Streamline Training & Documentation: Matrix Management II: Conflict Resolution

Monday, May 22, 2006

Matrix Management II: Conflict Resolution

In my first post on matrix management, I talked about the issues that arise most frequently and the skills needed to manage these issues effectively. Among the essential skills is conflict resolution & problem solving.

I encourage you to use the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) for insight into your own preferred style for handling conflict. There is a quick overview (in pdf format) here of the five conflict-handling modes — avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, and collaborating. (The TKI is available for purchase from CPP, Inc.)

In this post, I want to concentrate on the collaborative mode of handling conflict. The mnemonic A.G.R.E.E. provides a convenient way of remembering a proven process for deploying the collaborative approach.

The A.G.R.E.E. process involves these five steps:

Acknowledge the conflict and get all parties to the table.

Set Ground rules. The most critical ground rule is to separate the people from the problem. Address substantive issues. No name-calling, no blame game.

Reframe the conflict from individual (perhaps truculent) positions, to a neutral, mutually acceptable statement of the issues. Reframing is the most critical step in conflict resolution.

Explore options for resolving the conflict. Exploring multiple options gives the parties room to negotiate and supports a problem-solving focus.

Evaluate the options and decide on a solution.

If you find that your organization is doing an inadequate job of conflict resolution and problem solving, establishing training and coaching centered on individual insights from the TKI and on learning the A.G.R.E.E. process, can bring a huge payoff in terms of improved organizational effectiveness.

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Labels: Conflict management

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