BestPrac*cesinEffec*ve%Communica*on% and%Conflict...

Best  Prac*ces  in  Effec*ve  Communica*on    and  Conflict    Management                  

Walt Gmelch Dean and Professor

University of San Francisco School of Education whgmelch@usfca.edu

Materials  adapted  from  Life  Cycle  of  a  Department  Chair  (Gmelch  &  Schuh,  2004),    Department  Chair  Leadership  Skills  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,    2010)  and  Chairing  an  Academic  Department  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,  2004).  

The  Jossey  Bass  Department  Chair  Leadership  Ins6tute  

Future  Jossey-­‐Bass  workshop  sessions  

  August 12, 2010:  The  Most  Important  Things  You  Need  to  Know  (and  Do)  as  a  Department  Chair  

  August 26, 2010:  A  Quick  and  Practical  Guide  to  Managing  Your  Time  and  Stress  

  September 16, 2010:  Best  Practices  in  Effective  Communication  and  Conflict  Management  

  October 14, 2010:  What  Department  Chairs  Can  Do  to  Foster  Excellent  Teaching  

  November 10, 2010:  Best  Practices  in  Budgeting,  Resource  Management,  and  Planning  for  Results  

Best  Prac*ces  in  Effec*ve  Communica*on    and  Conflict    Management                  

Materials  adapted  from  Life  Cycle  of  a  Department  Chair  (Gmelch  &  Schuh,  2004),    Department  Chair  Leadership  Skills  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,    2010)  and  Chairing  an  Academic  Department  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,  2004).  

Walt Gmelch Dean and Professor

University of San Francisco School of Education whgmelch@usfca.edu

3

The  Three  R’s  of  Communica*on  and    Conflict  Management  

1. Recognize the Nature and Causes of Conflict

2. Respond to Conflict with Appropriate Style

3. Resolve Conflict with Principles

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 4

Department  Chair’s  Web  of  Communica*on  and  Conflict  

 Ins*tu*onal   5  Structural  Condi/ons  

 Interpersonal   60%  Job  Dissa/sfac/on  

 Posi*onal   Department  Chair  Role  

5

As  a  university/college  employee,  I  consider  myself  to  be:  

6

7

CONFLICT

 When  you  think  of  conflict,  what  is  the  first  word  that  comes  to  mind?  

 List  1  or  2  synonyms  for  conflict.  

8

Approaches  to  Organiza*onal  Conflict    

Prescriptive Period Philosophy Nature Strategy

1890-1940’s Traditionalists Destructive Eliminate

1950-1980’s Behavioralists Natural Accept

Present Time Interactionalists Necessary Encourage

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 9

Five  Communica*on  PaLerns    Crea*ng  Conflict  

Organizational Characteristics 1. Levels

2. Structure 3. Heterogeneity 4. Participation 5. Influence

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 10

Interpersonal  Influence  Ac*vity  

 Visualize  a  mee6ng  with  a  faculty  member:  

 Your  colleague  closes  his  or  her  fist.  

 How  would  you  get  her/him  to  open  it?  

11

What  did  you  do?  

How  did  you  try  to  influence  your  colleague  to  open  his  or  her  fist?  

12

 There are two types of influence: personal and positional.

13

Sources  of  Communica*on    and  Influence  (con*nued)  

  Each base of power provides a different possible reason for faculty to comply with their department chair’s wishes . . .

  And a different way chairs can attempt to influence a colleague.

14

Source  of  Power:      Posi%onal  

Power  Base  

Reward

Coercive

Authority

When  to  Use    When you want to add incentives   When you want to recognize superior

performance   When faculty value reward

  When you need to reinforce rules   When discipline is needed   When basic ethics are violated

  When department has clear procedures   When rapid compliance is needed   When you are willing to take total

responsibility for decision 15

Sources  of  Power:        Personal  

Power  Base                  When  to  Use  

Expertise   When faculty growth and development are desirable   When you are sure of the decision   When data or rationale are complex or confidential

Referent   When harmony is important   When friendships are valued   When faculty must trust you and share the same values

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 16

What  source  of  influence  do  you  believe  you  use  the  most  as  chair?  

1. Reward  2. Coercive  3. Authority  4.  Exper6se  5. Referent  

17

“You  can’t  shake  hands  with  a  closed  fist.”  

Golda  Meir  

18

Thomas-­‐Kilmann  Conflict    Mode  Instrument  

  Assess your preferred style for dealing with conflict

  Complete Conflict Mode Instrument   Score your Instrument   OR ------ Estimate your styles

19

Conflict  Management  Model  

20

21

22

23

Personal  Style  for  Conflict  

1.  My  primary    conflict  style  is:    _____________  

2.  My  backup  conflict  style  is:    _________________  

24

As  a  department  chair,  when  is  it  appropriate  to  use    each  of  the  five  styles  of  conflict?  

Cooperative High Low

Ass

ertiv

e H

igh

Low

Competition Collaboration

Avoidance Accommodation

Compromise

Conflict  Resolu*on  Organizing  Ques*ons  

1.  Are there more than two parties?

2.  Are the parties monolithic?

3.  Are there linkage effects?

4.  Is there more than one issue?

5.  Is ratification required?

6.  Are threats possible?

7.  Are negotiations public or private?

8.  Is there a time constraint?

Adapted from H.Raiffa (1982). The Art of Science of Negotiation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 26

X

O

X X X

O O O

VERTICAL Conflict Stakeholders

X

O

HORIZONTAL Conflict Stakeholders

Principled  Conflict  Management  

27

Interests    

Definition: The basic intangible or abstract needs of a party

such as values, principles, needs

Characteristics: Rarely negotiable Usually intangible Not measurable May be substituted for other interests

Results: Interest satisfaction must be achieved if conflict is

to be resolved

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 28

WISE  OUTCOME  

“Meets the legitimate interests of each side to the extent possible, resolves conflicting interests fairly, is durable, and takes community interests into  account.”

Fisher and Ury, 1983, p. 4

29

Basic  Ingredients  for  a  “Sa*sfying”  Conflict  Resolu*on  

1. Substantive Satisfaction Content of settlement    

2. Procedural Satisfaction Specific conflict procedures giving order to negotiation process – before, during, and after

3. Psychological Satisfaction How parties feel after resolution

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership, University of San Francisco 30

The  Perfect  Apology  

1.  Acknowledge mistake

2.  Accept responsibility

3.  Express regret 4.  Provide assurance, won’t be repeated 5.  Time it well

Barbara Kellerman (April, 2006) Harvard Business Review. 72-81. 31

Ways  to  Resolve  Conflict  Soft Hard Principled Friends                            Adversaries            Problem  Solvers  

Agreement        Victory            Wise  Outcome  

Trust          Distrust            Independent  of  Trust  

Make  Offers        Make  Threats          Explore  Interests  

Yield  to  Pressure        Apply  Pressure      Yield  to  Principle,                        Not  pressure

Souce: Getting to Yes by R. Fisher and W. Ury. 32

Nego*a*ng  with  Difficult  People  

   Step 1. Don’t React Go To The Balcony

Step 2. Disarm Them Step To Their Side

Step 3. Change The Game Don’t Reject…Reframe

Step 4. Make It Easy To Say Yes Build Them A Golden Bridge

Step 5. Make It Hard To Say No Bring Them To Their Senses, Not Their Knees

Source: William Ury (1995), Getting Past No. New York: Bantam Books, 33

1.  DON’T  REACT:  

   Go  To  The  Balcony  

  Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

  Name the Game

  Buy Time to Think

  Don’t Get Mad, Don’t Get Even, Get What You Want

34

2.  DISARM  THEM:  

   Step  To  Their  Side  

  Listen Actively

  Acknowledge the Point

  Agree Wherever You Can

  Acknowledge the Person

  Express Your Views – Without Provoking

  Create a Favorable Climate for Negotiation

35

3.  CHANGE  THE  GAME:  

   Don’t  Reject…  Reframe  

 Ask Why

 Ask Why Not

 Ask What If

 Ask for Your Colleague’s Advice

36

4.  MAKE  IT  EASY  TO  SAY  YES:  

   Build  Them  A  Golden  Bridge  

 Involve Your Colleague

 Satisfy Unmet Interests

 Help Your Opponent Save Face

 Go Slow to Go Fast

37

5.      MAKE  IT  HARD  TO  SAY  NO:  

               Bring  Them  To  Their  Senses,  Not  Their  Knees  

 Let Your Colleague Know the Consequences

 Use Your BATNA, Defuse the Reaction

 Keep Sharpening Your Colleague’s Choice

 Forge a Lasting Agreement

 Mutual Satisfaction, Not Victory

38

Conflict  Concepts  &  Strategies   BATNA “Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement”

ZOPA Myopia “Zone of Possible Agreement” (Overlap between most willing to offer and least willing to

accept)

LOGROLLING Making mutually beneficial trade-offs between/among

issues.

WIN – WIN Negotiated outcome where both parties have reached an

agreement that cannot be mutually improved.

Source: Leigh Thompson (2008). The Truth About Negotiations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press. 39

The  Mee*ng:    Working  with  Your  Colleagues  

1. Set the stage – get faculty close. 2. Leave your biases at the door. 3. Act as mediator of the meeting. 4. Establish ground rules. 5. Get the facts, nothing but the facts. 6. Clarify misunderstandings 7. Don’t reject, reframe and explore. 8. Do a reality check. 9. Be clear on consequences.

Walter H. Gmelch, Center for the Study of Academic Leadership. University of San Francisco 40

Conflict  Resolu*on  Con*nuum  

41

Department  Chair  Survival  Skills  1.  Be  principled  in  your  discussions.  2.  Communicate  in  all  direc6ons.  3.  Hallucinate  –  see  the  vision  ver6cally  and  

horizontally.  4.  Serve  others  –  it  is  not  about  you.  5.  Know  yourself  –  enlarge  your  arena.  6.  Play  well  with  others  –  collaborate    7.  Enhance  leadership  and  learning.  

42

“We’re  all  in  this  alone.”                                              Lily  Tomlin  

43

Legacy Worksheet  

How do you want to be remembered as a university leader?

44

Old Chinese Saying

To know and not to use

Is not yet to know

45

Best  Prac*ces  in  Effec*ve  Communica*on    and  Conflict    Management                  

Walt Gmelch Dean and Professor

University of San Francisco School of Education whgmelch@usfca.edu

Materials  adapted  from  Life  Cycle  of  a  Department  Chair  (Gmelch  &  Schuh,  2004),    Department  Chair  Leadership  Skills  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,    2010)  and  Chairing  an  Academic  Department  (Gmelch  &  Miskin,  2004).  

The  Jossey  Bass  Department  Chair  Leadership  Ins6tute