Ways to constructively resolve conflict situations. Ways to constructively resolve interpersonal conflicts

C page 1

Destructive conflict destroys the structure and reduces the effectiveness of the organization. It can arise when one of the opponents resorts to morally condemned methods of struggle, seeks to psychologically suppress the partner, debating and humiliating him in the eyes of others. This is often accompanied by fierce resistance from the other side, and the dialogue is accompanied by mutual insults. Solving the problem becomes impossible, destroying interpersonal relationships.

Destructive conflicts are most often generated by subjective reasons. Such subjective reasons include incorrect actions of the manager and subordinates, as well as the psychological incompatibility of individuals. The manager usually sees the unlawful actions of his subordinates better than his own erroneous actions.

According to the last feature, stabilizing, constructive and destructive conflicts are distinguished. Stabilizing conflicts are aimed at eliminating deviations from the norm, while destructive ones, on the contrary, destroying old norms and deepening contradictions.

Constructive (or productive) conflicts between agents, generating new norms of relationships, contribute to the adaptation of MAC in new environmental conditions due to functional and structural restructuring and the establishment of new connections between agents.

Since it is the leader who is the authority that must neutralize the conflict, the analysis of the leader’s erroneous actions that lead to destructive conflicts is of particular importance.

Destructive conflicts lead to negative, often destructive actions, which sometimes develop into slander, squabbling, etc. negative phenomena, which leads to a sharp decrease in the efficiency of the entire team.

One of the best management techniques to prevent destructive conflict is to clarify what results are expected from each employee and department, the level of results required, who provides and receives various information, what the system of authority and responsibility is, and the procedures and rules adopted.

Networks of this type are most effective in performing group tasks that require a creative approach, and contribute to the satisfaction of group members with their activities, since formal equality in decision-making and democracy in relations between group members and the leader are observed. Numerous studies conducted in small groups have shown that in a circle-type communication network (e.g. round table) the possibility of destructive conflicts arising is sharply reduced.

In this case, the enterprise would need not a trade union committee, but a strike committee. Like other members of society, trade union workers must have social responsibility, which involves activities to maintain stability in society, reduce social tension, prevent hysteria and, especially, destructive conflicts. If improvement can be achieved social protection workers, ensuring their rights in a peaceful way, then the trade union must use it fully. As experience shows, this is precisely the tactics adopted by MOPO OAO LUKOIL, as well as a number of other trade union organizations of TNK. Thanks to this, quite significant progress has been made in creating a social protection system for workers.

Consequently, conflict performs two functions: constructive, when as a result of the conflict the efficiency of the organization’s activities increases, and destructive, when it leads to the opposite result. The goal of a leader is not to eliminate or prevent conflict, but to manage it and find a way to make it constructive. Thus, intergroup conflict helps to strengthen solidarity within each of the conflicting groups. If its participants are dissatisfied with the outcome of the conflict and feel that they have lost something, then this is a destructive conflict; if they are satisfied with the result, then such a conflict is constructive.

Pages: 1

Negative consequences of conflicts

The negative, dysfunctional consequences of the conflict include people’s dissatisfaction with the common cause, a retreat from solving pressing problems, an increase in hostility in interpersonal and intergroup relations, a weakening of team cohesion, etc.

The social destructive impact of conflict manifests itself at various levels of the social system and is expressed in specific consequences.

When resolving a conflict, violent methods may be used, which may result in large casualties and material losses. In addition to the direct participants, those around them may also suffer in the conflict.

Conflict can lead the opposing parties (society, social group, individual) into a state of destabilization and disorganization. Conflict can lead to a slowdown in social, economic, political and spiritual development society.

Moreover, it can cause stagnation and a crisis of social development, the emergence of dictatorial and totalitarian regimes.

Conflict can contribute to the disintegration of society, the destruction social communications and sociocultural alienation of social entities within the social system.

The conflict may be accompanied by an increase in pessimism and disregard for customs in society.

Conflict can cause new, more destructive conflicts.

Conflict often leads to a decrease in the level of organization of the system, a decrease in discipline and, as a consequence, a decrease in operational efficiency. The destructive influence of conflict at the personal level is expressed in the following consequences:

Negative influence on the socio-psychological climate in the group: signs of a negative mental state appear (feelings of depression, pessimism and anxiety), leading a person to a state of stress;

disappointment in one's capabilities and abilities, deintensification of the face; the emergence of a feeling of self-doubt, loss of previous motivation, destruction of existing value orientations and patterns of behavior. In the worst case, the consequence of the conflict can be disappointment, loss of faith in former ideals, which gives rise to deviant behavior and, as an extreme case, suicide;

a person’s negative assessment of his partners in joint activities, disappointment in his colleagues and recent friends;

a person’s reaction to conflict through defense mechanisms, which manifest themselves in various forms bad behavior:

indentation - silence, lack of obscurity, separation of the individual from the group; information that frightens - criticism, abuse, demonstration of one’s superiority over other members of the group;

solid formalism - formal politeness, literalism, establishment of strict norms and principles of behavior in a group, observation of others;

turning everything into a joke;

conversations on unrelated topics instead of business discussions of problems;

constant search for those to blame, self-flagellation or blaming team members for all troubles.

These are the main consequences of the conflict, which are interconnected and are specific and relative in nature.

As already mentioned, mental states influence the course of mental processes: memory, attention, perception, sensation, thinking, speech and imagination. At the same time, frequently occurring mental states can become entrenched in personality traits.

The criterion for identifying maladaptive mental states is a decrease or loss of a person’s control over his condition, which in terms of the intensity of the experience or duration exceeds the person’s regulatory capabilities. Many people have experienced a state of irresistible fatigue, uncontrollable anxiety, unreasonable cheerfulness, unpredictable aggressiveness, etc. The level of violation of self-control of the state is reflected in the degree of maladaptive behavior, i.e. The less the condition is controlled by a person, the deeper the mental maladjustment.

Of course, maladaptive mental states are one of the factors that increase the likelihood of social conflicts. Rescuers always work in very close connection with each other, often in collaboration with representatives of other departments, and very often enter into communication with victims. In emergency situations, interpersonal contacts are characterized by significant emotional intensity and tension, which can contribute to the emergence of conflicts, the unconstructive development of which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of activities. Participation in a conflict, as a rule, has a negative impact on the mental state of all its participants, contributing to the emergence or worsening of maladaptive mental states. It is not always possible to avoid a conflict situation, however, you can try to resolve the conflict constructively or minimize the negative consequences of the conflict.

It should be noted that there are several types of conflicts: with human participation and without human participation.

Conflicts involving a person are divided into intrapersonal and social: interpersonal, intergroup.

Conflicts can be classified on several other grounds: duration, content, force of influence on participants, form of manifestation, source of occurrence, consequences, etc.

First of all, it is necessary to define what social conflict is and what its functions are. Social conflict– the most destructive way of developing significant contradictions that arise in the process of social interaction, consisting in opposition from the participants in the conflict and accompanied by expressed negative emotions and feelings.

It should be noted that if the parties to the conflict do not experience negative emotions, or they test, but do not resist - this is a pre-conflict situation.

The impact of the conflict covers several areas: the sphere of mental and, as a consequence, physical health of the participants; relationships between opponents; quality of individual activity; socio-psychological climate of the group; quality of joint activities.

The consequences of conflicts can be both constructive and destructive. TO destructive consequences of conflicts relate:

— difficulties or impossibility of joint activities of the parties to the conflict;

— strengthening of personal hostility of the conflict participants, up to the formation of the image of an “enemy”;

— opposition of the parties to the conflict towards each other, which causes damage to professional activities;

— manifestation of unproductive competition in relation to other persons;

— reduction of interpersonal communications up to their complete disappearance;

- a decrease in the general background of mood and the effectiveness of individual activities among the participants in the conflict.

Constructive consequences of conflict can be expressed in:

— searching and developing mutually acceptable solutions;

— removing the hostility of the conflict participants towards each other;

- emotional release;

— psychological renewal of relationships;

- the emergence of a deeper and more adequate mutual understanding between people.

In order for the consequences of a conflict to be constructive, it is necessary that the parties to the conflict find the opportunity and resources to communicate effectively with each other.

This means that participants in a conflict need the ability and desire to see a conflict situation from the opponent’s side, analyze conflict situations, look for mutually acceptable solutions, use constructive communication techniques, and regulate their own mental state.

In order to understand the causes, possible consequences, and conflict-generating factors of the conflict, it is necessary to consider the objective and subjective levels.

