Conflict Resolution or Conflict Management - Coursework Example

and Section # of Conflict Resolution Conflict basically means a disagreement of opinions betweentwo or more people or organizations. It can arise between two entities, between two companies; the seriousness of the situation can lead to developing a solution for the problem. A conflict can be as small as an argument between two housewives, or between two corporations which has a lot more at stake than some pots and pans as in the previous example. Conflict management is one the basic skills that are looked forward in managers of today’s era. As the size of the organizations is increasing, so is the number of stakeholders which are related to the corporation and organization. Hence, a lot more is at stake then there was ever before. For this reason, conflict management is considered a fundamental requirement in the managers of today so that they are able to adjust to the repercussions of a conflicting view between two parties and how to resolve this divide of opinions present in such a way as to develop a win-win scenario for the concerned parties (Deborah, 1998). Conflict management is a technique that is considered mandatory for anybody who is residing in a community because conflicting point of views give rise to situations that can only be helped by sound conflict resolution skills. For any organization or entity to be effectively and efficiently productive in the long run, the employees and stakeholders related to the organization need to share a common vision that can lead the company towards their ultimate goal (Peter, 1991). For this purpose, the company needs to identify the possible conflicting situations that might be present among the interests of the people concerned with the organization. The management needs to realize the repercussions of these conflicts and take proactive measures in order to avoid situations of conflict in the organization. In many organizations, separate training programs and workshops are conducted in order to familiarize their employees with the techniques of communication and all in order to develop the skills required for successful conflict resolution. Dealing with Conflict Dealing with a conflict can be a serious matter. It requires personal skills and communication skills in the two bodies or in the moderator of the conflict so that a successful solution can be achieved that is acceptable for both the parties. The theories state that one needs to understand the situation first in order to understand where they lack and till where they can stretch themselves in a compromise. When two entities come together to resolve a conflict, both expect a win-win situation and the situation that is the most closest to their ideal win situation is the one accepted by them. Usually, a moderator is required that acts as a communication facilitator between the two parties (Howard, 1961). Either, the parties collaborate together towards a common goal or a resolution is reached that is the thought the best by the two parties so that both of them co-exist peacefully. However, the willingness of both the parties to reach to a solution together and coexist together is required as well. This is a very important aspect that would lead to a conflict solution. Summary: The situation at hand is a normal day example; a conversation between two ordinary individuals, one the moderator whereas another one who has had conflicting situations with another party. The woman is being abused physically abused by her husband. The woman is emotional and this physical abuse from her husband is making her lose her calm and is affecting her in a psychological manner as well. She has mentioned that she has felt she pity and this can lead to worsen things up in the future. At first, the woman is not at all comfortable talking to the counselor due to his straight forward approach towards personal questions. This is evident from her behavior that is put forward by her in the starting of the dialogue. She is shy and uncomfortable. However, as time passes she becomes more comfortable with replying to questions. Therefore, the counselor was able to understand the core problem and how the woman was feeling while regarding the subject. With constant questioning, he was able to understand that even though the woman was grieving and didn’t like being abused; she still wanted to make things right with her husband due to two fundamental reasons. Firstly because she wanted to resolve issues for her daughter and the other reason for which she wanted peace with her husband is the love for her husband that is still present even after the beating and harassment. The counselor also made the woman realize the mistake she was making regarding holding him responsible for the beatings. She was choosing the wrong time to argue with her husband. When he was drunk, she was more vulnerable to hit and her and when she blamed him for small things and problems, he would beat her resulting in the psychological and social abuse. The woman is also accepts her share of the blame and makes sure that she doesn’t do that again. This leads to a positive situation between the two. By the end of the talk, the counselor has been able to establish a ground where there is positivity for the victim. He makes sure that he conveys that idea that the is a solution to the problem and he would take personal responsibility to make sure things would be right between her and her husband. Critical Assessment: The methods that have been used by the counselor have proved to be successful in making the women realize her strengths and weaknesses in front of her own self as she is confused as to what she should do regarding the matter. The roles of being a mediator in front of the woman have been effectively performed. Empathizing means relating to the situation of the person in question, putting oneself in his or her shoes in order to understand the problem the person in question is going through (Howard, 1961). The counselor has set a fine example of becoming a friend of the woman rather than a stranger that has compelled the woman to share herself with the counselor. The woman at first was answering barely and felt uncomfortable a couple of times in front of the counselor. She was hesitant and embarrassed