Some facts about conflict

Conflict is a natural outcome of human interactions, if understood and managed effectively can lead to increased creativity and innovation, rethinking of goals and practices and better informed work group.

  • A conflict is more than just a disagreement. It is a situation in which one or both parties perceive a threat (whether or not the threat is real).
  • Conflicts continue to fester when ignored. Because conflicts involve perceived threats to our well-being and survival, they stay with us until we face and resolve them.
  • We respond to conflicts based on our perceptions of the situation, not necessarily to an objective review of the facts. Our perceptions are influenced by our life experiences, culture, values, and beliefs.
  • Conflicts trigger strong emotions. If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t be able to resolve conflict successfully.
  • Conflicts are an opportunity for growth. When you’re able to resolve conflict in a relationship, it builds trust. You can feel secure knowing your relationship can survive challenges and disagreements.

The three most common types of conflict are:

  • Task (or cognitive) conflict - is disagreement over differences in ideas, viewpoints, and opinions pertaining to the group’s task.
  • Relationship conflict - is disagreement resulting from interpersonal incompatibilities, which includes affective components such as feeling tension and friction.
  • Process conflict - is conflict about dividing and delegating responsibility and deciding how to get work done.

Understanding the type of conflict that is being presented is the first step to finding a solution. Essentially, there are different types of conflict, but the end result and solution you find will either give you a win-win situation, a win-lose result or it will be mixed, with some shared goals met and compromises in place. However, through understanding all elements of the conflict that has arisen, the best strategies can be implemented.