Running head REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES 1 Reflection of Experiences HRM323 REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES 2 Reflection of Experiences A company has hired a new human resources specialist for its human resources department This person Jim is the go to person for resolving conflicts before they escalate in the workplace and making recommendations to management on how to avoid serious workplace conflicts Conflict involves competition between two or more individuals or groups who have incompatible interests and who are interdependent Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 6 Meeting the interest and needs of all parties involved in conflict and focusing on collaborative problem solving are two methods that can be used to resolve the conflict situations Workplace conflict cannot be eliminated but can be reduced Goodwin and Griffith 2007 state to prevent conflict in the workplace one must create conditions in which employee s needs for a safe supportive and accepting work environment are met and where they can pursue meaningful work Jim the human resources specialist believes that he needs more knowledge of conflict resolution before he can be effective in his new position He goes to see an instructor for advice on how to become a more effective human resources specialist he takes notes during this meeting In this paper the roles involved in Jim s lessons will be compared and contrasted The skills required as they relate to each role behaviors traits and characteristics of an effective conflict manager and the significance of each role will be discussed Power based rights based and interest based approaches to conflict management will also be discussed Compare and Contrast Tasks Concerning conflict management the manager needs to take off his or her decision maker hat resist the temptation to exert undue influence and accept the challenge of ensuring a process that is fair objective and balanced Goodwin Griffith 2007 As a conflict manager there can be many tasks involved to handle conflict Comparing and contrasting the tasks REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES 3 involved in each role of a conflict manager will give the manager a better understanding of how things were handled previously and the outcome Each role such as encouraging negotiating and involvement can help the conflict manager achieve a positive outcome in a resolution A conflict manager possess the ability to identify the issue probe further into details encourage communication and facilitate an outcome that is acceptable to both parties involved in the conflict Skill Requirements As a conflict manager it will help to model his or her behavior traits and characteristics after those who have been effective at managing conflict Skills that would be imperative for a conflict manager are openness self awareness persistence consideration of others critical reasoning and integrity Goodwin Griffith 2007 The skills will allow the conflict manager to achieve the collaboration solutions Goodwin Griffith 2007 The conflict manager needs to put aside his or her own behaviors judgments and maintain focus so as to keep from coming across as partial to either employee involved in the mediation of the conflict The conflict manager needs to make each party involved comfortable to speak his or her parts of the conflict One must be confident in the position and organized along with persistence helps one realize resolutions beneficial to both parties The one thing a conflict manager needs to be aware of is to have a win lose mind set This will keep parties from participating so the conflict manager needs to show concern for both parties which will allow more sharing of information A manager involved in conflict managing needs to practice the skills required so that eventually he or she will be a master at handling conflict situations Behaviors Traits and Characteristics REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES 4 The behaviors traits and characteristics of an individual reflect on his or her ability to be an effective conflict manager Goodwin and Griffith state that the six categories that behaviors traits and characteristics fall under are openness self awareness persistence consideration of others critical reasoning and integrity 2007 p 309 An effective conflict manager must understand and incorporate each of these behaviors traits and characteristics categories Openness shows in a manager who is flexible creative and willing to explore options Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 310 Self awareness means the manager must acknowledge his or her own attitudes and behaviors that could affect his or her own ability to manage the problem Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 310 Persistence shows a manager that is patient persuasive determined and thick skinned Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 311 It shows an unwillingness to give up and a dedication to find the best possible solution Consideration of others reflects that the manager is respectful and concerned with finding a solution Showing consideration of others expresses trust empathy and sensitivity to the issue Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 312 Critical reasoning is important because it allows the conflict manager to determine if the proposed solution is fair and solves the conflict Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 313 A critical thinker must be analytical rational objective critical consistent and wise Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 313 Integrity is important in a conflict manager because the parties involved must trust the manager to be fair trustworthy qualified honest and principled Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 313 4 The parties must believe that the conflict manager is a true and honorable individual who can be entrusted to manage the conflict Significance of Skills to Success Each skill is significant to the success of each role because they work together to ensure effective management style If one skill is not in place it does not mean that the management REFLECTION OF EXPERIENCES 5 would be unsuccessful however there would be occurrences where the outcome will be less than desirable A conflict manager who possesses the skill of being open will have the trust of his or her staff Trust is extremely important to staff especially when there is a conflict at hand The staff must be sure that the manager will treat him or her fairly during the process The skills of self awareness allow the conflict manager to avoid being bias If a conflict manager is dealing with a staff member that they have an outside relationship with he or she may be tempted to view this situation with a certain slant