Conflicts often are experienced in the most workplace. As a result of conflicts, there emerge adverse consequences such as increased employee turnover, dysfunctional team work in addition to decreased patient satisfaction, and increased employee turnover. Communication plays a critical role in the conflict resolution hence the need to adopt training that focuses on conflict resolution skills which will ultimately improve team work, employees’ satisfaction, and increase productivity. Through communicating effectively, parties would be in a better position to resolve a conflict and bring about the positive outcome. There are three primary styles of communication that can be adopted to resolve and avoid conflict including, assertive, aggressive and passive. Failure to communicate effectively will create a significant level of tension in addition to a bad feeling in a relationship. The paper will critically discuss the concept of passive and passive communication in conflict.
Introduction
The majority of the people have no interest in creating conflict with other people. Most of us seem to know about human behavior hence placing individuals in a better position to distinguish between a healthy communication and specific words that might contribute to a rocky relationship. The manner in which one communicates will have an enormous impact on how he or she gets on with people and get the things they want (Overton & Lowry, 2013). A good communication skill will thus help individuals to avoid conflicts and resolve potential conflict. In conflict prevention, it would be critical to identify various ways that people contribute to the disagreement and the type of communication that one should adopt. Communication plays a crucial role in any organization regarding modifying behaviors, conveying information and at the same time affects change. According to Rogers-Clark, Pearce & Cameron, (2009), communication contributes great ideas on how to think and act within a workplace. Failure to effectively communicate would mean that coordination of work would not be possible. Interpersonal communication is a dyadic approach since it comprises of two people. Interpersonal communication’s dimension effectiveness within a humanistic perspective consists of supportive behavior, openness, and even empathy (Walczak & Absolon, 2001). All these features help the developed interaction to be highly effective. Within a pragmatic view factors that are taken into consideration include, interaction management, self-confidence, and emotional behavior in addition to the orientation to another party.
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Communication continuum
Studies have shown that communication breakdown in most instances is the primary causes of conflicts; therefore, poor communication has the potential to result in rapid escalation (Pipas & Jaradat, 2010). On the other hand, an effective communication strategy might be useful in correcting miscommunication hence moving conflicts efficiently towards conflict resolution. A critical idea that would help an individual select the most suitable communication strategy comes from communication continuum. The continuum often runs from passive to the aggressive approach. Within a passive communication strategy, an individual will communicate in a manner that protects another personal interest at the expense of yours (Pipas & Jaradat, 2010). In this case, an individual will not express his or her feelings and thoughts but will direct the attention to the interest of other people. Using this strategy, it would feel like other people are walking all over you since an individual do not assert his own needs. Therefore, an individual might would be forced to bottle things up hence end up feeling resentful. The primary assumption behind passive communication is related to the notion that “my needs do not matter” creating a situation of (you win/I lose, and I resent you for that).
On the other hand, aggressive strategy represents the other extreme when an individual communicates in a manner that protects his interest at the expense of the other person’s interest. In the most occasion, it is expressed in a very forceful and hostile way and might entail alienating certain messages such as “you statement” where an individual blames other people and accuse them of being either at fault or wrong and labeling. Further, an individual’s tone of voice in addition to facial expression seems highly unfriendly. Therefore, the primary assumption behind aggressive communication is related to “your needs do not matter’ creating a situation of (I win-you lose) (Overton & Lowry, 2013).
In between these two strategies lies that assertive communication strategy which depends on the approach that would protect the interest of both parties within a communication hence solving conflicts. This communication strategy entails a clear expression of what an individual thinks feels and wants without necessarily demanding that he or she must have their way. The assumption in this approach is related to the notion that “we both matter – let us try to work this out.” According to Rogers-Clark, Pearce & Cameron, (2009), an assertive communication strategy thus represents ranges of strategies available rather than on a single point within the continuum. There are those approaches that seem to lie significantly to the left of the middle hence making them a little more passive while there are those that lie a bit more to the right of the center hence making them slightly more aggressive. Irrespective of where they lie on the continuum, all assertive strategies often protects the interest of both parties, but this would depend on a situation involved. In most instances, assertive communication has a greater chance of enabling an individual to get what he or she wants, avoids potential conflict and at the same maintains a healthy relationship.
Conflict Management Skills
In a conflicting situation, the first move is the decision to address it, and it will entail balancing the rewards against the price of managing a conflict at hand. It would be only critical to address the issue if it is troublesome to the extent that it might affect an individual’s behaving or even weighing one’s conscience (Pipas & Jaradat, 2010). Research has established that perceived difference in power has the potential to influence a decision to address a problem, but on the other hand, open communication has been shown to be beneficial within different levels of power. The first step is thus to establish the conflict’s nature at hand by focusing on its content and the patterns of events. A primary obstacle to effective conflict management is to allow that task or the pattern type conflict to deteriorate the relationship through over personalizing the problem (Walczak & Absolon, 2001).
The conflict will emerge since individuals do not have same opinions and mindset. Any conflict will be destructive to the relationship, but when efficiently handled, conflicts can substantially contribute positively towards improving tolerance and understanding among persons. It would be critical to ensure that non-assertion is adopted scarcely since it fails to target the cause of the issue. According to Overton & Lowry, (2013), to accomplish a fulfilling decision, an issue should be approached tranquility and passively through an assertive communication style. It would permit each party to articulate their thoughts concerning the matter and develop a win-win solution. Respect is paramount, and the discussion should be issue-oriented and finding a way that the needs of the parties involved would be addressed
Typical behaviors are grouped into aggressive and passive aggressive categories. On the one hand, an aggressive behavior would entail physical aggression, abusive language, yelling and even intimidation (Overton & Lowry, 2013). On the contrary, Passive-aggressive behaviors comprise of the intentional miscommunication, implied threat and a higher level of impatience. In a situation where the pattern of behavior has been recognized early enough, communication with trusted colleagues using above techniques it might be adequate to modify the behavior patterns. The most disruptive staff would require a highly intensive intervention which might entail offering educational and other critical support on coping skills to attain the desired behavior.
According to Walczak & Absolon, (2001), assertiveness is a useful tool for the managers or individual who can apply it in their daily lives. The communication strategy enables one to sufficiently express the true feelings and emotions in addition to the personal rights and those of other people. In addition to this, a communication strategy, assertiveness is often straight forward and honest and helps in identifying personal needs to another individual. Other individuals have a knack for assertive communication while there are those who can create their styles as a form of learned behavior (Overton & Lowry, 2013). For an individual with a supreme skill of assertiveness, they can reduce conflicts at the workplace, at home or in any other social setting. It can be a stress reducer strategy particularly in an awkward situation and at the same time become the peacemaker in a chaotic environment.
It is true that there is a significant difference between an individual being assertive and aggressive, and the two can be very confusing. In a situation where people are aggressive, they tend to react to a particular situation in an obscene, sarcastic and even derogatory way that increased the level of anxiety and stress of all those involved (Walczak & Absolon, 2001). However, assertiveness would allow an individual to stand up for personal feelings while at the same time respect other people’s rights and feelings. As a result, it creates a line of communication that does not make the situation at hand worse. According to Wood (2015), assertiveness will thus give the parties in conflict the benefit of the doubt. Philosophers have argued that human beings naturally wish to do what is right; therefore, individuals do not necessarily wake up and deliberately insist on causing problems. Therefore, a trick, in this case, would be to pull efforts together and harness that instinct and then apply it to the “win-win” situation which will help to reduce unnecessary conflict.
There is, however, a population of individuals who naturally become passive to various conditions. Such people seem to experience a greater level of fear hence do not understand how to communicate their personal feelings to an offender effectively. The greatest fear that such an individual would develop is related to to the fear of losing or even being dominated; therefore, they decide to avoid a potential conflict (Wood, 2015). Therefore, a passive communication strategy would be stereotyped as a win-lose situation, however, the reality is that everyone will lose since there would be no communication but interpersonal conflict.
Conclusion
It has been established that conflicts are evident in our day-to-day lives particularly within an interpersonal relationship as a result of unique differences between parties. The strategy that individuals use to manage the conflict through an effective communication would determine whether either resolution process would satisfy both parties involved. Parties should thus adopt an appropriate communication strategy in expressing their dissatisfaction to reduce the impact of conflict and at the same time maintain an interpersonal relationship. Sufficiently applying assertive communication in a conflict that might emerge in any situation would help to reduce the level of stress and at the same time open up the lines of communication. The parties involved would both win, and their personal needs would be adequately met without having to escalate the conflict. Insults, threats, and demeaning comments comprise of a reactive factor or aggressive approach to managing conflict and should be avoided at all cost.
References
Overton, A. R., & Lowry, A. C. (2013). Conflict management: difficult conversations with difficult people. Clinics in colon and rectal surgery , 26 (04), 259-264.
Pipas, M. D., & Jaradat, M. (2010). Assertive communication skills. Annales Universitatis Apulensis: Series Oeconomica , 12 (2), 649.
Rogers-Clark, C., Pearce, S., & Cameron, M. (2009). Management of disruptive behaviour within nursing work environments: a comprehensive systematic review of the evidence. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports , 7 (15), 615-678.
Walczak, M. B., & Absolon, P. L. (2001). Essentials for effective communication in oncology nursing: assertiveness, conflict management, delegation, and motivation. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development , 17 (2), 67-70.
Wood, J. T. (2015). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters
