Oriana Davis
Discussion board one - The People You Meet
COMS 560-D01
Liberty University
3/26/2020
What 3 ideas can we glean from this conversation to advance how we engage potential or
real conflict situations?
This was a really great presentation that actually helped to solidify ideas that I have had
in regards to communication and conflict in my current job and previous jobs I have had before.
One of the things that I have always said and Dr. Cloud also mentioned was about what works
best for each employee. No two employees work the same or handle conflict the same and it is
imperative that leadership understands that. The next idea is that not all feedback is easy to hear.
I can wholeheartedly agree with that. I used to be in a position of leadership and giving feedback
to my team members individually and as a group did not take feedback well especially when it
came to something that needed to change the status quo of how their job was to be done. The last
idea I took from this conversation was that as leaders we can make assumptions. When people
are hired to do a certain job they can often be put into a box of that is all they are expected to do
and when the employee steps out of that box it can cause confusion for both the manager and the
employee.
How does each one help us to navigate conflict well?
When it comes to conflict each situation has to be looked at individually so that it can be
handled accordingly and not with a one size fits all approach. Knowing what works best for
every employee can be difficult at first but once a routine is established on how to handle conflict
all parties involved will fill heard and valued. When it comes to giving and receiving feedback it
is important to understand how the person best receives feedback. That correlates back to the
first point of understand how everyone works different. Hocker and Wilmot (2018) define
conflict coaching as “ the process in which a coach and client communicate one-on-one for the
purpose of developing the client’s conflict-related understanding, interaction strategies, and
interaction skills” (p.295). In order to be a good leader understanding how conflict works is
essential. Lastly, knowing that assumptions can be made as leaders it is important to remove
those assumptions that have been placed on employees. Removing those pre-conceived ideas can
help foster a health communication style and help resolve conflict in the workplace. Conflict can
cause multiple issues if issues are not resolved properly and within a timely manner. Research
done by Hughes (2019) talks about how conflict at work can cause people to have low morale,
less job satisfaction, and take more sick time. Conflict can have a ripple effect in the office and
can carry over into other parts of employees lives.
What biblical truth contributes to this conversation? Explain your choice.
In James 1:19-21 the scripture talks about being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to
anger. It also talks about being mindful of the words you say because we are all disciples of the
Kingdom. This scripture is relevant because when it comes to resolving conflict in the workplace
or anywhere else it is import to have all of the facts in order to understand the situation to better
address it. “Communication skills are thought to be important because individuals engaged in
discord must be willing to hear and comprehend an alternative side of an argument” (Sexton &
Orchard, 2016, p.317). Often times management can get part of a situation and decide how to
handle it without knowing everything causing more issues and incorrectly handling how the
situation should be handled.
References
Hocker, J. L. and Wilmot, W. W. (2018). Interpersonal conflict. (10th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.
Hughes, S. (2019). How could a 3-step coaching model help executives handle workplace
conflict? International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching & Mentoring, 17, 16–31.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.24384/jzdx-j617
Sexton, M., & Orchard, C. (2016). Understanding healthcare professionals’ self-efficacy to
resolve interprofessional conflict. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 30(3), 316–323.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.3109/13561820.2016.1147021
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