Want collaboration? Accept and Actively manage conflict.

Jeff weiss and jonathan hughes

Conflict Management
Managers can get effective collaboration when they realize that conflict is natural and necessary. How do you get people in your organization to work together across internal boundaries.

Why?
Global environment Turbulent environment Multinational organizations Geographic boundaries Different priorities, incentives and ways of doing things. Faster internal decision making, reduced cost through shared resources and development of more innovative products.

problem
Focus on symptoms rather than the root cause of failures in cooperations.

Strategies for conflict management

Managing disagreements at the point of conflict. Managing conflict upon escalation up the management chain.

Managing disagreements at the point of conflict.

Devise and implement a common method for resolving conflict. Provide people with criteria for making trade-offs.

Three myths of teaming

Effective collaboration means ³teaming´ An effective incentive system will ensure collaboration. Organizations can be structured for collaboration.

Managing conflict upon escalation up the management chain.

Establish and enforce a requirement of joint escalation. Ensure that managers resolve escalated conflicts directly with their counterparts. Make the process for escalated conflict resolution transparent.