untitled

detriment. Others will do almost anything

to avoid conflict. Still others are always ready

to compromise. Strategies that are guided by

our personal feelings rather than the specifics

of the situation are often dysfunctional. The

key to effective conflict management is learn-

ing to use the appropriate strategy for each

situation. The choice is determined by the

substance of the conflict, the time available

to resolve it and the relationship between

the parties.

Managing Conflict

The first rule in managing conflict is to ascer-

tain that an actual conflict exists. There are

many situations where incomplete informa-

tion, misunderstanding, or unwarranted

assumptions create an apparent conflict

when the parties involved do not actually

have incompatible or opposing interests.

Whenever you encounter what appears to be

a conflict, the first response should be to clar-

ify your position and that of the other party.

It may become clear that no conflict exists. If

you do determine that an actual conflict

exists, you may have gained enough informa-

tion to make a deliberate choice of strategies.

When to Compete.The “I win/you lose”

approach is not the exclusive province of

competitive sports and games. There are

times when you must insist on having it your

way: when quick, decisive action is vital and

the decision is yours to make; when enforcing

unpopular rules; and when you know you

are right. Using this approach, especially if

there is little time for discussion, may dam-

age your relationship with the other party. If

this is your primary method of resolving con-

flict you may be perceived as dogmatic,

unreasonable and inflexible. Sometimes you

may be forced to use this approach to protect

against people who take advantage of non-

competitive behavior.

When to Accommodate.Giving in grace-

fully may be the right thing to do when your

relationship with the other party is more

important than the conflict at hand.

Accommodating can be used to preserve

harmony or to build up social credit for later

issues. Managers or teachers may use this

approach to aid in the development of subor-

dinates or students. You may choose

to accede to someone else’s wishes to show

that you are reasonable and can learn from

others. If you recognize that you are out-

matched and losing, accommodating may be

prudent. Most of us have had the experience

of realizing, in the midst of an argument, that

Incomplete information,

misunderstanding, or

unwarranted assumptions

create an apparent conflict when

the parties involved do not

actually have incompatible or

opposing interests.

CHAPTER 1 • THE LAB COMMUNITY 117

We have a tendency to default

to whichever strategy reflects

our emotions or personality.

Giving in gracefully may be the

right thing to do when your

relationship with the other party

is more important than the

conflict at hand.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY