Homework Question

MODULE FIVE: ANALYZING HEURISTICS TO DE-ESCALATE CONFLICT

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MODULE FIVE: ANALYZING HEURISTICS TO DE-ESCALATE CONFLICT

Module Five: Analyzing Heuristics to De-escalate Conflict

Patricia Vela

Manage Difficult Conversations 

Virginia (Ginny) McMinn, MSIR, SPHR

Analyzing Heuristics to De-escalate Conflict

(A). Appraising the Heuristics in the Case

Performance evaluation is one of the essential elements of any organization. The module focuses on the critical mindsets that a manager should possess to solve conversation challenges successfully. The managers should lead with behavior, eliminate judgment, inquire with purpose, and, most importantly, be clear during their conversation. The four mindsets are essential, and every leader should ensure they have them for the smooth running of the organization. Leading with a behavior mindset often encourages the leader to focus on the employee's behavior rather than their attitudes (Mitchell, 2013). Employee behavior is an essential indicator of a problem within the organization and can be observed through employees. In this case, Thomas failed to effectively recognize why Kareem had different behaviors from the rest of the employees. As a practicing Muslim, Kareem had the right for religion p4ractices such as perfuming the ritual and praying five times in a day. Being honest and open when providing observation feedback is vital in an organization. Despite Thomas, Janet, and Michael observing the behavior differences by Kareem, they were not honest with honest and open to him but observed him secretly. Despite Thomas observing decreasing performance by Kareem, he was not honest with him to discuss the issue.

(B). How this Heuristic Resulted in Impressions of Bias

Various heuristics can be observed in this case, which acted as an obstacle to the employees making the right decisions or acting in the right manner considering the situations presented. In the case, we can observe that Michael has the heuristic the resulted in a mindset that he worked hard for the organization while other employees such as Kareem were not committed as he was. It was these judgments heuristic that had driven him to reported Kareem to the supervisor. The judgments made Michael think that Kareem was not behaving in the right manner when he sneaked out of the office and performed his rituals as a practicing Muslim. In another instance, Janet is not specific with what is expected for the employees she leads, including Michael and Kareem.; after the issue is reported to her, she makes judgments to observe Kareem and realized decreasing performance. When she discovers that what had been reported to her was true, she used judgments heuristic to report the issue to the call center manager, Thomas. All this time, she does not explain to Kareem how he is expected to behave and his job performance. As the supervisor, Janet is expected to be specific and clear in her communication, unlike how she addressed Kareem's behavior.

(C). Techniques to Positively Benefit

Conflict or misunderstanding is not necessarily a bad thing in the organization. What matters most is the technique used to address the misunderstandings o miscommunication between the employees. To help the stakeholders use their experience to interact positively, my collogues might recommend various strategies. Acknowledging the situation is one of the first strategies to ensure the stakeholder positively benefit from this situation. The employees at ABC Corporation must recognize each one of them has the right to religion. They must also recognize that Kareem religious practices are negatively impacting the performance and openly discuss it. As a team, they should discuss the impact of the conflict on performance and team dynamics (Team, 2018). Therefore, it is essential to 8understand the situation since this step alone can have a significant positive impact on resolving any conflict. The team should understand that Kareem is a practicing Muslim just as the other team member has their religion. Requesting an explanation from Kareem can effectively help them understand the situation compared with secretly observing him as he performs the prayer ritual.

References

Mitchell, S. (2013). Driving workplace performance through high-quality conversations. Strategic HR Review.

Team, M. C. (2018). Resolving Team Conflict: Building Stronger Teams by Facing Your Differences. Mind Tools.