We all recognise the serious impact that conflict can have on our working lives and the working lives of others.
When it comes to considering some of the key fundamentals of a modern workplace e.g. employee engagement, performance management, talent retention, innovation, a positive working environment – conflict has the potential to undermine all of them. It is inevitable.
Some of the statistics globally on this are startling:
- 70% of employees are disengaged, 18% actively disengaged
- An estimated 30% of a manager’s time is spent on dealing with conflict
- 52% of managers have experienced harassment
- Chronic unresolved conflict acts as a decisive factor in 50% of departures and 90% of involuntary departures
- Work-related conflict is among the top eight reasons why employees request counselling assistance
- 26% of employees experienced conflict that led to bullying
- 80% of non-managers believe that conflict is not handled well by those above them in the organisation
- 54% of employees think managers could handle disputes better by addressing underlying tensions before things go wrong
Of the causes cited for conflict, two thirds of Irish workers (66%) think personality clashes are the major cause of conflict at work. It seems that it is very challenging for a manager to manage this type of conflict. Research supports this telling us that managers and leaders find it difficult to handle conflict because it is filled with difficult emotional issues that they find very challenging to control or manage.
Conflict Dynamics Profiling (CDP) utilises the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment tools developed by the Centre for Conflict Dynamics in Eckerd College, Florida, to assess conflict behaviours and triggers. CDP provides managers with a powerful way to improve their self-awareness of what triggers them into conflict in the workplace and once triggered, how they respond, both constructively and destructively. The ultimate aim of this process is to enable managers to develop their constructive responses which enable them to resolve and manage conflict with greater efficiency and to become conflict competent.
A Conflict Management Programme utilising the CDP assessment tool involves three stages
- The CDP assessment is completed online. It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. A comprehensive feedback report is provided together with a detailed Development Guide.
- A training day with the Management Team gives a greater understanding of conflict behaviour and utilises skills practice to help learn better constructive behaviours.
- A confidential individual coaching session to develop new practical solutions and strategies to help resolve a given conflict or the development of a new approach to dealing with conflict generally.