TO objective reasons conflicts include:

1. natural collision of significant material and spiritual interests of people in the process of their life;

2. poor development of legal and other regulatory procedures for resolving social contradictions that arise in the process of interaction between people;

3. lack of material and spiritual benefits that are significant for the normal life of people;

4. stable stereotypes of interethnic relations that contribute to the emergence of conflicts.

The socio-psychological causes of conflicts include:

1. loss and distortion of information in the process of interpersonal and intergroup communication;

2. unbalanced role interaction between people;

3. different criteria for assessing the results of activities and events;

4. intragroup favoritism;

5. atmosphere of competition and competition;

Personal causes of conflicts include:

1. high level of conflict;

2. inability to see the situation from the other opponent’s side or to see the situation without getting involved in it;

3. level of aspirations inadequate to abilities and capabilities, excessive ambition;

4. subjective assessment of the partner’s behavior as unacceptable, etc.

Of course, the form of conflict resolution depends on the behavior strategies of both conflicting parties.

Focus of team activities

From my own experience, I can say that target teams have much fewer sponsors than project teams. And specialists consider working in a target team as freelance work for additional pay. When starting to work with a target team, it is important to immediately determine the right focus of attention.

To ensure your team has strong support within the organization, find a sponsor or contact the manager who proposed the assignment for this target team and review the following important questions with them.

What problem should the target team study and why is it important to the organization?

What results are expected from your team, for example: recommendations to solve a problem, development of a solution program, its implementation, or otherwise?

What resources, from personnel to finance, do you need to get the job done well?

Team formation

Often the most difficult task on initial stage Forming a team means attracting the necessary specialists to work.

Employees who do not enthusiastically accept an invitation to join a team are likely to work carelessly. If you form a team of such specialists, then you will do all the work yourself.

Personnel selection is carried out by management. If the selection of team members is being carried out for you and instead of you, say a firm “no”, no matter who the initiative comes from. If the manager is not involved in the target team, he should not decide who will join it; only you can determine who will work effectively in a team. Of course, you can listen to the recommendations of other people, but the decisive vote should remain with you.

Inclusion of any interested person in the team

Volunteers are good simply because they are interested in the task the target team is working on. On the other hand, not everyone has the qualifications or teamwork skills to successfully work in the target team. If an unqualified enthusiast offers you help, thank him politely, but refuse the help and look for a suitable specialist.

You may not know everyone in your organization who is suitable to work on your target project. Therefore, define selection criteria and ask other group leaders to recommend relevant specialists.

When inviting an employee to join the team, discuss the following questions with him:

The purpose of creating a team.

Why are you inviting him? tie this reason to the overall team goal.

The period for which the team is expected to work and the planned workload.

Then answer all the potential team member's questions and don't forget to ask him a simple and very important question: Will you join the team?

In conflictology, it has become traditional to designate the final stage in the dynamics of a conflict with the term - conflict resolution. However, many authors also use other concepts that reflect the completeness of the cessation of conflict actions, for example, “attenuation,” “suppression,” and “settlement.” The complexity and multivariate development of the conflict imply ambiguity in the ways, methods and forms of its completion. The main forms of ending a conflict: resolution, settlement, attenuation, elimination, escalation into another conflict.

The term “resolution” of conflict - is usually used in two meanings: firstly, in the sense of resolving the conflict by its participants themselves; secondly, in the sense of objective resolution of conflicts, based on identifying and neutralizing their causes and preventing open clashes.

Conflict resolution - This Team work of its participants, aimed at ending the opposition and solving the problem that led to the clash. Conflict resolution presupposes the activity of both in transforming the conditions in which they interact, in eliminating the causes of the conflict. To resolve the conflict, it is necessary to change the opponents themselves (or at least one of them), their positions that they defended in the conflict. Often the resolution of a conflict is based on changing the attitude of opponents towards its object or towards each other.

Settlement conflict - differs from resolution in that a third party takes part in eliminating the contradiction between opponents. Its participation is possible both with the consent of the warring parties and without their consent.

Decay of conflict- this is a temporary cessation of opposition while maintaining the main conflict: contradictions and tense relations. The conflict moves from an “overt” form to a hidden one. Conflict subsides usually as a result of:

· depletion of the resources of both sides necessary for the fight;

· loss of motive to fight, reduction in the importance of the object of the conflict;

· reorientation of the motivation of opponents (the emergence of new problems that are more significant than the struggle in the conflict).

Under eliminating conflict understand the impact on it, as a result of which the main structural elements of the conflict are eliminated. Despite the “unconstructiveness” of elimination, there are situations that require quick and decisive impacts on the conflict (threat of human violence, lack of time or material capabilities ).

Resolving the conflict is possible using following methods:

Removal of one of the opponents from the conflict (transfer to another department, branch; dismissal from work);

Exclusion of interaction between opponents for a long time (sending one or both on a business trip, etc.);

Eliminating the object of the conflict (the mother takes the toy that caused the conflict from the quarreling children);

Eliminating the shortage of the conflict object (the third party has the opportunity to provide each of the conflicting parties with the object they were striving to possess).

Evolving into another conflict occurs when a new, more significant contradiction arises in the relations of the parties and the object of the conflict changes. However, regardless of the approach, when resolving a conflict should be guided by the following psychological principles.

1. Conflict resolution taking into account the essence and content of the contradiction. In this case you need:

· determine its business basis;

· understand the true, and not declarative, motives for people entering into conflict.

Conflict resolution becomes significantly more complicated if the leader himself is a representative of one of the warring parties. In this case, it is difficult for him to be objective and the conflict becomes public and goes beyond the organization.

2. Conflict resolution taking into account its goals. It is extremely important to quickly determine the goals of the conflicting parties and draw a clear line between the features of interpersonal and business interaction. If personal goals are dominant, then it is advisable to first apply educational measures to the opponent and put forward certain strict requirements. If one of the opponents has a higher rank than the other, then he should be pointed out the need to adhere to certain standards of behavior.

3. Conflict resolution taking into account emotional states. If the conflict has taken on an emotional nature and is accompanied by violent reactions, then it is advisable to show with specific examples how high tension affects work performance, how opponents lose their objectivity, and how their criticality decreases. In other words, an explanatory conversation is needed in a calm and confidential atmosphere.

4. Conflict resolution taking into account the characteristics of its participants. In this case, before proceeding to resolve the conflict, it is necessary to understand the personality characteristics of each (another argument in favor of psychological testing when applying for a job): are they balanced, are they prone to affective behavior, what are their character traits, temperament, etc. . This will help not only to correctly understand the motives of behavior, but also to choose the right tone in communication when resolving a conflict.

5. Conflict resolution taking into account its dynamics. As noted earlier, the conflict develops in certain stages. Naturally, for each of them there are certain forms of its resolution. If at the first stages conversations and persuasion are advisable, then at the stage of uncompromising clashes it is necessary to apply all possible measures, including administrative ones. Here it is also necessary to determine the choice of influence, taking into account the personal characteristics of the conflicting parties and the nature of their actions.

In conflict studies, other principles of conflict resolution have been noted, which are more organizational character. They do not contradict the psychological ones noted above and complement them. In relation to conflict resolutionV educational institutions psychological principlescan be formulated as follows.

1. The principle of interest in the psychological consequences of the conflict. This principle means the need to see the educational significance of the conflict, its possible use for the moral development of the individual, and the extraction of positive experience for each of its participants. Compliance with this principle requires an understanding that formal administrative measures to eliminate the incident still do not eliminate the conflict situation that led to its occurrence, which may require lengthy pedagogical work.

A conflict can have objective consequences: a restructuring of objective circumstances and conditions in the organization of the educational process, in the system of collective norms governing relationships in the classroom, school, teaching staff, etc., as well as subjective consequences for its participants or persons observing development of the conflict. It is by these consequences that one can judge him. At the same time, its assessment must be differentiated in relation to each individual participant in the conflict and the entire situation as a whole, since for one the conflict can be constructive, and for another destructive.

The most general principle that should be followed when assessing the psychological (subjective) consequences of conflicts is the impact of the conflict on the ability of each of its participants to receive some new experience, capable of changing his behavior in the future. The constructive grain of this new experience is that the participant in the conflict becomes able to take the position of his opponent and understand the motives that prompted the enemy to conflict. This new psychological turn in consciousness is an impetus for the conflict participant to reconsider his position, his motives, goals and means used by him in conflict interaction, and, consequently, to a psychological restructuring of his personality. In this sense, the conflict is future-oriented: if its participants were able to learn lessons from it, then it is psychologically effective, but if not, then it is not effective, and perhaps even harmful. The responsibilities of the team leader include conflict management, with the goal of making it effective. Let us note that in the educational process, the leader should primarily be concerned with the psychological consequences of the conflict for its participants.

