How to Foster Health Conflict

Research shows that leaders spend up to one-third of their time resolving conflicts.

1. What is conflict?
   • Disagreement between two or more people.
2. What is conflict resolution?
   • Resolution does not mean win or lose. It means successful reconciliation. Life is about success, not perfection.
3. What is healthy conflict?
   • Disagreement that results in better decision-making and ideal outcomes.
4. What gets in the way of healthy conflict?
   • People ‘play nice’ and tend to avoid or settle too quickly to preserve relationships instead of disagreeing and doing what’s best for the business
   • People focus on judgement and win or lose versus the language of agreement
5. What is your role as a leader in conflict management?
   • To foster healthy conflict.
6. How can you foster healthy conflict?
   • Be an exemplar for adjusting your conflict resolution behaviour during conflict situations.
7. What are the five types of conflict resolution approaches? (Thomas-Kilman)
   • Competing: You want to win. You satisfy your own concerns at the expense of others.
   • Accomodating: You let the other person win. You sacrifice your own concerns in favour of the other person.
   • Avoiding: You don’t engage in the conflict.
   • Collaborating: You look for win-win. You try to find a position that would fully satisfy your own and the other’s concerns.
   • Compromising: There is no clear winner or loser. There are gains and losses for each person. Strive for success not perfection.