ICLD 2.6 Conflict Management: Discussion Board

13 Comments

• Hello everyone,

  I recently went through the Conflict Management Module by Nash (2017), and it was insightful. One of the things I learned from the module is that conflict is an inevitable part of life, and when managed effectively, it can lead to positive change and growth.

  The module offered several conflict management strategies, including collaboration, compromise, and competition. The collaboration strategy was fascinating as it involved working with the other party to find a mutually beneficial solution. This approach encourages open communication and helps build trust, which can lead to long-term positive relationships.

  Another important lesson I learned from the module is the importance of active listening. It is essential to fully understand the other party’s perspective before attempting to resolve a conflict. This involves listening attentively, asking questions, and paraphrasing to ensure you understand their viewpoint.

  Overall, the Conflict Management Module was an excellent resource for learning how to manage conflicts effectively. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their conflict resolution skills.

• This module discussed conflict management, which according to instructor Ray Nash is a key component of accomplishing the law enforcement mission. The nature of police work can be very challenging and the need for their leadership to manage conflict, both internally and externally, is an inevitable and necessary part of the job. Sometimes natural instincts or personal experience can be useful to help manage conflict, learning about the different types of conflict and the truths about conflict will be extremely helpful. The attitudes and the steps for a path to restoration provide a focused approach to conflict management.

• This was an excellent lesson with a lot of good characteristics identified and strategies on how to manage conflict. Identifying the different attitudes surrounding conflict (independent, wounded, bitter, rebellious, and unrestored) was very valuable information. I think we can all reflect on people we have worked with that have met one of these attitudes at a time or another during our careers. With this information, we can identify the attitude or stage someone is at and then select the best resolution accordingly. It’s very important to recognize the basis or intent of the attitude because some can be addressed easier than others and some are more poisonous to a workplace than others. There is hope in restoration for all of these attitudes except unrestored. People that have reached this level are best to be removed swiftly (if possible) from an agency because it can sour even good people overtime.

  I thought the conflict management theory was a great one. I’ve never heard of this and personally never been involved in this strategy, but I have a feeling it would be effective 9/10 times. Obviously this needs to be approached in the correct way, but by getting each party to take some of the blame, admit their fault, and ask for forgiveness, it is hard to be ignored. Both parties will feel better leaving there knowing at the very least the other person took some responsibility for the incident. By resolving the conflict, that relationship can be restored and the agency will benefit because focus can go back to the mission at hand.

  • I agree that restoring relationships benefits an agency so they can refocus their efforts to the mission. Too often time is wasted while disputes get in the way of the job. By taking this focused approach to conflict management leaders can hopefully transform that negative energy into something more positive and productive.

    • The first thing that jumped out at me was Maxim #1, Most law enforcement stress comes from inside the organization. Not sure about everyone else’s departments but in my experience that is 100% true, and that’s sad as i work in a jail. The staff are usually the issue whether union issues, conflicts with other staff members or supervisors not getting along or getting in trouble outside of work. That is one of the things we emphasize when training new supervisors is that you need to get to know your people on your shift and if you can get ahead of any trouble it will make your job much less stressful.

  • Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the lesson. I agree with you that identifying different attitudes surrounding conflict and selecting the best resolution accordingly is a valuable tool for managing conflicts in the workplace. It’s essential to recognize the basis or intent of the attitude, as some can be addressed more quickly than others. The conflict management theory you mentioned sounds like a great strategy as it involves both parties taking responsibility for the incident and resolving the conflict, which can ultimately restore the relationship and benefit the agency. Thanks for sharing your insights!

• I see that throughout this career, there will be a point that everyone will be at a point of conflict. This can come from a variety of things such as not being selected for a position, other co-workers not handling their portion of duties, or having a perceived conflict that escalates. Those conflicts can place that individual in a certain state of the attitude hierarchy, but depending on how it is handled by leadership/supervision, it can make or break them. That subject could have a better chance to returning to a positive and productive member if that conflict management strategy is utilized effectively.

  • I think conflict happens regularly in our personal lives and in the workplace. Just as you said, it could be because partners aren’t holding their weight (expectations) or management not treating staff equally (emotions/perception). I think one major situation such as being passed over for a promotion or a series of little ones over and over, or just the character/personality of person will dictate how they respond to conflict and if/where they end up on the attitude hierarchy. Leaders ability to manage those conflicts and help resolve issues faster so they don’t fester up to become bigger and bigger issues is of great importance. No agency wants to end up with an employee who has unrestored spirit. They can ruin an agency or unit faster than even bad leaders can. Leadership’s ability to handle conflict head on and resolve it will have a happier and healthier workplace culture.

• People are hard headed when it comes to owning up or apologizing to their own mistakes which can be frustrating. I know some people will shut down or bury themselves in lies rather than apologizing for what they did wrong. When working in team settings its always best when we are all on the same page and can communicate well with others.

  • I have to agree that owning up to one’s mistakes and apologizing when they were wrong is very important to effective communication. Some people may not want to admit when they are wrong because they don’t want to be viewed as incompetent or that if they were wrong that they are flawed. The truth is that it is a flaw if they don’t admit they were wrong, it takes more courage to admit when you made a mistake and to apologize when you did something wrong. No one is perfect we just need to be able to communicate efficiently when we were in the wrong.

• I was intrigued by the conflict management strategy that was discussed in this section. I can see how this would be a very beneficial strategy in an individual’s personal and professional life. When there is a disagreement each party is responsible in some way even if it comes down to miscommunication, so by each person taking some part of ownership of the conflict then both individuals will feel like they are being heard and their feelings are being taken into account. It can be hard for individuals to apologize so by asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness to another individual this is a huge step (Nash, 2017). I wish I would have had this technique a year ago when the tension in my office could be cut with a knife. Members were holding onto issues from years prior and if I could have tried this strategy we may have been able to move past issues and work as a team.
  Reference
  Nash, R. (2017). Conflict management. 2.6, Week # 7. National Command and Staff College. Retrieved from
  https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6/ConflictManagementb41ca549-f730-4379-9a10-89bede54833a/2/index_lms.html

  • I agree that this is a positive means that could in essence help both parties get past their differences effectively in order to move forward. If there is the ability to accept a portion of the fault, then there can be progress. If either or both sides are not willing to accept any fault, there would not likely be a positive resolution.

• I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system.