2. The principle of systematic analysis of the causes of the conflict implies the use of all three levels of analysis, understanding the relationship between objective and subjective factors in its occurrence, since effective ways of resolving a conflict are most closely related to a correct understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of various factors that influenced the emergence of a conflict situation.

Levels of conflict analysis. Depending on what factors and causes are identified when considering a given conflict, it can be analyzed at the following three levels:

1) sociological (analysis of the conditions for organizing the pedagogical process as a certain system of industrial relations);

2) socio-psychological (analysis psychological structure and characteristics of the team involved in the conflict);

3) individual psychological (analysis psychological characteristics individuals participating in the conflict).

1. The principle of excluding unilateral responsibility for the occurrence of a conflict.

There are two sides involved in the conflict, and each makes its own “contribution” to the development of the conflict.

Attributing unilateral responsibility and finding someone to blame is generally not the best pedagogical strategy for dealing with conflict. Respect for each of the conflicting parties is required, the desire to understand its problems and the motives that pushed it into conflict interaction. The teacher managing the development of the conflict is faced with the task of making it effective for each participant, of bringing to his consciousness those internal “defects” that led to the emergence of the conflict on his part.

4. The principle of neutrality. A neutral position in relation to the warring parties is absolutely necessary for the effective resolution of a conflict situation, because the loss of neutrality by a person occupying the position of an “arbiter” in a conflict, working with a conflict situation, threatens only with the growth of the conflict situation, the inclusion of new participants in it. However, this neutrality cannot be contemplative, but must be actively interested in effective assistance to each of the parties to the conflict interaction.

5. The principle of conflict prevention. In the pedagogical process, there are much more potential conflicts than actual ones, and it is better to prevent conflicts than to resolve and eliminate them when they result in conflict interactions. Conflict prevention is associated with the ability to isolate the basis of the conflict - a conflict situation and eliminate it. Effective conflict prevention does not consist in ignoring conflict situations, but in identifying them and working with them individually. Working with a conflict situation, as we tried to show, almost excludes formal administrative measures and involves pedagogical ones. If the concerns of teachers are reduced only to extinguishing the incident, then the conflict can take on a hidden course, which is dangerous due to its destructive consequences for all participants in the conflict.

These are the general principles of conflict resolution; they should be relied upon when organizing conflict resolution activities and choosing appropriate methods.

The noted principles determine the nature of conflict resolution activities, which should include:

· analysis and identification of the reasons and composition of its participants (especially those who are “shadow opponents”);

· making a decision to intervene in a conflict, taking into account its possible outcomes;

· implementation of the decision made, i.e. activities aimed at eliminating conflict.

When resolving a conflict, the following must be analyzed:

1. Sources of conflict, including purely psychological ones.

2. “Biography” of the conflict, i.e. his history, the background against which he progressed; the growth of the conflict, the chosen methods of conflict confrontation, the crisis and turning points in its development.

3. Opponents, be they individuals or groups, their psychological and other characteristics, the real forces behind opponents.

4. Positions and attitudes of the conflicting parties (including whether the parties seek to resolve the conflict on a fair basis, how firm and irreconcilable their positions are, what their hopes and expectations are).

Based on this analysis, a complete description of the conflict is carried out, a forecast of its development and outcomes is given, and methods for resolving it are selected. Let's turn to existing methods and methods conflict resolution.

2. Methods and means of conflict resolution.

Let us dwell on methods of conflict resolution. Choosing conflict resolution methods is not an easy task. Just as there is no abstract conflict, there are no universal ways to resolve it. And yet, it is advisable to pay special attention to some that have a psychological basis.

1.Formation of public opinion.

Public opinion is a very powerful regulator of people's behavior. Many people are very dependent on the attitude of others and need approval and support. When conflicting, they may find themselves isolated, which they experience very painfully and are sometimes even ready to stop conflicting.

2. Appeal to the “arbiter”.

This method often found in psychological recommendations. It can be very effective if there is a very authoritative person whose opinion will be decisive for opponents regarding their confrontation. Practice shows that such a person must have, first of all, moral authority and be distinguished by justice, integrity, honesty and kindness. True, finding such a person is now extremely difficult. An appeal to the “arbitrator” will give the necessary result if he manages to separate the object of the conflict from its subject, and this is not easy to do. In this case, the following techniques are recommended.

1. 4. “Frank conversation.”

Participants are given the opportunity to speak in any form about the conflict itself, its causes, and the behavior of the opposite side. The point of using this technique is as follows: if the conflict is caused by business reasons, the opponents will talk only about them, but if it is due to interpersonal problems, then, having talked a little about the declared reason, the opponents will quickly move on to impartial interpersonal assessments. This is where the “frank conversation” ends, the opponents are given the opportunity to “cool down”, and the analysis of the conflict should be returned in a day or two. The “arbitrator” in the process of “frank conversation” should observe more than speak.

5. “Objectification of the conflict.”

Participants are given the opportunity to speak on this matter again, but exclusively in a business form, without any emotional assessments of the opponent - facts, actions, events, information. In this case, the “arbiter” must resolutely suppress any emotional reactions of his opponents. The conflict is thus sorted out into its component parts, it gradually acquires a business basis again, opponents begin to see their mistakes, incorrect actions and assessments. As a result, the conflict loses its emotional severity and tension, the opponents’ false images of the situation and each other are removed, and the psychological barriers of interpersonal relationships are eliminated. The conflict returns to its original state when it can be resolved. This is what the “arbiter” does. It should be emphasized that in resolving conflicts by objectifying them, a lot depends on the behavior of the “arbitrator,” including the use of non-standard actions based on knowledge of opponents. You must not only be objective, tactful, fair, but also sometimes act in an extraordinary way. I remember a case when the “arbitrator,” having brilliantly analyzed the conflict, discouraged his opponents, and realizing that they still had emotional tension, did this: he took out a bottle of good cognac (the opponents were men), two glasses, two sandwiches, and said, that this is for them, and he himself will come in two hours. When he returned, one glass was filled with cognac, next to it lay half a sandwich (the bottle was empty) - this was left to him by his former opponents. The conflict no longer existed.

Difficult relationships.

It often happens that even when a conflict is resolved between opponents, difficult relationships remain that can result in a new conflict. In this case, it is advisable to organize their cooperation, although obviously this will not be easy. In this case, the opponents are entrusted with one common task, in which they should be extremely interested, but they cannot cope with it alone. The situation of forced cooperation initially brings people together formally, but this contributes to the growth of mutual trust and forms a positive psychological attitude towards the opponent. As a result, the relationship is restored.

1. 5. “Explosion.”

This method is advisable to use if the opponents do not stop the conflict, understanding its negative consequences for the organization, but at the same time they are valuable personnel with whom it is not advisable to part with. “Explosion” is a method of public condemnation of conflicting parties by the entire team. The method, as they say, works, but it must be applied very tactfully so as not to offend people who are already in a difficult situation. It can only be used taking into account the nature of the opponents, the degree of maturity of the team, and also... with a certain amount of humor.

Now let's look at ways and means of resolving conflicts involving conflicting personalities . In this case, it is necessary, first of all, to decide how much these conflicting personalities are worth to the organization, which outweighs: their positive professional activity or the damage caused by them as a result of private conflicts. Therefore, if a conflict involves conflicting individuals who are not valuable to the organization, the use of administrative methods of resolution is recommended. They are:

· structural changes in the team, increasing the degree of its organization;

· removal of opponents from the team if their activities began to harm the team;

· changing the opponent’s status or including him in another system “not intersecting” with another opponent.

If conflicting individuals, despite the damage caused by their behavior, are still valuable to the organization, then it is necessary to build appropriate relationships with them, communicate in a special way in order to minimize the manifestations of their conflict. In this case, you should carefully analyze the system of their internal conditions that lead to conflict behavior. For example, if such behavior is due to the presence of an intrapersonal conflict, then There are two possible ways to resolve it: open and hidden (latent).

Open way based on the awareness of the existence of intrapersonal conflict and an act of will (self-criticism, self-hypnosis, self-regulation) aimed at compensating for it. Such an act may be accompanied by a choice of non-conflict social roles.

Hidden (latent)the methods are much more complicated, but they exist spontaneous and constructive.

The natural ones include:

- hysteria, simulation, suffering;

Escaping reality (indulging in dreams, fantasies, thoughts);

Neurasthenia;

Idealization (separation from reality);

Euphoria (ostentatious fun, demonstration of satisfaction);

Regression (avoiding responsibility, resorting to primitive forms of behavior);

Projection (the desire to free oneself from negative qualities by attributing them to another);

Constructive ways to resolve intrapersonal conflict are:

Sublimation (transfer of psychic energy to other areas of activity);

Compensation (compensation for what was lost by acquiring other values, forming new goals);

Nomadism (change of place of work, residence, marital status);

Rationalization (self-justification through logical reasoning, targeted selection of facts and the transition to new values).

Open and latent constructive ways of resolving intrapersonal conflict are usually selected in the process of joint analysis of the behavior, relationships and communication of the conflicting individual. The sources of intrapersonal conflict are identified and a program and means for resolving it are jointly developed. The spontaneous latent method of resolution is chosen by the individual independently and only strengthens the intrapersonal conflict. Identifying the causes and psychological essence of intrapersonal conflict is a complex and responsible matter; mistakes in it can complicate the situation. Therefore, it is necessary to involve specialist psychologists with experience in psychoanalytic work in such work.

One of the ways to resolve conflicts is to implement certain behavior patterns. Generally speaking, behavioral patterns do not destroy conflict, but can significantly reduce its emotional intensity and thereby make it possible to look at the situation from a constructive position, allowing one to find a rational way to resolve contradictions. The use of behavioral models also makes it possible to effectively manage conflict in the phase of open confrontation. Let's look at the main models.

1. 1. Model of “ignoring” conflict.

It is used when the conflict is not of such an acute and dangerous nature and represents postponing the resolution of the conflict for a distant period. This model of behavior allows not only to gain time to strengthen the resources of the conflicting parties, but also provides them with the opportunity to reconsider their relationships and analyze the existing contradiction in a different way. In addition, over time, emotional tension may decrease and this will allow the conflict to be resolved on a business basis.

1. 2. “Compromise” model.

The use of this model gives a positive result under the following conditions: opponents have almost equal capabilities and reserves for strengthening resources; opponents are not interested in the destructive consequences of the conflict. The implementation of the “compromise” model requires certain mutual concessions from opponents, but still does not destroy the system of relations and allows you to at least partially achieve what you want. Unfortunately, opponents often view this model of behavior as a tactical trick that allows them to gain time and thereby strengthen their own resources for the incoming use of the “coercion” strategy.

3. The "concessions" model.

It is effective when opponents do not have the opportunity to strengthen their positions and it is important for them to maintain partnerships. It is not difficult to see that this model of behavior is possible if the conflict is businesslike, short-term and hectic. In other cases, the use of this model is problematic. The disadvantage of this model of behavior is that concessions are often one-sided, which gives grounds for the other conflicting party to make greater and greater demands and thereby complicate the relationship.

Model of cooperation.

(This method of conflict resolution was discussed above; in this case, it is considered as one of the models of conflict behavior). This model makes it possible to achieve the desired results under the following conditions: opponents do not yet experience hostility towards each other; opponents have no experience of conflict confrontation; they are interested in maintaining and developing partnerships. The use of this model is unacceptable if there is no possibility of making a decision beneficial for the conflicting parties, as well as if one of the parties seeks to use the situation to strengthen its positions.

©2015-2019 site
All rights belong to their authors. This site does not claim authorship, but provides free use.
Page creation date: 2016-08-08

Introduction

Approaches to the study of conflict in social psychology

Concept and typology of conflicts

Conflict resolution methods

Conflict Prevention

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

Conflicts are an eternal companion of our lives. And therefore, even the most consistent policy of humanization in enterprises and institutions and the best management methods will not protect against the need to live in conditions of conflict. Word conflict - Latin root and literally translated means collision . The basis of any conflict is a contradiction, which usually leads to either constructive (for example, strengthening group dynamics, team development) or destructive (for example, the collapse of the team) consequences.

The purpose of this work is to consider constructive ways conflict resolution and conflict prevention.

The set goal led to the solution of the following tasks: to consider approaches to the study of conflict in social psychology, what conflict is and the typology of conflicts, methods of conflict resolution and conflict prevention.

1. Approaches to the study of conflict in social psychology

Judging by numerous publications, the study of conflicts is carried out from the point of view of various approaches. In order to organize the results obtained by researchers on the problem of interpersonal conflict, it is necessary to consider these approaches.

There are various classifications of approaches in the literature. The most widely known classification is that proposed by R.L. Krichevsky and E.M. Dubovskaya. They highlight the following approaches.

Motivational. The motivational approach is based on the idea of confrontation between incompatible intentions and goals that guide the behavior of participants in interpersonal interaction;

Cognitive. Within the framework of the cognitive approach, the cognitive aspects of interpersonal conflict are studied. Its occurrence is determined, according to experts, by the structure of the task, the cognitive structures of the opposing parties, the degree of consistency of the strategies they use;

Active. In this case, the study of conflicts is based on the principles of the activity-based approach. However, the number of works, according to the authors, carried out from the perspective of the discussed approach is extremely small;

Organizational. In this case, the organizational approach is understood as various models conflict relations in social organization, embodied in quite large quantities empirical developments.

Among the works of domestic scientists, one also stands out systems approach. From the perspective of this approach, conflict is understood as the interaction of complex systems with divergent goals and ideas about them.

As the researchers write, most Western studies of conflict have been carried out within the framework of a motivational approach to conflict. Recently, a normative approach has also emerged. It is based on the “polygenetic theory of interpersonal relationships” proposed by R.Kh. Shakurov. From the standpoint of the normative approach, social norms and normative expectations play a large role in the emergence, development and resolution of interpersonal conflicts. Interpersonal conflict, from the point of view of this approach, arises as a result of the following interrelated factors: frustration and violation of social norms of interaction in a given situation. At the same time, the process of conflict escalation, the emotions that arose in it, and changes in relationships during the conflict are determined by the action of the mechanisms for the formation of interpersonal relationships.

In addition to the above classification, which is based on conceptual schemes from the perspective of which the conflict is studied, there are classifications on other grounds. For example, approaches are divided depending on how researchers approach the causes of interpersonal conflicts. From this point of view, V.A. Fokin identifies the following approaches:

Personality-oriented approach - the causes of the conflict are seen in the characteristics of the individual in general or are localized in cognitive processes.

Motivational-oriented approach - the so-called “objective” signs of the situation are emphasized, the specifics of which determine the emergence of conflict.

The integral approach is an attempt to overcome the one-sided way of explaining the causes of the conflict, i.e. the desire to take into account all possible factors influencing the emergence and course of the conflict.

As V.A. Fokin notes, in terms of the number of explicit and implicit supporters, the motivation-oriented approach leads.

Another basis from which approaches to conflict are considered is an understanding of the essence of conflict as a phenomenon. A classification built on this basis is proposed by T.Yu. Bazarov and B.L. Eremin. They distinguish two approaches:

Proponents of the first approach describe conflict as a negative phenomenon. They divide conflicts into constructive and destructive. Most works within the framework of this approach provide recommendations for manipulation, which is called “conflict management”, “conflict situation management”.

Proponents of the second approach consider the conflict natural condition existence of interacting people, an instrument for the development of an organization, any community, although it has destructive consequences, but in general and over a long period of time is not as destructive as the consequences of eliminating conflicts, their information and social blockade. The second approach assumes the impossibility of managing conflict and optimizing interaction, theoretically justifying the development of conflict as a self-regulating mechanism.

General trend in last years, according to Bazarov T.Yu. and B.L. Eremina, is such that most theorists and practitioners of social psychology are inclined to the second approach, while maintaining some orientation towards psychological manipulation, psychological mitigation of the destructive consequences of the conflict. The basic point in this choice is that the first approach is based on subject-object communication, while the second is based on subject-subject communication.

Speaking about approaches to the study of interpersonal conflict, it is necessary to note the peculiarities of the study of conflicts by Western scientists. As a rule, conflict research by Western scientists is carried out mainly in laboratory conditions with a wide application of mathematics, in particular game theory. This feature immediately leads to the question of the possibility of applying the results obtained in real situations. The literature also contains criticism of the main theoretical postulates that are used when studying conflicts using this method:

Firstly, this is the postulate of rationality, according to which the desire to maximize gains is the main determinant of individual behavior. As you know, this postulate does not always correspond to reality. It is significant, write A.I. Dontsov and T.A. Polozova, that situations where the principle of maximizing winnings is violated are either not considered in most studies or are recognized as obviously ineffective.

Secondly, this is the postulate of the static nature of the situation of conflict interaction: it is believed that the individual initially has all the information contained in the matrix description of the situation and once and for all fixes the hierarchy of individual significances of certain actions. It is clear that in reality this principle is also often not followed.

Attempts to find a consistent synthesis of the results obtained face, as noted by the prominent French psychologist M. Plon, with significant difficulties: “Special reflection,” the author emphasizes, “requires that with the adoption of the analogy between the game and the conflict, the analogy between the rules of the game and norms was implicitly accepted functioning of social relations, although these latter have never, in essence, been studied.”

. Concept and typology of conflicts

Conflict is a relationship between subjects of social interaction that is characterized by confrontation over the presence of opposing motives (needs, interests, goals, ideals, beliefs) or judgments (opinions, views, assessments, etc.).

Another group of concepts in the categorical apparatus of conflictology are concepts that define the main types of conflicts and their typology. The need to classify conflicts is dictated by the research interests of deeper insight into their essence, as well as the practical needs of the most effective regulation of their various types. The classification depends on the criteria that are taken as its basis. The most common conflict classifications are based on criteria such as:

) parties to conflicts,

) the nature of the needs, the infringement of which caused the conflict,

) the direction of the conflict,

) time parameters of the conflict,

) the effectiveness of conflicts.

Depending on the parties, conflicts are divided:

to intrapersonal,

interpersonal,

between the individual and the group,

intergroup,

international.

In terms of needs, the blocking of which served as a prerequisite for the conflict, they can be divided into:

material,

status - role,

spiritual.

According to their direction, conflicts are divided into:

horizontal, arising between business partners and work colleagues;

vertical - between subordinates and superiors.

In this classification, mixed conflicts are those in which both colleagues and managers of different levels are represented. As practice shows, up to four-fifths of all conflicts in organizations belong to conflicts of the second and third groups according to this typology.

According to time parameters, conflicts are divided into:

short-term,

fleeting,

long-term, sometimes lasting for years and decades, as are often the case with state, national and religious gious conflicts.

And finally, according to the criterion of effectiveness, conflicts are divided into two types:

constructive, normal, positive, in which the groups where they occur maintain their integrity, and the relationships between group members are of a collaborative nature;

destructive, pathological, negative, when relationships between people take on uncivilized forms, the nature of confrontations, struggles, leading even to the destruction and disintegration of the organization.

Therefore, the most important task of a manager at any level is to solve problems of conflict resolution and prevent them from being overturned. growth from a constructive to a destructive form, preventing the growth and generalization of the conflict. For this, it is especially important to understand the structure, dynamics, typology of the conflict, i.e. in the entire conceptual-categorical apparatus of conflictology and, above all, in the content of its basic concept - the category of conflict.

3. Conflict resolution methods

All methods are divided into 2 groups: 1) negative, include all types of struggle, pursue the goal of achieving victory for one side over the other. 2) positive, when using them it is assumed that the basis of the relationship between the subjects of the conflict will be preserved. These are various types of negotiations and constructive competition.

The distinction between negative and positive methods is conditional. These methods often complement each other.

No matter how diverse the types of struggle are, they have some common features, for any struggle is an action with the participation of at least two subjects, where one of them interferes with the other.

In any fight, you must be able to: a) choose the best field for the decisive battle, b) concentrate the necessary forces in this place, c) choose the optimal moment in time to strike. All techniques and methods of fighting involve one or another combination of these components.

The goal of the struggle is to change the conflict situation. And this is achieved in three general ways: by direct influence on the opposing subject, his means of struggle, on the situation; changes in the balance of forces; true or false information from the opponent about his actions and intentions; obtaining an adequate assessment of the opponent’s capabilities and the situation. A variety of control methods use these methods of influence in different combinations.

The main positive method of conflict resolution is negotiation. Negotiation theory was developed by American conflictologists R. Fisher and U. Ury, D. Den.

Negotiation - this is a joint discussion by the conflicting parties with the possible involvement of a mediator of controversial issues in order to reach agreement. They act as a continuation of the conflict and at the same time serve as a means of overcoming it. When the emphasis is on negotiations as part of a conflict, they are sought to be conducted from a position of strength, with the goal of achieving a one-sided victory. Naturally, this nature of negotiations usually leads to a temporary, partial resolution of the conflict, and negotiations serve only as an addition to the struggle for victory over the enemy. If negotiations are understood in property terms as a method of conflict resolution, then they take the form of honest, open debates, designed for mutual concessions and mutual satisfaction of a certain part of the interests of the parties.

The method of principled negotiation, or "negotiation based on certain principles", is characterized by four basic rules.

“Make a distinction between the negotiators and the subject of the negotiation,” “separate the person from the problem.” Negotiations are conducted by people with certain character traits. Discussion of them is unacceptable, because... this introduces an emotional factor into the negotiations that interferes with the solution of the problem. Criticism of the personal qualities of the negotiators only aggravates the conflict or, at least, does not contribute to the search for ways to resolve it.

"Focus on interests, not positions." The positions of opponents may hide their true goals, and even more so, their interests. Meanwhile, conflicting positions are always based on interests. Therefore, instead of arguing about positions, we need to explore the interests that determine them. Behind opposing positions, along with contradictions, there are shared and acceptable interests.

“Develop win-win options.” An interest-based arrangement facilitates the search for a mutually beneficial solution by exploring options that satisfy both parties. In this case, the dialogue becomes a discussion with the orientation - “we are against the problem”, and not “me against you”. With this orientation, it is possible to use brainstorming. As a result, more than one may be obtained alternative solution. This will allow you to select the desired option that meets the interests of the negotiating parties.

"Find objective criteria." Consent as the goal of negotiations should be based on criteria that would be neutral with respect to the interests of the conflicting parties. Only then will it be fair, stable and lasting. If the criteria are not neutral towards one party, then the other party will feel disadvantaged, and therefore the agreement will be perceived as unfair and ultimately it will not be implemented.

The fairness of the solutions developed depends on the procedures used during negotiations for resolving conflicting interests. Such procedures include: resolving disagreements using lots, delegating the right to decide to a mediator, etc. The last method of resolving a dispute, i.e. when a third party plays a key role, is widespread, and its variations are numerous.

One of the main ways to resolve conflict is communication between people. This is the most common method, which also includes negotiations. This method is based on two rules: “do not interrupt communication,” because refusal to communicate creates and means conflict; “Do not use power games to win power struggles through coercion, threats, or ultimatums.” In the description by D. Den, the named method looks like this:

Step 1: Find time to talk.

Step 2: Prepare the conditions.

Step 3: Discuss the problem.

Introductory part:

Express your gratitude.

Express optimism.

Remind the cardinal rules.

State the problem.

Invite to conversation.

Task 1: Stick to the basic process.

Task 2. Support gestures of reconciliation.

Step 4: Conclude an agreement (if necessary):

Balanced;

Behaviorally specific;

In a written form.

The negotiation process in a specific form - with the participation of a mediator - mediation. This is the most universal and successful form of resolving disagreements with the help of a third, independent mediator.

The use of positive methods of conflict resolution is embodied by the achievement of compromises or consensuses between opposing entities. These are forms of ending the conflict, mainly of the “win-win”, “win-win” type.

Compromise means an agreement based on mutual concessions.

There are forced and voluntary compromises. The first are inevitably imposed by prevailing circumstances. Or a general situation that threatens the existence of the conflicting parties. The second ones are concluded on the basis of an agreement on certain issues and correspond to some part of the interests of all interacting forces.

The theoretical and methodological basis for compromise is the position of dialectics on the combination of opposites as a form of regulation and resolution of social contradictions and conflict. The social base is the commonality of certain interests, values, and norms as prerequisites for the interaction of social forces and institutions. In the case of a voluntary compromise, there is a commonality of basic views, principles, and norms facing the interacting subjects of practical tasks. If the compromise is of a forced nature, then it may consist of: a) mutual concession on certain issues in the name of ensuring a balance of private interests and goals; b) in uniting the efforts of all conflicting parties to resolve some fundamental issues related to their survival.

The technology of compromises is quite complex, unique in many ways, but still there is something repetitive in its structure. These are some ways of reconciling interests and positions: consultation, dialogue, discussion, partnership and cooperation. Using them allows us to identify common values, discover a convergence of views on certain issues, helps to reveal positions on which the conflicting parties need to make concessions, and develop a mutually acceptable agreement on the “rules of the game,” or in other words, norms and methods of further action in order to proper balance of interests and thereby resolve the conflict.

Consensus is a form of expressing agreement with the opponent’s arguments in a dispute.

Consensus becomes the principle of interaction between opposing forces in systems based on democratic principles. Therefore, the degree of consensus is an indicator of the development of public democracy.

The technology of achieving consensus is more complex than the technology of compromise. The essential elements of this technology are: a) analysis of the range of social interests and organizations expressing them; b) clarifying the fields of identity and difference, objective coincidence and contradiction of priority values and goals of the current forces; justification of common values and priority goals on the basis of which agreement is possible; c) systematic activity of institutions of power of socio-political organizations in order to ensure public consent regarding norms, mechanisms and ways of regulating social relations and achieving those goals that are recognized as generally significant.

4. Conflict prevention

A destructive conflict, like a disease, is easier to prevent or treat when it occurs. The early stage of dealing with conflict is its prevention, which involves preventing the emergence of the causes of the conflict. Prevention of conflicts in an organization is achieved through clear organization of work; healthy moral and psychological climate in the team; professionally and socially competent leadership; staff satisfaction with their stay in the organization; people's confidence in the future, stable employment, etc. In other words, conflict prevention involves preventing the occurrence of all the previously discussed and some other causes in the team.

To prevent conflict, as well as to prevent it in general, measures such as:

correct selection and placement of personnel;

continuous improvement of remuneration in accordance with the changing situation;

rhythm of work, attention to the working and living conditions of workers;

improving organizational management methods taking into account changing situations;

timely provision of resources, their rational and fair distribution;

compliance of the rights and duties of employees, especially managers, strict control over respect for rights and fulfillment of duties, maintaining high labor discipline;

clear distribution of production tasks, powers and responsibilities;

formation of favorable interpersonal relationships;

strengthening collective norms of self-regulation of employee behavior, uniting the team;

paying special attention to rumors, gossip, and minor quarrels, which are usually indicators of unemployed workers and create favorable conditions for conflicts;

ensuring uniform workload for all employees.

Conflict prevention in an organization is carried out by three main actors, subjects: senior management, which determines the general position of a given unit in the system of an enterprise or institution; the head of the unit, who outlines the general line for dealing with conflicts and manages them, and labor collective capable of performing educational and regulatory functions, uniting people, forming in them a sense of group identity, relationships of cooperation and mutual assistance, and being the most authoritative arbiter in the event of a conflict.

Despite the importance of all actors in conflict regulation, the leading role in dealing with conflicts is played by immediate supervisor units in which the conflict is brewing or is already developing. To effectively prevent and resolve conflicts, a manager is required to: the ability to analyze the social situation and its conflictological diagnosis; knowledge of human psychology and patterns of their behavior; own self-control, impartiality and consistency in relation to opponents; ability to conduct individual conversations and negotiations on a principled, business basis; having sufficient power and authority.

Under normal conditions of existence of an organization, with the coherence of the actions of top management, a specific leader and the team, it is, in principle, possible to exclude conflicts with a negative, destructive orientation from its life. However, it is not always possible to prevent conflicts. Moreover, most often this happens and is not advisable. When conflict occurs, it is important to ensure that the process of its development and resolution is managed.

Conclusion

Although relationships with other people should promote peace and harmony, conflicts are inevitable. Every sane person should have the ability to effectively resolve disputes and disagreements so that the fabric of social life does not tear with every conflict, but, on the contrary, strengthens due to the growth of the ability to find and develop common interests.

To resolve a conflict, it is important to have at your disposal different approaches, be able to use them flexibly, go beyond the usual patterns and be sensitive to opportunities and act and think in new ways. At the same time, you can use conflict as a source of life experience, self-education and self-learning.

Conflicts can be turned into excellent teaching material if you subsequently take the time to remember what led to the conflict and what happened in the conflict situation. Then you can learn more about yourself, about the people involved in the conflict, or about the surrounding circumstances that contributed to the conflict. This knowledge will help you make the right decision in the future and avoid conflict. warning social conflict

Literature

1.Kolominsky Ya.L. Psychology. - Mn., 1993.

2.Vilyunas V.K. Psychology of emotional phenomena. - M., 1973.

3.Izard K.E. Human emotions. - M., 1980.

4.Jung K.G. Problems of the soul of our time. - M., 1996.

5.Anikeeva N.P. Psychological climate in the team. - M., 1989.

6.Andreeva G.M. Social Psychology. - M., 1998.

7.Sieger W. Lang L. Lead without conflict. - M., 1990. Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of receiving a consultation.

The causes of conflicts, rooted in the personal identity of team members, arise in connection with the personal characteristics of each person. Inability to control your emotional state, low level of self-esteem, aggressiveness, high self-esteem, lack of communication, excessive adherence to principles... The list of personal causes of conflict is not limited to a set of relevant traits. Not the least important place here is occupied by demographic characteristics. Thus, women are characterized by a tendency to conflicts related to personal needs (salary, distribution of vacations, etc.). Men are predisposed to conflicts related directly to the labor activity(labor organization, definition of labor functions).

Constructive conflict resolution depends on at least four factors:

Adequacy of perception of the conflict;
Openness and effectiveness of communication;
Creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation;
Definitions of the essence of the conflict.

Likewise, each member of the group occupies part of the common space and is not enthusiastic about the intrusion of outsiders into it. For example, if we have our own desk, we are unlikely to experience joy when we find another employee at it. If such a situation is repeated many times, it can irritate the “owner” of the territory and provoke a conflict situation.

It is important to consider both the actions of the participants in the conflict themselves and the role of the mediator, who may be the leader.

As for the adequacy of the perception of the conflict, here we mean an assessment of actions, intentions, positions - both one’s own and those of opponents - that is not distorted by personal biases. And sometimes it’s very difficult to get such an assessment.

In particular, it is difficult to avoid the influence of a negative attitude towards the other party, which is revealed in the biased assessment of the other. In him, in his behavior, only hostility is seen and felt. This can lead to the so-called. self-confirming assumption. Assuming that our partner is extremely hostile, we begin to defend ourselves, gradually going on the offensive. Seeing this, the partner experiences hostility towards us, and our preliminary assumption, although initially incorrect, is confirmed.

Therefore, it is necessary to be as leisurely as possible in your assessments of other people, especially in a conflict situation.

Next factor constructive permission conflicts - openness and effectiveness of communication between opposing parties. An open discussion of the problem, during which the parties honestly express their attitude to what is happening, helps to stop the spread of all kinds of rumors. Often, open expression of views and feelings lays the foundation for building further trusting relationships between opponents.

Openness of communication is not only a violent manifestation of feelings, but also the organization of a constructive search for a solution to a problem. Since interpersonal conflicts involve at least two people, we must talk about a group solution to the problem, which inevitably requires the cooperation of the participants in the interaction.

To correctly determine the essence of the conflict, its participants must agree on their ideas about the current situation and develop a specific strategy of behavior. Their actions will be step-by-step in nature and include the following components.

1. Definition of the main problem. At this stage, it is necessary to clearly understand the reason that led to the conflict. It is very important that opponents respect not only their own vision of the problem, but also that of their opponent.

2. Determining the secondary causes of the conflict. Often they are the reason for conflict, often obscuring the true cause and complicating analysis. Therefore, after understanding the main problem, it is advisable to analyze your own behavior to identify conflicting details.

3. Search for possible ways to resolve the conflict. It can be expressed, in particular, by the following questions that the parties to the conflict should ask themselves:

what can I do to resolve the conflict?
What can my partner do about this?
What are our common goals, in the name of which it is necessary to find a way out of the conflict?

1. Joint decision to exit the conflict. At this stage we are talking about choosing the most suitable method resolving a situation that causes mutual satisfaction between rivals

2. Implementation of the intended method of conflict resolution. Here it is very important for opponents, adhering to the intended strategy of action, not to provoke them with a thoughtless word? behavior, etc. each other have any doubts regarding the sincerity of previously expressed intentions to resolve the conflict

3. Assessing the effectiveness of efforts made to resolve the conflict. Based on it, either the problem is considered resolved, or a conclusion is made that it is necessary to continue working on it. In the second case, the sequence of actions described above is sometimes repeated.

It should be added that the movement of rivals towards resolving the conflict is impossible without the simultaneous action of such elements (factors) of this process as the adequacy of people’s perception of what is happening, the openness of their relations and the presence of an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation.

Efforts to resolve a conflict can be made not only by those involved in it, but also by people from the outside - mediators. The latter, by the way, often manage to do much more than the opposing sides.

To resolve a conflict situation, the presence of a mediator is extremely important. This gives its participants the opportunity, despite mutual concessions, to “save face.”

