Sustaining Business Newsletter

Conflict Isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing
By Jennifer S. Hendrickson

There is an African Proverb that states “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.”  This is also true in business.  We must challenge ideas, conventional wisdom and those around us if we are to continually improve our business practices and evolve into better leaders.

When faced with any conflict, including business conflicts, we must choose one of five different actions:

Avoid:  Avoiding the conflict entirely is nearly always an option; however, by doing this we indicate that we are not concerned about the issue at hand or how the outcome will affect our relationships with other people involved. 

Accommodate:  When we don’t argue our own point but rather accept the other point of view, we are stating that “winning” the conflict is secondary to maintaining the relationship.  We’d rather not put up a fight and risk ruining the relationship.

Compromise:  When we elect to compromise in a conflict we are indicating that this issue is mildly important, as is the relationship with the other person.  Neither side truly gets exactly what they want nor does either side really “lose”.

Compete:  When we choose to compete with the other party, we are stating that the issue is of the utmost importance and our relationship is worth risking in order to win the conflict.

Collaborate:  By choosing to collaborate, we are determined to find a way to protect both the issue at hand and the relationship with the other party.

Some of the best negotiators are those who learn how to collaborate when faced with conflict.  To do this successfully we must learn to ask questions about the needs, desires and interests of the other party.  When we find out why they feel the way they do about the issue, we might be able to structure an acceptable alternative where both sides “win”.