The Anatomy of Conflict

Name: The Anatomy of Conflict
Author: Rhonda Tenenbaum

Learn how conflict occurs at work

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Course: On-Demand

What does workplace conflict look like? Let's discuss the differences between internal and external conflict, team conflict dynamics, and how to handle positive and negative types of conflict. There are bound to be times when teammates clash in the workplace. These conflicts can be sparked by differing ideas, views, responsibilities, or behaviors. Sometimes the issues are minor and blow over quickly depending on the situation and the personalities involved. For example, one employee may make a joke about a coworker's messy desk. The two employees may have a good laugh about the situation and then go back to work without any lingering friction. At other times, a disagreement at work can escalate into real conflict, which can fall into one of two categories: internal or external. According to human resources and leadership writer, Lee Anthony, an internal conflict is one that involves an individual. It's a psychological and emotional condition where the person becomes defensive, feeling their beliefs or interests are at risk because they don't match with their coworkers. This type of behavior is not only detrimental to the coworkers involved in the conflict, but to the entire team as well. An atmosphere of bitterness may begin to permeate meetings, creating a tense, stressful environment. If the conflict arises with a supervisor, the individual's perception of the situation can be especially troublesome. The employee may further internalize the conflict, increasing anxiety and leading to a fear of being fired even if their boss gives no indication of this. External conflict arises from situations that occur outside the company or from observed behavior inside the organization. For example, let's say an employee has spent the morning on the phone with the customer trying to help them understand their cable bill. The customer keeps yelling at and talking over the employee, then threatens to take their business elsewhere before angrily hanging up. The employee can be stressed out over the situation even though it's out of their control. Another example of external conflict might be if two managers want to reserve a conference room for the same time. Each manager claims their meeting is more important, and both refuse to back down.

Intermediate Provider : Rhonda Tenenbaum 3 Lessons · 10m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

This module describes how to address conflict within the team environment at work. It highlights how to identify internal and external conflicts, and to understand the team conflict dynamic. The module also provides an in-depth look at conflict resolution strategies.

What You'll Learn

Understand how teams function in the workplace
Differentiate between internal and external conflict
Understand the team conflict dynamic
Embrace positive conflict while isolating negative conflict
Apply conflict resolution strategies within the team environment

Key Takeaways

Conflict within a team environment can be addressed by identifying internal and external conflicts and understanding the team conflict dynamic.
Not all conflict is negative; positive conflict can be embraced while negative conflict is isolated.
Internal and external conflict are distinct and can be differentiated.
The module provides an in-depth look at conflict resolution strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

This module describes how to address conflict within the team environment at work. It covers identifying internal and external conflicts, understanding the team conflict dynamic, and conflict resolution strategies.

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn how teams function at work, how to embrace positive conflict while isolating negative conflict, and how to differentiate between internal and external conflict.

What skills does this course help develop?

This course helps develop skills in Conflict Resolution and Conflict Transformation.

What topics are included in the lessons?

The lessons cover Internal vs External Conflict, Understanding the Team Conflict Dynamic, and Embracing Positive Conflict and Isolating Negative Conflict.