Dawson Becerra

Dealing with Conflict

Conflict is almost always present in the workplace and can move the organization in a

positive or negative direction. This occurs when there are two different viewpoints on a specific

issue and the two parties are having trouble reaching a common solution. There are many reasons

why two parties may not be able to see eye-to-eye. Lecture 14 taught us that some reasons

conflict could occur include: overlapping or unclear boundaries, unreasonable or unclear

organizational policies, and organizational complexity. As a manager, it is important to make

sure the people in the organization have a clear understanding of what their tasks are because

lack of clarity could cause members of the organization to be left to interpret situations without

any direction. To avoid this lapse in organization, the manager should make sure the team is well

informed about their responsibilities by doing weekly or even daily check-ins. This practice

would allow the members of the organization to voice their questions or concerns while the

manager could reiterate the mission of the company. The mission of every company outlines the

values and direction the company is aiming for. This being said, the managers and those high up

in the company are vital when it comes to keeping their values intact.

The working professional that I chose to interview was my father, who oversees a sector

of an electric company. He has many daily tasks and projects to work on, and he relies heavily

on his subordinates to get them done. The electric industry is very competitive and can bring up a

lot of conflict outside his company as well as inside his workplace. He believes the best way to

deal with conflict from outside competitors is simply to avoid communication with them. By

avoiding communication, he has the opportunity to focus on his work and getting as many

projects for his company as possible. His mission is to prove that his company is the best when it
comes to getting things done efficiently, effectively, and professionally. He is always making

sure that his projects are done the correct way the first time. When asked what type of managing

style he is, he described himself as being a goal-oriented and results-driven individual. He stated

that he “oversees all tasks assigned and checks in on his subordinates as often as possible to be

sure it’s getting done the right way”. After further discussion, we decided that he’s a driving

analytic. He faces conflict directly and isn’t afraid of confrontation. He said, “If you don’t

confront conflict as soon as possible, then you won’t solve the problem at hand. Instead, you’ll

have a group of fuming individuals that aren’t in the right mindset to get things done”. Due to

conflict being present almost every day in his workplace, he has learned to adapt to his

subordinates’ personalities as well. He says this helps him understand how to deal with each

person as an individual. This makes everyone feel valued in the workplace. “If someone doesn’t

feel valued around their superiors and colleagues, their work ethic will get increasingly lower

each day”. One piece of advice he gave me was to, “Use the smaller conflict as practice on how

to deal with the larger issues. This will help you out in the long run because you’ll have a lot of

experience dealing with people and you’ll surely be able to come up with a solution that will

keep everyone motivated and valued”.

When I become a manager, I believe I would work the best being the head of a project

while incorporating my subordinates during my daily tasks. This is because my social style is an

analytical amiable. According to crestcomleadership.com, analytical managing personalities are

considered to be very serious and purposeful types of people. I set very high standards for myself

and have an extremely high work ethic. Some would say that I am overly organized but having a

place for everything makes me feel the most efficient. I am willing to adapt to others’ ideas if I

believe that they will continue the positive momentum to achieving my goals. I am not afraid to
take my time with my tasks as long as the outcomes are completed in the best way possible. My

social style allows me to handle conflict efficiently because I listen to everyone’s perspective

while dictating how things will be done in an orderly fashion. I try to come to a conclusion that

will benefit not only the people, but the company as well. If conflict is brought to my attention, I

will address the situation immediately following my contemplation as to how to go about

handling it. I would think before I act, making sure that all those involved are taken care of in a

professional manner.
 Works Cited

“4 Personality Types That Leaders Should Learn to Recognize.” CrestcomLeadership.com, 2 Dec. 2015

“Exploring Different Management Styles.” 5 Things the Modern Worker Looks for in Talent

Development | ReWork, Cornerstone