In such a case, a curious situation arises: if concessions are necessary, opponents make them, addressing not each other, but a third party. It is to her that a “favor” is done, as it were, in response to a corresponding request for a concession. Thus, often the psychological steps of the warring parties towards the mediator do not mean a concession to him, but a willingness to cooperate with him (and, consequently, with each other) in solving a common problem.

In the interests of the effective functioning of the organization, the leader should not be drawn into all sorts of intra-collective conflicts, accepting the point of view of one side or another. It makes the most sense to be “above the fray”, as a person interested in normalizing the interpersonal complications that have arisen and trying to influence the ongoing processes. The role of a mediator is best suited for this. In addition, the successful implementation of the mediation function will increase the authority of the manager, which is important in management activities.

Because of existing attitudes toward conflict as a negative phenomenon, most people believe that they cannot manage it and try to avoid it whenever possible. But the conflict is difficult to correct, especially if it has acquired destructive force. This must be remembered. And managers and employees must understand that conflict enriches life if you know how to manage it correctly.

Conflict forces employees to constantly communicate with each other and learn more about each other. Team members begin to understand their colleagues better, become more sensitive to the problems of other people, and more tolerant of their shortcomings.

Living and working together is not easy. You need to constantly learn this. Conflict, giving rise to disputes, tests both the team as a whole and each employee individually and can significantly help both in the process of analyzing the problem and making the right decision.

Feedback in communication

Typically, oral communication bidirectional. Each of its participants becomes initiator (speaking), That recipient (listening) transmitted information.

The activity of oral communication, effectiveness, and efficiency of interaction are largely determined by the how did you understand participants in communication with each other, how they reacted on the words and behavior of the interlocutor, what actions confirmed the correctness of perception in feedback. Feedback in a situation (act) of communication means the solution of communicative problems, implemented in the reactive (speech or non-speech) actions of the interlocutors.

To establish feedback in oral communication, it is necessary, firstly, attention to the interlocutor: understand not only his words, but also his behavior during communication (facial expressions, gaze, gesture, intonation, etc.); Secondly, constant self-control, the need to help your interlocutor understand you with your verbal and non-verbal behavior.

Without establishing feedback with the interlocutor, you can mistakenly assume that he accurately understood what was said, although in fact the effect is completely different. In such a situation it should help correct installation each to transmit and receive specific information. Types of listening, stages and levels of perception are included in the concept of “setting for interaction and mutual understanding.” Listening skills developed in real or simulated speech activities help improve the effectiveness of communication.

Depending on the goals of oral communication and the behavior of each communicant, unbiased, positive feedback or aggressive feedback with a negative connotation is possible. Types of Feedback correspond to the listener's reaction to the message and are divided as follows:

active listening- listening-empathy;
hearing-advice- listening with the purpose of giving advice and listening, implying the inclusion of replicas of advice in the reactive actions of the listener;
hearing-question- listening, the purpose of which is to check the speaker’s knowledge or obtain additional information for oneself by formulating questions to the speaker in internal speech;
listening-criticism- biased listening, which involves a discrepancy between the interlocutors’ points of view on the problem and the listener’s attempts to adjust the content of the message. Only those who are absolutely confident in their position and their knowledge can afford such a reaction in disputes, negotiations, and discussions.

From an early age, a person is “programmed” to respond in the following types: “question”, “answer”, “advice”. Gaining life experience, a person begins to react more subtly to what he hears, learns to empathize, and comprehend the points of view of other people. If, while listening, a person tries to show concern for the speaker and pays attention to the non-verbal signals emanating from him, he can be called an effective listener.

It is possible to predict or initiate feedback during verbal interaction, provided that each of the participants in communication uses means and mechanisms, skills and abilities of listening and speaking.

Let's name some ways to develop speaking and listening skills:

Speaking:

speak interestingly and intelligibly (taking into account the interests of the listeners);
convey to listeners only information that is useful to them;
correctly format speech works, arranging them in large compositional blocks (speeches, monologues, arguments) according to the principle: introduction, main part, conclusions (conclusion);
use speech means in accordance with the quantitative composition of the audience (interpersonal, intergroup, public communication);
use speech means that correspond to the functional style, situation, area of communication;
convey content using nonverbal cues;
analyze the feedback of listeners during the speaking process;
regulate the pace of speaking, taking into account the fact that oral speech is more difficult to perceive and understand than written speech;

Hearing:

find something useful for yourself in what you hear;
strive to “reveal the truth” through reactive speech actions;
focus on the main thing;
record the main provisions of the message in writing (synopsis, theses, supporting words, quotes, etc.);
refrain from giving advice and “sentences” until you seriously consider what has been said;
ask clarifying questions;
formulate conclusions in inner speech;
analyze the speaker’s nonverbal signals;
analyze and evaluate the content of the message, not the behavior of the speaker, etc.

Improving the quality of information received or reactive actions is facilitated by certain psychological characteristics of the participants in communication and the level of development of their communicative competence. Thus, a person who has better intuition, the ability to isolate the main information from what he hears, generalize and rank conclusions, establishes more effective feedback (which is manifested in answers to questions, requests for information, personal judgments, generalization of elements of subject content, non-verbal reactive actions, etc.). d.). Establishing feedback and helping clarifying questions, which the listener asks in the process of perceiving information: what exactly? when exactly? Why? This clarification is especially important if communication is accompanied by the “broken phone” effect.

The initiator of communication must anwser the questions listener. Not paying attention to a clarifying question means provoking misunderstanding or misunderstanding of your own words. In response to such questions, there is no need to repeat a large information block in detail. You can limit yourself to repeating a fact, figure, concept, definition. The micro-situation of clarification must be followed by perception control. The listener expresses complete understanding with the remarks: “Now it’s clear!”, “So,” etc.

The feedback effect is especially important in business communication, when a team of employees makes or develops common decisions. The reasons for ineffective business communication may be incompleteness of perceived information, poor memory of performers, poor structure of instructions or other messages, and inattention to interlocutors.

Table 1 allows us to better understand which psychological attitudes contribute to increasing the effectiveness of feedback.

Table 1.

Every person strives to better understand and be understood. However, both sides of communication are most often to blame for misunderstandings.

To achieve feedback, it is necessary to overcome a number of barriers and communication obstacles:

barriers to information transfer - unclear understanding of the subject of conversation by the initiator of communication, lack of logic in statements, articulation problems, voice timbre, intonation, etc. The processing of the message in the internal speech of the listener is the more successful, the better the speaker presents the subject of his statement in form and content. Difficulties in sending a message are most often associated with poor (inaccurate) wording of the content, incomplete statements, inaccuracy, and ambiguity of the facts presented. If the speaker fails to clearly and logically present the content of the problem or information, his words will not convince anyone of anything;
barriers to information perception - unpreparedness for a conversation on a given topic, lack of skills in comprehension, transformation, generalization of information blocks, underdevelopment of probabilistic forecasting mechanisms, poor memory, etc. Difficulties in receiving a message are usually due to the fact that the message is not fully understood or is incorrect because the listener did not ask for clarification; the message is misjudged due to the listener's bias towards the speaker; the message was received at the wrong time and therefore not seriously analyzed;
objective interference in communication - physiological interference (cold, heat, noise), psychological (mood, attitude towards the interlocutor, passion for another idea), as well as the lack of a common language of communication, unexpectedness of the message, etc. Barriers to communication can be irritation or anger, stress, a feeling of dissatisfaction, which provoke inattention, hasty conclusions, etc. Such personal attitudes of interlocutors are often insurmountable obstacles when establishing business contacts. To overcome the misunderstanding that arises, participants in communication can rely on the principles of mutual understanding: knowledge of a professional language or a common language (sometimes an intermediary language); the desire to get the most complete information; concentration on the main thing; taking into account the nature of the situation (dispute, controversy, conversation, discussion, negotiations);
self-control or control of the situation by the listener , carried out throughout the entire communication process and including several stages: control of the preparation of information for transmission; control of the completeness of information perception; control of the formulation of reactive speech statements in accordance with the type of feedback.

Among the control methods, the most popular is clarifying or leading questions, repeating words or statements.

Feedback works best when interlocutors demonstrate natural engagement and understanding of the message as a whole. A good way to mutual understanding is responsiveness to the needs of the interlocutor. Such responsiveness and readiness for empathy in real communication is expressed in the corresponding reactive remarks of the listener or in his retelling of what he heard with elements of his own analysis and evaluation.

A distorted perception and incorrect reaction are led to by: statements that are unclear in form and content and are offered for comprehension; lack of attention of the parties to the subject of the conversation.

To avoid mistakes when interacting with your interlocutor, it is advisable to ask yourself the following questions:

Do I understand the content and form of the speaker’s speech correctly?
Am I completely focused on the statement, or are my thoughts occupied with something else?
Am I careful about misinterpreting the statement?
Am I responding correctly to the speaker's emotions?

