Recruitment and retention
is a problem for employers throughout the country. Kathryn Tyler's
article addresses one aspect of retention over which employers
have a certain amount of control: conflict resolution and the
implementation of conflict resolution concepts in an organization.
These programs can improve employee morale,
increase productivity, and decrease absenteeism. Effective conflict
resolution programs can also increase retention. Daniel Dana,
president of Mediation Training Institute International, a conflict
management trainer in Prairie Village, Kansas, says that unmanaged
employee conflict is the largest reducible cost in organizations
today, although it is most likely the least recognized. He points
out that, "Exit interviews reveal that chronic unresolved
conflict acts as a decisive factor in at least 50 percent of
all voluntary departures." In addition, commitment to such
techniques can defuse problems before they escalate to lawsuits.
Conflict resolution by definition refers
to, "...the process by which people with opposing positions
on issues arrive at mutually acceptable solutions through collaborative
problem solving," says Richard Hart, director of Pro Active
Resolutions, a conflict resolution service company in International
Falls, Minnesota. He states that conflict resolution training
falls into two categories: first, training people to effectively
settle their differences; and second, training people to act
as neutral third parties in helping others achieve collaborative
resolutions.
According to Tyler, the training program
must begin by examining why conflict exists. Tyler quotes
Cynthia Stotlar, SPHR, the president of Creative Business Solutions
in Topeka, Kansas. "Conflict is normal and can be a positive
process to facilitate change." She points out that some
industries are more prone to tension than others. In health care,
where there are more gaps in the employees' levels of education,
those with more education may be condescending towards others
with less formal education. Manufacturing is another area in
which frequent conflicts arise, as sales sometimes promises more
than production can provide, and research and development may
promote changes which they cannot implement.
The author points out that teaching employees
how to communicate better is an important element of this training.
They must learn how to clearly state their needs, and must be
taught how to actively listen, e.g., make eye contact, lean toward
the speaker, and nod.
A final phase of an effective program requires
that participants learn to draw up contracts. Such documents
represent agreements with respect to each person's roles and
responsibilities as determined by the conflict resolution process,
as well as a list the consequences in the event someone does
not fulfill those expectations.
In truth, conflict resolution as a decision
making tool among colleagues is the equivalent of such concepts
as "Win/Win"
negotiations. The process requires participants to first
define the nature of the problem, then collect relevant information
to help identify solutions, and finally to choose the one alternative
that is most likely to resolve the problem. People using such
techniques not only make more acceptable decisions, they make
better decisions.