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Britain's biggest union Unite warned that the government’s Trade Union bill will usher in a new era of “divisive industrial relations".
Unite said that the bill, which will demand a 50% vote threshold for strike ballots, would tilt power towards the rich and big business in an increasingly unequal Britain.
In response, human rights groups Liberty and Amnesty International said the bill undermines civil liberties. Unite is also deeply concerned that the government’s proposals – which have been slammed as ‘not fit for purpose’ will contaminate decades of work to improve industrial relations, forcing employers and trade unions into longer, more bitter disputes. Even the former business secretary Vince Cable says the government’s crackdown on unions is ‘provocative, highly ideological and has no evidence base at all.’
Conflict happens everywhere – between friends, in the workplace, around the meeting table. The good news is that it doesn’t have to damage relationships or business deals.
Knowing how to resolve conflict, wherever it happens, creates confidence and eases stress. Conflict resolution in the business world can mean the difference between good business and no business.
These 5 Top Tips highlight key steps to resolving conflict:-
1. Be prepared
Care enough about your own well-being, your relationships with co-workers and your company, to talk about what is bothering you at work. Don’t take it home or store it away, ignoring something doesn’t make it go away.
Start preparing to resolve conflict by checking your own behaviour. What are your hot buttons? Have they been pushed? How have you handled the situation so far? What is your own responsibility in the matter?
Own up: take responsibility for your part in the conflict. Do a little soul searching, a little self-examination before taking it out on the other party. Then plan what you want to say.
2. Private, neutral place
Talking about conflict has almost no chance of succeeding when it’s carried out in public. Nobody wants to be embarrassed in front of peers or made an example of in public. Your goal is to eliminate the tension created by conflict. Privacy will help you.
Neutral places are best. However, if you need to emphasise your authority over a direct report, a manager’s office may be appropriate. A manager’s office is also acceptable if there is no other private place to meet.
Try to make the office as neutral as possible by sitting so that there is no table or other obstruction between you and the other person, if possible. This removes physical barriers to open communication.
3. Share your feelings
Nine times out of ten, the real conflict is about feelings not facts. You can argue about facts all day, but everyone has a right to his or her own feelings, and caring about others is key to talking about conflict.
Remember that anger is a secondary emotion. It almost always arises from fear.
It’s critical to use the “I” statements. So instead of saying, “You make me feel so angry,” try something like, “I feel really frustrated when you…” And remember to talk about behaviours NOT personality.
4. Find a solution together
Ask the other person for his or her ideas for solving the problem. The person is responsible for his or her own behaviour and has the ability to change it. Resolving conflict is not about changing another person – change is up to each individual.
Know how you want the situation to be different in the future. If you have ideas the other person doesn’t mention, suggest them only after the person has shared all of his or her ideas.
Discuss each one in the following way:-
- What’s involved?
- Does the person need your help?
- Does the idea involve other people who should be consulted?
Using the other person’s ideas first, especially with direct reports, will increase personal commitment on his or her part. If an idea can’t be used for some reason, explain why.
5. Agree a plan of action
Say what you will do differently in the future and ask the other person to verbalise his or her commitment to change in the future.
With direct reports, know what goals you want to set with the employee and how and when you will measure its progress. It’s important that the person articulates what will change in a specific manner. Set a follow-up date with direct reports and explain future consequences for failure to change, if appropriate.
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