Professional & Management – Page 114 – STL

Identifying Conflict

Conflict in business is simply unavoidable. Disagreement over actions, a clash of perspectives and opposing visions can result in problems between people. Some reactions may be inappropriate, while others seem justified. When it comes to effective communication, a professional’s ability to manage conflicts is one of the most challenging and rewarding skills there is. Dealing with, and understanding the source and outcome of conflict, is where knowledge becomes the key.

There are three types of conflicts

Inner
Interpersonal
Group

Inner conflict

Difficult to recognise and difficult to live with. This could occur from a lack of life-work balance. Those small emergencies which can spring up and soak away your family-time. Or it could be from a disagreement with a senior who has a view or an objective you don’t understand. Maybe you have a direction suddenly offered to you and it conflicts heavily with your ambitions? Inner conflicts typically challenge integrity, values and ethics. The reactions can be widely diverse and extreme.

Interpersonal conflict

Between two or more people where differences are brought to the surface. These differences can be in the way individuals communicate, their tone of voice and attitude, or their need for decision or compliance. The most prevalent areas which incite conflict are prejudice and bias, stubbornness (either perceived or established), sensitivity, and differences in perception, facts, goals and methods.

Sometimes there are underlying issues or a history of resentment which may surface when one of these catalysts are activated. People from different countries can harbour deep feelings based on political, religious and ideological views. It is therefore important to understand the true source of conflict and not be misled by assumption-on-the-apparent.

Group conflict

Personality, culture and values can clash. Workplace policies and practices, resource competition and an inadequate reward system may also be responsible for conflict, especially if unfair treatment is perceived. Polarisation occurs when two or more take a united stance which clashes with another’s view. This is how the union movement was established, and shows that we shouldn’t assume all conflicts are bad. It is important to note that the area most affected will be the breakdown of trust, so this is where your efforts must be focused.

Resolving conflict in 5 steps

1) Remove all masks and encourage participants to be sincere and committed to turning the problem into an opportunity.

2) Identify the problem and allow each person to:

state their position
their needs
their assumptions

Trust building should be the goal of the discussion.

3) Clearly state a win/win only position and ask for options. If someone is keen to block and be stubborn this is where they will announce their intentions. Ensure all participants agree that it is win/win at all costs.

4) Allow participants to openly consider and evaluate all options tabled. There is a clear opportunity here to show each other respect, so any criticism should be avoided at all costs.

5) It is about building the relationship. The resolution of the conflict should strengthen the relationship and not weaken it.

Conflict resolution requires you to be a highly efficient, productive and performance-based leader. It is about rising to the challenge to unite others – the question is, do you have what it takes?

Planning your presentation

If You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail! The success or failure of a presentation is determined long before you walk into the venue and engage the audience.

Let’s consider how you can plan your presentation effectively, making it as relevant, concise and targeted for your audience as possible.

If you struggle with planning, it’s really all about the 6 essential planning questions: why, who, what, where, when and how? If you can answer these in relation to your presentation, you have a plan.

Why?

Let’s start here. Why are you delivering the presentation – what’s your goal or objective? What are you trying to achieve? You need to know this. Presentations usually have one of two purposes – they’re either informative or persuasive. You’re telling or you’re selling. In fact, you’re always selling. You’re selling you. And if the audience buy you, they’ll buy what you’re saying!

If you’re telling, the aim could be to inform, update, advise, explain, clarify, teach, thank or congratulate the audience members. If you’re selling, the goal is to influence and persuade, to gain their willing buy-in and cooperation for whatever you are selling. This might be a product or service, or a new system or process, or way of thinking. Make sure you are clear regarding the purpose of your presentation.

Who?

It’s time to KYA – know your audience! Another vital part of the planning process. What would be useful to know about them?

How many people will you be presenting to? Useful to know for room logistics and will help your nerves.
Who are they? Colleagues, customers or suppliers? Levels of knowledge regarding the topic will vary greatly. Don’t tell them what they already know, or don’t need to know.
Consider age and status within the company – will you use a formal or more informal delivery style?
Have you presented to this audience before, and how did it go? Was it well received? Did you listen to the feedback and act on it?

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What?

This question is all about the content of your presentation. What will you cover? You want the content to be relevant and targeted to your audience, so it’s time to use the following equation: why + who = what!

You know why you are presenting and to whom. This will help you to determine what to include. Some presenters focus too much on the ‘what’ question, without considering ‘why’ and ‘who’. They brainstorm potential content and end up with far too much information. Then you have the difficult decision of what to leave out.

Where?

This is about venue considerations. Do your homework – what can you find out about the room? Factors include the size, shape and layout, location, accessibility, resources available (projector, flip-chart?), lighting, heating and refreshments. Find out what you can prior to presenting – it’s one less thing to worry about.

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When?

When are you presenting? The morning is better, because after lunch the audience could be experiencing a post-lunch slump. Also, in your introduction, let them know about timings and breaks.

How?

Finally, think about how you’re going to deliver the presentation. This includes your delivery style, formal or informal, what you’re going to wear, and any resources needed. These could include visual aids, slide clicker or laser pointer, handouts or a microphone.

Conclusion

Some people struggle with planning a presentation, but it really is worth doing in terms of the impact it can make. Can you answer the ‘why, who, what, where, when and how’ questions? Remember, proper planning and preparation prevents poor presentation performance!