Communication and Power

Communication and Power

Communication is also the most powerful input resource in an enterprise. The various resources, just to recount, are as below:
1 Men
2 Money
3 Materials
4 Machines
5 Methods
6 Management
7 Measurement
8 Message covering both information and communication flows
9 Motive Power
10 Motivational Leadership
Messaging has emerged as the most important resource for, without it, nothing can be transacted anywhere. It is the lifeline of any society. It is the glue that holds companies, communities, and countries together.
There is another process that is also used to influence others – it is the use of authority or power. They say if a person has the power it shows because it quickly shows his influence or holds on others‟ opinion. However, it must be understood in its proper perspective. Power has been described as „a process of influencing others to do something that, left to themselves, they will not do‟. This process is, then, quite different from that of communication where we influence others as equals - members of the family, members of the inter-departmental teams or customers or fellow members of an association. The process of communication is greatly dependent on the skill of individuals who, as equal members, are in a position to influence others so as to compel, propel or impel them to work together to achieve common goals!

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Communication as a subject of study has a very vast canvas. To different people, communication implies various areas of study, research, and application:

(1) It is a means of transportation from one place to another viz., moving men, machines, materials etc by surface transport like railways, roadways or by air or by sea. It is not uncommon to describe a region or a country backward in terms of means of communication because it is not serviced or well connected by railways, roadways, airways or seaways.

(2) It also relates to means of sending/receiving messages, packets or parcels through the post, telephone, telegram, radio, wireless or Internet. These means of communications have undergone rapid changes during the last few decades. Postal services have been revolutionized by courier services – same-day delivery, next-day delivery etc. Telephone services have become commonplace – one can talk to a person anywhere even one orbiting in a satellite without shouting. The mobile telephony and use of the Internet have changed the way people talk and communicate with one another. They are changing the way business is done.

(3) Communication is a major focus of attention for artists – singers, dancers, actors, painters, sculptors etc are all trying to communicate with their audiences. They endeavor to win their attention and appreciation so as to secure attractive returns for their efforts.

In a managerial or business context, it is the science and art of communicating. Etymologically, communication as a word is derived from the word „common‟ in English or „Communis‟ from Latin. It means „shared by‟ or „concerning all‟. This communication is a process of „influencing others‟ to achieve common, shared objectives. These goals could be that of individuals, families, teams, departments/functions and companies.

Communication has emerged as a very powerful personal skill that individuals must acquire to be able to perform their duties and become effective managers and effective leaders.

Conflict Resolution Skills

Conflict Resolution Skills

Occasionally as a leader in an organization, you will be in a position where you will
need to deal with the conflict between two or more people. When that occurs, you will
need some skills/knowledge to deal with it effectively. Below are a few simple ideas.
• Do not take sides.
• Do not allow yourself to become emotionally involved.
• Assume from the beginning that all participants have legitimate positions.
• Listen quietly no matter how unreasonable or violent the remarks are.
• Judging is not your task — the listener’s role is not that of the reformer, so
avoid “I’m right, you’re wrong”.
• Allow all expression and emotions to be voiced without any interference
or negative reaction on the listener’s part.
• Listen with all your senses to understand whether a person is really conveying
one message but meaning to convey something else.
• Avoid interrupting or arguing.
• Remember the importance of individual differences.
• Be wary of telling your own personal experiences or using yourself as an
example — listen instead.
• Being told “everyone feels that way” makes it seem that you think this
“immediate and crucial catastrophic predicament” is rather common and
insignificant.
• Be aware of your biases and/or prejudices in relating to groups or individuals
whose personalities may clash with your own.
• If the participants can’t possibly talk to each other, have them talk separately
with you.
• Don’t be afraid to clarify a point:

Positive-Sum, Negative Sum and Zero-Sum Situations

Positive-Sum, Negative Sum and Zero-Sum Situations

Based on the outcomes of a dispute or negotiation, conflicting situations can also be
classified as zero-sum, positive-sum and negative-sum conflicts.

In a zero-sum situation, it is inevitable that if one party gains some advantage, the
other party suffers a corresponding loss. These situations arise when a “fixed pie” is
to be distributed between two parties. For example, if there is only one job with two
people vying for it, one person will get it and the other person will not. One job won and
one job lost equals zero. The gains and losses add up to zero.

In positive-sum situations, gain for one party does not necessarily mean a corresponding
loss to the other party. There is additional sum available to be distributed
between the contending parties and gain for one person or party by the equivalent
additional sum does not mean a corresponding loss to other contending person or
party. The gains and losses add up to greater than zero.

Negative-sum situations are characterized by a shrinking pie. There are no gains to
be distributed but only losses to be reduced. If the actual loss is less than the expected
loss, the differential is treated as a gain. If a department is expecting a 10% cut in the
budgetary allocation but if the actual cut is only 5%, the gain to the department is 5%.
Handbook on Conflict Management Skills

Functional & Dysfunctional Conflicts

Functional & Dysfunctional Conflicts

Sometimes a conflict can act as a positive force within an organization, while at other
times it can act as a negative force. Accordingly, conflicts are classified as Functional
and Dysfunctional. Functional conflict acts as a positive force that is the occurrence
and resolution of conflict may stimulate the organization to constructive problem-solving.
It may also lead people to look for ways of productively altering how they do things.
The conflict-resolution process can ultimately be a stimulus for positive change within
an organization

Dysfunctional conflict acts as a negative force, that is, the occurrence and resolution
of conflict may result in a digression of efforts from goal attainment and result in
the squandering of productive resources of the organization. Conflicting workplace ideas,
attitudes, and actions may lead to anger, tension, and anxiety. Deep hostilities and
lasting conflicts may eventually lead to violent behavior among employees.
Therefore, it would only be fair to say that conflict may sometimes be advantageous
and at other times destructive. Workplace managers must be sensitive to the
consequences of conflict. These consequences range from negative outcomes (such
as loss of skilled employees, sabotage, low quality of work, stress and even violence)
to positive outcomes (such as creative alternatives, increased motivation and
commitment, high quality of work, and personal satisfaction).

Levels of Conflict

Levels of Conflict

Based on the level of intensity or emotional response it provokes, conflicts can be
classified as – Discomforts, Incidents, Misunderstandings, Tension, Huge Crisis.

• Discomfort: The conflict has not yet clearly manifested itself, but has declared
its onset with palpable signs of discomfort. One does not feel comfortable about
a situation, but is not quite sure why? It is difficult to identify precisely what the
problem is.

• Incidents: A short, sharp exchange has occurred without any lasting internal
reaction. Some unpleasant incident has occurred between people that have left
one upset or irritated.

• Misunderstandings: Here motives and facts are often confused or
misperceived. Thoughts keep returning frequently toward the problem.

• Tension: Here relationships are weighed down by negative attitudes and fixed
opinions. The way one feels about and regards the other person/s has significantly
changed for the worse. The relationship is a constant source of worry
and concern.

• Crisis: Behaviour is affected, normal functioning becomes difficult, extreme
gestures are contemplated or executed. One is dealing with a major event like
a possible rupture in a relationship which entails grave consequences.

Life-Cycle of a Conflict

Life-Cycle of a Conflict

A conflict is not a static situation, but a dynamic one. It is a process, taking time to
evolve. The intensity level differs over the life-cycle of a conflict.  to understand how, where and when to apply different and appropriate strategies and measures of conflict management.

• Life-cycle 1. Beginning: A conflict begins to take form as the differences
surface between the conflicting parties, and people begin to take sides. There
is a clear delineation of people in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’.

• Life-cycle 2. Early growth: The conflicting parties express their hostility openly.
Each side increases its demands, and its sense of grievance swells. Each side
looks for allies and seeks their moral support.

• Life-cycle 3. Deadlock: Each of the conflicting parties regards itself as having
a just cause and it could lead to two possible situations: (a) a stalemate causing
hurt or loss to one party or (b) ‘a mutually-hurting stalemate’ caused by exhaustion
of strength and resources on the part of both the parties.

• Life-cycle 4. Looking for a way out: When the conflict reaches a stage where
both parties suffer losses, they look for a way out of the impasse. This may
necessitate mediation and arbitration by a third party.

• Life-cycle 5. Settling the dispute or resolving the conflict? Settlement
implies a compromise or temporary truce by both the parties over the dispute.

But, seldom does it lead to a solution in which the two parties can collaborate
resolving the conflict. Conflict resolution, on the other hand, looks at the
underlying causes of the conflict and deals with them, so that the conflict does
not recur in future.

Nature & Structure of Conflict - A Model

Nature & Structure of Conflict - A Model

A conflict has characteristics of its own, and it is possible to analyze its structure and
behavior. A simple model to easily understand the structure of conflicts is provided by
C.R.Mitchell in his book “The Structure of International Conflict.” Though the model
was created to describe political and military conflicts in an international scenario, it is
also equally well applicable to the complex conflict situations between individuals in
an office or organizational environment.
According to C.R.Mitchell, conflict structure consists of three parts: attitudes, behavior
and situations and the interaction among these three parts create conflicts between
individuals or groups.
According to Mitchell:
1. The situation impacts behavior – failure to reach targeted goals creates
frustration and prompts people to strive to reach those goals.
2. The situation impacts attitudes – incompatible goals increase the suspicion
and distrust between the people.
3. Behavior impacts the situation – success can introduce new questions in the
conflict as demands increases.
4. Behavior impacts attitudes – destruction increases hatred, success can impact
the group solidarity and the notion of “us”.
5. Attitudes impact behavior – expectations such as “our traditional enemies will
attack again” will impact the defensive planning and preventive actions.
6. Attitudes impact the situation – the longer the conflict continues, the more questions
will be introduced.
Mitchell contends that conflicts are caused by mixed-motive relationships where both
the involved parties have cooperative and competitive goals. The competitive element
creates conflict and the cooperative element creates incentives to negotiate an
agreement.

Understanding a Conflict

Understanding a Conflict

It is also important for the individuals to understand the underlying differences that
distinguish the concepts of conflict resolution, conflict management, and conflict
prevention.
1. Conflict Resolution means eliminating the conflict by arriving at a mutually
beneficial outcome. In other words, conflict resolution refers to the resolution of
the underlying causes of conflict and mutual acceptance of each of the contending
parties.
2. Conflict Management means limitation or mitigation of a conflict, without
necessarily solving it, so that the work process is not disrupted.
3. Conflict Prevention implies anticipation of a possible conflict and taking
measures beforehand to ensure that the conflict does not arise.

When conflict is understood, it is easier to find ways to predict it, prevent it, transform
it and resolve it.individuals must consider the work environment and anticipate possible
conflicts that are likely to arise in the workplace to take timely corrective actions
beforehand and to transform these conflict situations into opportunities for positive
outcomes. They should ask themselves and reflect on:

• What are the key sources and areas of conflict in the workplace?
• When do they generally tend to occur?
• How do people respond to the conflicts as they arise?
• Are there certain factors in the environment that make problems worse,
especially at times of conflict?
• Does the office provide channels for expressing normal problems and concerns?
When they solve problems, do they do so for the moment, or do they put in place
systems for addressing these types of problems if they recur?

Understanding a Conflict

Understanding a Conflict

What is a conflict? A conflict is the expression of disagreement between individuals or
groups that differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs, through which the parties involved
perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns. It can also originate from past
rivalries and personality differences. Other causes of conflict include trying to negotiate
before the timing is right or at a time before the needed information is available.

From the above definition, it is obvious that a conflict has the following components:

• A conflict is more than just a disagreement. It is a situation in which people
perceive a threat (physical, emotional, power, status, etc.) to their well-being

• A conflict is caused by the differences and clash of personalities – attitudes,
beliefs, values, and needs.

• A conflict arises when people try to make others change their actions or to gain
an unfair advantage.

• A conflict arises when one party refuses to accept the fact that the other party
holds something as a value rather than a preference.

• Participants in conflicts tend to respond on the basis of their perceptions of the
situation, rather than an objective review of it.

• Creative problem-solving strategies are essential to positive approaches to
conflict management.