- Remain Calm
Remaining calm
in situations of high emotion is difficult and requires some
knowledge of human reactions as well as training and
experience.
- Timing / Location &
Privacy
As a supervisor
or manager you may not be able to control the time or location
of employee outbursts however, you will need to regain control
of the environment if you are to be effective in the
management and resolution of the situation.
- Do Not Become Argumentative
For the
inexperienced the first reaction to conflict is to go on the
offensive. For management personnel this is exactly the
opposite to what you need to do for successful resolution of
the situation.
- Listen Actively
Rather than
jump into the situation with your opinion or attempt to
overpower the aggressor of the conflict, it is much better to
listen to what is being said. Try to listen actively—show
interest—and avoid developing your response while the issue
is being aired.
- Seek Clarification
To get control
of the situation you need to not only understand the issues
but show some empathy to the aggressor. An example
of what you might say is, "What you just said is not
clear to me………could you please rephrase that?"
Getting the
person to repeat their comments allows you to become more
familiar with the issue and begins to put you in control of
the situation.
- Paraphrase
By showing
interest in understanding the issue—the aggression will
begin to diffuse. You may wish to paraphrase the circumstances
being explained by saying, "If
I understand correctly, you mean………"
- Summarize
By the time you
get to his point the aggressor should understand that you care
about him/her and have some understanding of the issue being
raised. You could say, "What
has been discussed up to this point is……………"
The situation
can be turned around from what started as argumentative into
what now could be considered a discussion—searching for
resolution.
- Non Threatening Body Language
Not only should
you avoid any physical contact with the aggressor but you must
emanate positive body language. If the individual in conflict
has the impression, from your body language, that you are
indifferent to the situation—the aggressor will only become
more aggravated. Your words, actions and body language must
correspond and send a positive and consistent message.
- Set An Appointment
If the timing,
location or environment is wrong for successful conflict
management some of your considerations should include: listen
attentively and show interest but at your first reasonable
opportunity indicate the situation needs your undivided
attention and you will need to set some time aside so you are
able to clearly understand the matter. Set an appointment for
a time that is convenient for both of you—at a more suitable
location and environment.
- Facilitator
If the conflict
is of a personal nature an individual so involved should be
advised to avoid situations that could make matters worse.
Very little is accomplished during high levels of
agitation--where emotion, not logic, prevails. As
a reminder - inform the person they could go from a
position of being in the right to a position of misbehavior.
Put some time and space between themselves and the conflict -
as an alternative to personal involvement it may be beneficial
to get someone in authority to facilitate on their behalf -
someone such as a supervisor, human resources professional,
human rights coordinator or union representative.
