Styles of Communication and Conflict Resolution - Research Paper Example

?Styles of Communication and Conflict Resolution Introduction Communication is vital to the development of understanding among two or more individuals. People understand one another by sharing their views, interests, and perspectives with one another. Often, they are caught in disputes because of conflicting views (Management Study Guide, 2012). Whenever there is a situation of conflict, people express themselves fully so that their ideas, fears, insecurities, obsessions, and thoughts openly reflect in their speech. The importance of effective communication can be estimated from the fact that up to 60 per cent of the total time of managers in the organizations is wasted in solving personnel issues (Putnam, n.d.). To avert conflicts and optimize on their potential to deal with the problematic situations in the best possible manner in an organizational setting, it is imperative that both managers and team members are aware of the various styles of communication. The fundamental requisite of avoidance of conflicts everywhere in general and workplace in particular is to have empathy for the other people’s perspectives. People who believe that they are neither superior nor inferior to their colleagues at the workplace are able to keep their interactions free of negative influences. This paper explores different styles of communication and discusses the secrets of effective communication which is the fundamental prerequisite of conflict resolution. Continuums of Communication Styles According to M. R. Hammer, there are two continuums along which the communication styles about conflict lie. The first continuum is about the way people express their disagreements. In the indirect style, people tend to give other people clues about their opinions, and try to elaborate them with the help of metaphors or stories. This is called as the indirect style. The direct style lies at the opposite end of the very continuum. In the direct style, people overtly express their views so that the other person exactly knows what the point of concern is. There is a lot of difference between the body language of the direct and the indirect speaker (Hammer, 2005). While the indirect speaker tends to make use of subtle messages, the direct speaker confronts the other person by looking into the eyes. The second continuum is the continuum of expressiveness. Certain people express their emotions very overtly. These people are known as extroverted. They have very expressive faces as well as body language. People that lie at the opposite end of the continuum of expressiveness generally remain quiet, and are very introverted. They are very reserved, and do not feel comfortable or like to share their views with others, particularly to an unfamiliar group of people. Styles of Communication There are several styles of communication (CEDA, n.d.) which include but are not limited to accommodation style, discussion style, dynamic style, and engagement style. The different styles of communication emerge from different combinations of the levels of disagreement and expressiveness. They are discussed below: Accommodation Style People who have the accommodation style of communication are generally introverted, and want to control their emotions. They make effort to save the relationship from being tarnished by conflicts by using metaphors and such other techniques. Discussion Style People having a discussion style of communication generally control their emotions, but do convey their disagreement to the other person in clear words and understandable manner. To add weight to their opinions, they make use of objective facts. Dynamic Style People that have a dynamic style of communication openly express their distress, though they tend not to talk about the underlying cause of distress overtly. The argument structure in the dynamic style of communication is associative, and mediators are required to facilitate the discussion. Engagement Style People that have an engagement style of communication express their feelings freely. Passion reflects in their communication, and they put their concerns in front of others directly. When Taking the Lead is Justified? Sometimes, there is no option for one but to take the charge and do as one wants irrespective of others’ concerns. Although every possible effort should be made not to get into such a position, yet at times it becomes inevitable. To avoid conflict, people need to first display confidence in others’ abilities. Everybody needs a little room and personal space. If people are provided with them, they tend to procrastinate and listen to others’ concerns patiently and seriously. That is when it is most advisable for one to place one’s concern in front of them. They should be then allowed to take their time to think over the matter in detail, and come up with their response. If they don’t come up with the response themselves, one must give them a reasonable time to respond. Still if no response comes within the timeline, then one is justified in taking the charge and solving the issue as one deems right. Discussion While there exists a variety of the styles of communication, no one single style of communication can be considered as perfect as ultimate. Styles of communication are intrinsically related to cultures, and generally vary from one culture to another. There is a lot of diversity among people belonging to the same community when it comes to the style of communication. Nevertheless, politeness, consideration, patience, and reasonability are some of the secrets of effective communication in almost every style of communication. “We perceive relationships in a new light when we use [nonviolent communication] NVC to hear our own deeper needs and those of others” (Rosenberg, 2003, p. 3). Some people have an avoidance style of interaction. These people behave like turtles and thus cannot be made to speed up. If someone exerts pressure upon them, they hide inside their defensive shells which are hard to penetrate. Confronting them in such a condition agitates them, and they are likely to respond very rigidly in self-defense. One needs to be very prudent while dealing with somebody who has an avoidance style, because if dealt with in the right manner, even the people that are the most difficult to talk to can be convinced. Conclusion Conflicts are outcome of faulty way of communication. Communication is a fairly simple and yet, very complex process. The communication styles about conflict lie along two continuums; the continuum of disagreement and the continuum of expressiveness. Styles of communication include but are not limited to accommodation style, discussion style, dynamic style, and engagement style. These styles differ depending upon the level of disagreement and expressiveness of the communicating person. Factors that complicate the process of communication include the conflicting natures, moods, views, and cultures of people that interact with one another. Careless and imprudent communication leads to disputes and conflicts that cause people to waste their time and energy and yet there is no gain. To make the other person look at things from one’s point of view and appreciate one’s opinion is an art. Believing in equality of all human beings is the first step in the staircase which leads to the art of effective communication. One needs to be very articulate in communicating with other people to make one’s point recognized and understood. This generally requires a great deal of emotional intelligence, though learning some simple techniques can bring a considerable improvement in the process of communication. These techniques include listening to others, respecting their views, providing rationale for one’s point of view, and being reasonable and decent in the argument. There is no shortcut to the right solution. Effective communication is essentially an art and may take years of practice to master. References: CEDA. (n.d.). Communication Styles. Retrieved from http://www.cedanet.com/meta/communication_styles.htm. Hammer, M. R., (2005). The Inter-cultural Conflict Style Inventory: A conceptual framework and measure of intercultural conflict resolution approaches. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 29: 675-695. Management Study Guide. (2012). Role of Communication in Conflict Management. Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/role-of-communication-in-conflict-management.htm. Putnam, L. (n.d.). Communication and Conflict Resolution. Retrieved from http://www.advance.cornell.edu/documents/communication_and_conflict_resolution.pdf. Rosenberg, M. B. (2003). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. USA: A PuddleDancer Press Book. Read More