Conflict Resolution

Define and Describe the Competency

When people interact in a group, it is inherent that conflict will arise.  Conflict is a normal occurrence and is not exclusive to a professional environment, it happens in all avenues of life such as in communities, families, and everywhere that humans interact with each other.  It can also take many different forms, outright arguments, passive-aggressive behaviors, and avoidance, to name a few.  Conflict often develops when people place assumptions on other people’s viewpoints and needs or they place a priority over their own needs and values.  Conflict resolution is the practice of resolving conflict between two or more parties.  While there is no singular method of resolving conflict, a leader can take different approaches and strategies to resolve or even transform the conflict to create a greater understanding and stronger relationships than before (Understanding Conflict, 2024).

Contribution to Leadership Ability

Because conflict is inherent when people are in contact with each other, it is imperative that leaders learn not only how to manage conflict, but how to transform the conflict into something positive.  When a leader is able to go beyond managing conflict within a team, they can better address the root causes of the conflict and utilize the conflict to create positive change in the situation.  Some of the methods and techniques I have learned while at ASU are Spitting Out the Hook, H.E.A.R., and Burn Clean.  These methods vary in their approach but share the goal of transforming the conflict into a positive relationship with better understanding of the situation and the other parties.  I have personally used these on several occasions and each time, the parties have walked about with a better understanding and appreciation of each other. 

Importance Towards Organizational Leadership

Conflict resolution or conflict transformation are essential competencies for Organizational Leadership.  Disagreements, both professional and personal, occur every day in our lives.  Hopefully, the conflict is minor, and the affected parties can come to a simple agreement or understanding.  But oftentimes, conflicts can spiral out of control and affect the organization or project.  This is when the leaders of the organization need to step in to resolve or transform the conflict.  Without a firm grasp on this skill, conflicts can lead to outright failure or worse.

Demonstrating My Growth and Development

In my personal and professional life, I had always thought of conflict as a problem to be avoided at all costs.  When a team or team member showed any signs of conflict, it was a sign of poor leadership or systemic issues of failure of leadership.  However, through this degree program and specific courses, I have come to reconceptualize conflict as a natural occurrence that when present, can lead to transformative benefits for the involved parties and the team at large.  Conflict can be uncomfortable or even unpleasant, but positive change and stronger bonds can be a result of effective conflict management or conflict transformation.

Conflict Resolution Artifact

Conflict management and conflict transformation is a skill that needs to be practiced and developed over time, just like any other skill.  Practicing a skill such as conflict resolution is not necessarily an easy task.  Seeking out conflict is not an advisable method for training nor is bringing up past conflict.  We can strive to learn more about the skill through the study of different methodologies as well as our personal reflections of their use, and how they might have been applied in the past.  Below is my own reflection on various conflict resolution tools.

Reference

Understanding Conflict / Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution [OCDR]. (2024). Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution [OCDR]. https://mn.gov/admin/ocdr/toolkit/understanding-conflict/