Conflict and Negotiation

In the last byte, we looked at a few guidelines for leadership. In today's byte, we begin our discussion on conflict and negotiation.

To have a common understanding before we begin our discussion, we shall have to define conflict. Here is our definition as per the reference book:
 

"Conflict is any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more parties."
 

The business market place with its increasing competition and globalization magnifies the differences amongst people given their personalities, values, attitudes, perceptions, languages, cultures and nationalities. Thus, today's organizations face a greater potential for conflict than ever before.
 

Given the increasing diversity in business workforces, we have a unique scenario where we also have an ever increasing potential for compatibility and conflict!
 

It is important to note: Not all conflicts are bad! Some types of conflicts encourage new solutions to problems and enhance creativity in the organization. We shall discuss about this dimension in the next byte.