significant financial, political, and image loss for an organization.

Conflict resolution, as an integral part of the communication plan, facilitates the cooperation that helps an organization reach its goals. How do communicators facilitate collaboration while preventing destructive discord, or a full-fledged brawl that can derail a team or the company? Read on for insights about the causes of and antidotes for conflict.

Getting to the Root of Conflict

Most conflict is rooted in resource limitations, psychological needs, or value differences. Conflicts over limited resources, such as budgets or supplies, are among the easiest to manage. The need to be liked and respected causes conflict when an employer promotes one individual over others, or one manager is excluded from meetings that her peers are invited to attend. The majority of conflicts stem from value differences, say the experts, and are among the most difficult to resolve.

"If you look only at the resource level, you won't solve the problem," says Annette Townley, executive director of the National Association for Mediation in Education in Massachusetts. Townley says that an individual’s ‘cultural lens’ affects how one views work, communication, and conflict in general. This cultural lens is formed through experiences of race, gender, age, class, education, ability, sexual orientation, and a whole host of other factors that shape cultural perspective. In today’s Global Village, different cultural perspectives increase the likelihood of conflict.

"We have different kinds of people working in quite different environments, and that creates more opportunity for misunderstanding," adds Connor. John Helie, Director of ConflictNet in San Francisco, agrees.

"It’s a more complex world and things are moving faster," says Helie. Helie emphasizes that as companies restructure, employees are expected to work longer hours with fewer resources and are more prone to burnout. This, says Helie, creates an environment ripe for conflict.

To prevent and resolve conflict, communicators must learn to forecast circumstances which exacerbate conflict, identify clashing cultural perspectives, and develop communication plans accordingly.

Conflict and Intercultural Communication

Opening a dialogue is the best way to identify cultural perspectives, says Gail Padgett, associate director of Community Relations Services for the U.S. Department of Justice. Members of CRS are tapped to conciliate serious community conflicts such as the Los Angeles riots. But talking about differing cultural perspectives isn’t easy.

"There’s a fear about cross-cultural communication, a fear of doing something wrong," agrees Townley. Many people assume similarities, and may not even realize they have a cultural bias that interferes with effective communication.

A person might fear not knowing everything about another culture; or feel frustrated that someone doesn’t recognize that he’s well-intentioned, adds Padgett. In these cases, she says, dialogue is the only way to become aware of differences in perspective, identify shared interests, and build team spirit. "Not all cultures are comfortable with direct communication. That's where the communicator, the third party, makes all the difference."

The Antidote to Conflict: Skillful Communication

The experts agree that good communication is the key to preventing and resolving conflict in the business world.

"Communicators help create the image of the organization, and conflict can stem from how ‘others’ see themselves reflected in the various media," says Townley. "People ask ‘is my perspective incorporated into the way the organization is run? Is (management) willing to look at things systematically or just cosmetically? Are they practicing what they preach?’ The answers to these questions are reflected in communication programs and literature."

Many companies create participatory programs in isolation from non-executive employees and other stakeholders. These programs often increase conflict, and are perceived by employees as managerial fads that don't involve the people they most affect. Some experts associate this conflict-causing policy vacuum with the control, ego, and power issues imbedded in the culture of hierarchical organizations.

To illustrate what happens when a company ignores stakeholder concerns, Padgett cites the experience of a large insurance company in the Eastern United States. "They found out their employees were disgruntled when the newspaper carried the story," she says. But instead of using the media coverage as a catalyst for conflict resolution, the insurance company refused to open a dialogue with employees, and used the newspaper to communicate that edict. As a result, the employees organized public demonstrations, then orchestrated a community-wide boycott of the company that was widely covered by the media.

"They probably can't calculate how much business they lost," concludes Padgett.

In conflict resolution, on the other hand, carefully managed communication becomes the springboard to cooperative problem-solving. This provides a framework for solidarity among interest groups. Padgett agrees, referring to a supermarket chain in the southeastern United States that turned a potential crisis into an opportunity.

The supermarket chain learned about a conflict with its minority employees through the newspapers, she says. Though the conflict could have been prevented with better communication, the company recognized a chance to build a better relationship with its minority employees and the minority communities where many stores were located, and immediately enlisted the help of neutral mediators.

"Executives didn’t throw up their defenses," Padgett noted. "Instead, they listened, heard things that hadn't perked up through the chain of command, and found shared interests in having their operations thrive."

Working together, she says, the company and the workers identified creative solutions to resolve the conflict and boost business. The chain and its employees mark the anniversary of the agreement each year with a press conference to publicly celebrate their continued cooperation.

Far Reaching Effects

By identifying, preventing, and resolving conflict, communicators become valuable strategic communication counselors for top management and implement more effective communication programs in periods of change. The results can be far-reaching. By dealing effectively with conflict in the workplace, and leading the way in conflict resolution training in their organizations, communicators help create a more productive business environment, while fostering a kinder world.

This article was published by Ivy Sea, Inc. Founder, Jamie Walters, in October 1993 in abridged form in Communication World, a journal of the International Association of Business Communicators.

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