integrated conflict management systems ( icms...

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SYSTEMISING THE WAY WE MANAGE WORKPLACE CONFLICT

ˈsɪstəm A set of things working together as … an interconnecting network (Oxford Dictionary)

Integrated Conflict Management Systems ( ICMS )

The foundations of an effective Integrated

Conflict Management System are:

1 Two entry level workforce

competencies:

Understanding the nature of

workplace conflict

The ability to have Brave Discussions

and to manage cultural conflict

2 Multiple points of entry to resolve

workplace disputes that an

employee may choose from:

Formal:

Grievance procedures, disciplinary

hearings, arbitration etc.

Informal:

Peer mediation, managerial

mediation etc.

Safe Space assistance:

a NEUTRAL, INDEPENDENT,

CONFIDENTIAL, and

INFORMAL thought partner to listen,

coach, or help consider options.

The NICI principles!

3 Robust feedback processes to assist

with organisational conflict

management.

The leadership should know as much

as possible (while respecting

anonymity) about the deepest

concerns of employees in an

unfiltered form. This has the added

benefit of acting as an early warning

system where systemic management

of conflict situations and corporate

governance issues can be

responded to before

serious damage is

done.

For conflict

management

decisions to be sustainable, they

need to address underlying needs

and interests of an organisation’s

stakeholders.

Managing conflict according to the

four NICI principles provides the basis

for the highest quality of data

available. The formula for effectively

managing conflict is ANONYMITY +

DIALOGUE = BEST FEEDBACK

4 A Conflict Wise Culture

An environment that demands

attention to conflict resolution from its

employees, frowns on conflict

avoidance, and sees conflict as

opportunity to either stop waste, or to

do generally improve performance

Whether intentional or by default, all organisations

have systems for managing workplace disputes.

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The quality and efficiency of an

Integrated Conflict Management System

depends on the extent to which:

Workplace disputes are resolved

early, and at the lowest possible

level, by the people involved.

Mutual

interests and

needs are the

focus of

dispute

resolution, and

win/ lose

outcomes

based on

rights or

power, are

only used by

leadership when necessary.

“Brave discussions” are

commonplace in dispute resolution.

The organisation’s dispute

management culture encourages

conflict dialogue as an opportunity

to save money and increase

productivity – indeed, a culture that

frowns on conflict avoidance or

mismanagement.

The workforce is appropriately

trained and skills are used

sufficiently that workplace conflict

becomes less demonised and the

organisation’s conflict handling is

constantly.

A good Integrated Conflict Management

System covers a spectrum of dispute

resolution practices from formal, to

informal, and developmental.

Developmental conflict management

practices are those which begin to unlock

potential through skills development.

Leaders that recognise good conflict

management as a strategic competitive

advantage are building cultures that

extract full value from conflict.

Such Integrated Conflict Management

Systems are the culmination of methods

developed analytically, in a way that is

compatible with the cultural conflict of

any business through a process of ‘kaizen’

- the Japanese expression for ‘continuous

improvement’.

“If you are going to be viewed as a leader in your

organization and survive and thrive at work, you

must develop your own conflict approach and

develop a reputation for leadership in conflict

management and consensus building.”

Lynne Eisaguirre, Author of Stop Pissing Me Off! What to Do When

the People You Work With Drive You Crazy and The Power of a

Good Fight: How to Embrace Conflict to Drive Creativity,

Productivity and Innovation



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This chart shows the attributes of a system with several entry points and their implications:

It shows the informal and formal processes and in particular, the ways that the “NICI Principles”

apply to “Safe Space” options. The NICI Principles are the four standards that are critical for

employees to engage in a way that provides safety from retaliation when dealing with conflict.

It is the Safe Space part of a system that is crucial to constructive conflict management. Safe

Space also serves management that values undiluted, raw feedback to monitor trends and

early warnings of all sorts. [This data is of course provided in aggregated and anonymous form.]



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Safe Space is “owned” by a person that functions uniquely in an organisation, who is:

NEUTRAL + INDEPENDENT + CONFIDENTIAL + INFORMAL = N I C I

This chart below shows examples of conflict situations and the way that an employee might see

the options available and their implications.

Note how important it is for employees to be adept at having Brave Discussions in order to

“manage conflict early, at the lowest level by the people involved, and without third party

involvement”.

Notice also how the provision of Safe Space functions to contextualise and get help

developing options when dealing with conflict that gets complicated and threatening.



integrated conflict management systems ( icms...

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