as evidenced by her body tone and gestures as well as the way she communicated her thoughts to the counselor. With time, the counselor is able to make a relationship; that of a friend where the woman starts sharing her inner thoughts with her and the counselor is able to make her see the points where she is lacking. Since the subject right now is ready to resolve the conflict, it was relatively easier for the counselor to bring the woman to a calm and composed state of mind free of confusion and fear. In other situations however, this is not possible as the person at hand might severely disagree with the other and doesn’t want to develop a consensus situation. That would have posed greater problems for the counselor. Also, another thing worth mentioning is the way the counselor went about the conversation. The counselor was clever enough to realize that the woman wanted to go back to his husband as might not be the case in many other similar situations. Also, the woman was willing to accept the responsibility of the beating unlike many. This helped him phrase his arguments in a way that helped the woman see her mistakes are well and also the ways they can solve the situation; by helping each other. While investigating the extent of the abuse that was performed on the woman, the counselor realizes that the woman is not in her perfect psychological condition. Although she has been hit in the head, she admits being psychologically tortured and tormented due to whatever was happening to her. This torture was to such an extent that she was feeling numb all over her body. Also, while interrogation, she confessed that the physical beating made her psychologically weaker and she pitied herself for whatever was happening to her. This shows the amount of effect of a beating on the individual. However, the counselor made her feel comfortable and made sure that he communicated it to her that she can tell her the about her physical and mental well being whenever she feels comfortable. This shows the quality of making people comfortable around you. Overall, the counselor has not been successful in implementing all the necessary techniques to make the woman feel at home and at her comfort level. The woman reached her comfort level after almost three fourth of the communication had taken place. A possible reason for this might be the shyness of the woman however; the steps taken by the counselor were not effective enough which made the conversation more or less a monologue. Slowly, her comfort level increased and she moved towards the stage where she was sure of herself and what she wanted. She no longer was the confused woman when she entered the room. Assertiveness is also evident in the whole conversation on the part of the counselor. One of the biggest pre requisites to solving a conflicting situation is to be assertive and firm about what you want from the whole dialogue. Without completely understanding what one wants from a discussion, there is no point of a discussion. Both the parties strive to achieve a win-win situation for their organization. in order to do so one must know the amount of loss they can incur, the amount of leverage they can give on their needs and wants and their expectations from the negotiation. The counselor has been assertive and assuring throughout the conversation which is a fine representation of how to handle conflict. Ending the conversation has been done in an immaculate manner. The counselor has achieved the state of mind he wanted in the woman and he thanks the woman for all the co-operation. This is required as the woman has shared her inner most private feelings with her regarding such an issue. For trusting the counselor, the counselor has made sure that he gives due credit to the woman and applaud for her strength and empathizing skills as a woman and the love she has for her husband and daughter. Without these qualities, there wouldn’t have been possible a solution to this conflict. The counselor wins laurels for assuring the woman that a time would come where the woman would be able to settle her differences from the man she loves and they would be able to communicate the idea across to her husband and solve it out with him. This ends the conversation on a positive note and would assure a positive opening in the next conversation. There are many areas of improvements present in the dialogue. The counselor could have handled to situation in a much better manner. Rating the presentation and communication skills of the counselor, he was medium to ok. Basically, he is able to empathize with the woman but he has instances where he can improve on his communication skills. Conclusion: Overall, the whole dialogue has been able to successfully reach the point where the concerned party is at peace and feels they have a chance in making things right for themselves. There are a lot of flaws present in the way the situation has been handled, a lot of improvement can take place in the way the counselor has handled the situation. However, the application of basic conflict management theories and skills has helped the counselor to reach a settlement in this case. This critical assessment shows that using right conflict resolution skills can help any two parties reach a settlement that can help in a peaceful resolution and conclusion to a situation that may otherwise lead to problems and losses of both financial and emotional kind. Therefore, conflict resolution skills are now required among all of us due to the prevailing situations present in our societies. In order to save ourselves from the repercussions of a conflict, we need to develop these skills in ourselves in order to function properly. References Harry E Chambers. Effective Communication Skills for Scientific and Technical Professionals. Perseus. 2001 Howard H Dean, Kenneth D Bryson. Effective Communication: A guide to reading writing, Speaking and listening. Prentice Hall. 1961 Deborah Borisoff, David A Victor. Conflict Management: A Communication Skills Approach. Allyn and Bacon. 1998. Peter Condliffe. Conflict Management. Tafe Publications. 1991. Management about.com. Non Verbal Communication. 2008. March 14, 2008, from Non Verbal communication Web site: http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/Eff Read More