If barriers, obstacles, and dangers of misunderstanding are overcome in the process of active interaction, the information received (knowledge, definitions, instructions, explanations, etc.) will be more complete, and the feedback will be more effective.

If the conflict could not be foreseen or assessed the seriousness of the contradictions and prevented, and it still flared up, then the main task is to resolve it constructively, draw appropriate lessons from it and, if possible, even benefit.

First of all, do not try to deny the conflict, hush it up, or pretend that everything is in perfect order. The well-known ostrich pose will not benefit any of the conflicting parties. It can only postpone the settlement of the conflict for a while, but this will not make its resolution any easier. Most often the opposite happens. The longer measures are not taken to resolve the conflict, the more severe the retribution. Cases when a conflict resolves itself painlessly do occur, but very rarely.

Most common principles and rules of conflict resolution assume the following actions:

take control of emotions, realize the cause of anger or resentment;
understand the true causes of the conflict, realize what goals are pursued by the parties to the conflict;
listen carefully to your opponent and understand his position, ask him to state facts and arguments, not speculation;
establish a friendly tone of conversation;
localize the conflict, do not put forward several reasons at once, do not remember past grievances;
analyze the conflict point by point, trying not to convince the opponent (this is usually an unpromising matter), but to come to an agreement;
find commonality of views and interests, agree with what the opponent is right about;
if necessary, you can resort to the services of an “arbitrator” - an authoritative third party, i.e. intermediary.

We must also keep in mind that we should never hide the problem underlying the conflict. By presenting to your opponent the true cause of the conflict, you must thereby show sincere interest in resolving it. Every effort must also be made to ensure that this position is correctly understood by the opponent. At the same time, attention should not be focused on differences in the interests of the parties. The main thing is to find common interests and appeal to them. If possible, it is advisable to involve allies and refer to the fact that this point of view is shared by other members of the organization, especially if they are authoritative persons.

Conflict resolution styles

In modern conflictology there are five basic conflict resolution styles , which are based on a system called the Thomas-Kilmann method (developed by Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph X. Kilmann). The system allows you to create your own conflict resolution style for each person.

1. Competition style. A person using this style is very active and prefers to go about resolving conflicts in his own way. He is not very interested in cooperation with other people, but he is capable of strong-willed decisions. With this style, you try to first satisfy your own interests by forcing other people to accept your solution to the problem. This can be an effective style when you have a certain amount of power. You know that your decision or approach in a given situation is correct, and you have the opportunity to insist on it. But if this style is used in a situation in which you do not have enough power, for example, when your point of view differs from the boss's on some issue, you can get burned. This style is also recommended in cases where the solution you propose to the problem is of value to you. great importance; when you feel that you need to act quickly to implement it; and when you believe in victory because you have sufficient resources, will and power for this.
2. Evasion style. It is realized when you do not defend your rights, do not cooperate with anyone to develop a solution to the problem, but simply avoid resolving the conflict. You can use this style when the issue at hand is not that important to you, when you don't want to spend energy on solving it, or when you feel like you are in a hopeless situation. This style is also recommended in cases where you feel in the wrong or when your opponent has more power. This style is also suitable for cases when you feel that you do not have enough information to solve a specific problem.
3. Fixture style. It means that you act together with another person, without trying to defend your own interests. You can use this approach when the outcome of the case is extremely important to the other person and not very significant to you. This style is also useful in situations in which you cannot prevail because the other person has more power; thus, you give in and accept what your opponent wants. This style should also be used in cases where you feel that by giving a little you have little to lose. By giving in, agreeing, or sacrificing your interests in favor of another person, you can soften a conflict situation and restore harmony.
4. Collaborative style. With this style, you actively participate in conflict resolution and advocate for your own interests, but try to cooperate with the other person. This style requires more painstaking and time-consuming work than most other approaches to conflict by first laying all the cards on the table: the needs, concerns and interests of both parties, and then discussing them. If you have time and the solution to the problem is important enough to you, then this is a good way to find a mutually beneficial outcome and satisfy the interests of both parties. The collaborative style encourages each person to openly discuss their interests. However, to successfully use this style, it is necessary to spend some time searching for hidden reserves in order to develop a way to satisfy the true desires of both parties. Cooperation is the most difficult among other styles, but it is this style that allows us to develop the most satisfying solution to both parties in complex and important conflict situations.
5. Compromise style. Any compromise presupposes mutual concessions. This style is where you give in a little on your interests to satisfy them otherwise, and the other party does the same. You do this by exchanging concessions and bargaining to develop a compromise solution. Such actions may resemble cooperation to some extent. However, compromise is achieved at a more superficial level compared to cooperation. Compromise is the umbrella, and cooperation is the roof. The collaborative style is different in that when you use it, you try to develop long-term and sustainable solutions. Compromise is often a successful retreat or even the last opportunity to come to some kind of solution.

Among various conflict resolution methods The negotiation method is considered the most constructive. Negotiation – this is a joint discussion by the conflicting parties (with the possible involvement of a mediator) of controversial issues in order to reach agreement. According to famous American conflictologists R. Fisher and W. Urey, this method is characterized by four main rules.

1. Make a distinction between the negotiators and the subject of negotiations, “separate the person from the problem.” Criticism of the personal qualities of negotiators only aggravates the conflict or, at least, does not contribute to the search for ways to resolve it.
2. Focus on interests , and not in positions. Opponents can hide the true goals of their positions and, even more so, their interests. Meanwhile, conflicting positions are always based on interests. Therefore, instead of arguing about positions, we need to explore the interests that determine them.
3. Develop mutually beneficial options. An interest-based arrangement facilitates the search for a mutually beneficial solution by exploring options that satisfy both parties. In this case, the dialogue becomes a discussion with the orientation - “we are against the problem”, and not “me against you”.
4. Find objective criteria. Consent as the goal of negotiations should be based on criteria that would be neutral with respect to the interests of the conflicting parties. Only then will the agreement be fair, stable and lasting. If the criteria are subjective, i.e. are not neutral towards either party, the other party will feel disadvantaged, and therefore the agreement will be perceived as unfair.

Widespread and quite effective way conflict resolution is the delegation of the right to solve a problem intermediary - "arbitrator". Here the third party, the intermediary, plays a key role. The head of an organization, due to his status, often has to act as such a mediator in resolving conflicts. In this case for successful resolution conflict, he should keep in mind some basic principles of mediation:

the mediator must enjoy authority among all parties to the conflict;
the dispute should not be allowed to move into the area of personal relationships, as this will lead the dispute far astray;
it is necessary to maintain good and equal relations with both parties to the conflict;
the mediator should take responsibility only for the process of solving the problem, and not for the essence of the solution found;
Avoid making any assessments related to the essence of the problem, as this may cause a negative reaction from the parties to the conflict.

In this regard, the question of how behave in conflict with people who are difficult to communicate with. Both in the case of mediation and in the process of business communication in general, there are people who are difficult to communicate with. In a conflict situation, they pose a particular difficulty in resolving it. It can be difficult to find a “common language” with them, since they either “know everything” themselves or are constantly looking for a reason to argue, regardless of the problem and the degree of its importance. Anita and Klaus Bischoff offer some tips on how a mediator can best deal with difficult conflict participants.

Argumentative. Listen to him calmly and respond to the point. When asking provocative questions, do not get involved in an argument, but forward them to other meeting participants.
Know-it-all. It will be possible to include him in the work of the group if he is constantly asked to express his opinion and attitude to the problem.
Timid. You need to praise him, ask him easy questions from time to time. This will strengthen his self-esteem. But you can’t overdo it, otherwise he will hide back into his shell.
Thick-skinned. He is indifferent; to engage him in conversation, it is advisable to ask about the range of his work responsibilities or interests.
Proud man. We must handle him carefully, as he is sensitive to criticism.
Talker. He must be limited in time for performance. For example, the three-minute rule is very suitable for this: everyone has the right to speak for only three minutes.
Silent. Some participants initially wait a long time before taking the floor. This may have various reasons: restraint, uncertainty, conceit, etc. We need to find out the strengths of this participant and include him in the overall work.
A simple talker. He just likes to talk for a long time. You should tactfully interrupt him and ask him to quickly say the most important thing, since there is little time left.

Cm.: Fisher R„ Yuri U. The path to agreement, or negotiations without defeat. M., 1992.
Cm.: Bischof A., Bischof K. Secrets of effective business communication. M.: Omega-L, 2012.