Interpersonal Conflict (Essay Sample)

[Name of Student]
[Interpersonal Communication]
[Date of Submission]
Introduction
A communication climate is the relationship tone as expressed by the non-verbal and verbal messages between individuals. The climate of communication tends to be generated by the manner individuals feel about each other. Creation of a positive communication occurs when individuals feel that they seem to be valued. This paper aims to discuss how conflicts can be resolved and communication climates can be improved. It further aims to explore certain strategies that may prove beneficial in conflict resolution.
Interpersonal Conflict
Interpersonal conflict tends to occur in the interactions in which there are perceived or real incompatible objectives, opposing viewpoints or scarce resources. The element of interpersonal conflict can be expressed non-verbally or verbally along a particular continuum ranging from a cold imperceptible shoulder to an obvious blowout. Adler & Proctor (2015) highlights that conflict tends to be an inevitable aspect of close associations and may take a negative toll (emotional). It requires much effort to be passive aggressive or ignore someone, and the guilt or anger one may feel after arguing with someone tend to be negative feelings. It must be noted that conflict may not be always unproductive or negative.
Enhancing competence in battling with conflict may lead to positive impacts. Since conflict seems to exist in professional and personal lives, the capability to negotiate outcomes (desirable) and manage conflict may assist the individuals to become successful at both the aspects (Coleman, Deutsch & Marcus, 2014). Whether it is a political debate or the intention to buy new furniture, the potential for conflict seems to be evident. Within professional workplaces, the capability to get engaged in the management of conflict, also termed as conflict resolution, tends to be a valued and necessary skill. However, various professionals are not able to receive training related to conflict management even if they have to learn about it as part of their role in the professional life.
Communication Climates
A communication climate is the relationship tone as expressed by the non-verbal and verbal messages between individuals. The climate of communication tends to be generated by the manner individuals feel about each other. Communication climates may be negative or positive, and they may be subjected to change (Adler & Proctor, 2015). Hence, it is significant to understand them in an effective way. A positive communication climate involves presenting a climate to the people in which they feel valued. Various researchers argue that positive messages in communication contribute to a positive climate of communication. Contrarily, negative messages may lead to the development of a negative communication climate. It may be present in the individuals who feel abused or unimportant and hence react in a negative manner.
Conflict may be present in communication climates. It must be noted that conflict may have an adverse or negative impact on the well-being of a person if not managed effectively. Conflict may further lead to the production of a negative communication climate. Hence, it is critical to consider conflict resolution in order to enhance communication climates and achieve the desired communication results (Coleman et al., 2014). There is a need to consider the fact that conflict may also prove beneficial for the people; however, it is not the case in every situation. In order to enhance communication climates, approaches to conflict resolution must be adopted.
It is vital to determine that communication climates may be subjected to change and can be influenced by different factors. In certain cases, it may be the individual him/herself, who tend to create issues for self. In such a case, it is important to not pay attention to the other element causing the conflict or creating a negative impact on the communication climate. One positive point to note involves that people sometimes react differently to others’ message, which eventually hampers the whole communication climate.
Collaborative Problem Solving
Problems seem to exist in the communication climates, which eventually create issues for the individuals. Adler & Proctor (2015) indicated that despite certain challenges, it is possible to become effective at resolving different conflicts. There is a need to consider the win-win way, in which each party agrees at a mutually beneficial aspect. There are certain steps, which must be considered in order to achieve a win-win solution. One of the core aspects involves determining that the issue that causes conflict is yours. Consider an example that if a dog is barking and the person is feeling interrupted, then it is obvious that the individual has the issue, not the dog (Adler & Proctor, 2015). If the person realizes that the problem is not irritating other but self, then it becomes quite easy to reach the other party.
The next step is to determine the unmet needs. If an individual gets taunted by his friend, then his need is to avoid embarrassment and make the situation better. This aspect focuses on determining the unmet requirements or needs, which should be met. The next phase is to determine the negotiating strategy. In order to achieve a win-win solution, the individual would strive to negotiate with the other party in order to make the situation better for both and end the conflict (Adler & Proctor, 2015).
It can be considered an effective problem-solving strategy, which helps in resolving the conflict and leads to a favorable situation for both the parties. Conflicts tend to arise during the communication process and they even lead to some positive outcomes as per the situation. However, the recommended strategy is focused on avoiding any possible mishap and gain a win-win situation for the person.
Collaboration is considered an integral component of conflict resolution. It must be considered that the active involvement of both parties tends to be necessary for reaching a solution and improving the communication climate.
Empathy
Empathy can play a vital role in improving communication climates. Empathy tends to possess a profound capability to change the manner in which people understand and resolve conflicts. It allows people to open their minds and hearts to understand and see not only the world from others’ perspectives, but also act in a manner, which may result in a peaceful solution (Coleman et al., 2014). For the purpose of better understanding empathy and its influence on the conflict resolution, there is a need to explore the deep meaning of the word and create a space for others in the heart.
Conflict resolution tends to be meaningless unless it is performed in an agreeable and effective form. Conflict resolution techniques include facilitated discussion, dialogue, and mediation. In these examples, there tend to be opposing parties, having distinct views and a failure to determine the motives of others. This aspect may further hamper the situation instead of resolving the conflict.
The element of empathy can impact conflict resolution in different ways, including valuing relationships, compassion, emotional literacies, cognitive and social skills. It encourages individuals to observe people from a different angle and hence lead to positive outcomes (Coleman et al., 2014). There is a need to consider the fact that empathy may not be present in every individual, which may eventually result in negative outcomes in terms of a conflict.
It should also be considered that conflict resolution requires empathy. The element of empathy needs to be present in the individual for the purpose of achieving positive outcomes for each party. It requires moving from ‘hearing’ to ‘understanding’ the other person. It further needs a deeper level of human understanding and requires that the individual must be able to see things from various perspectives. This particular strategy seems to be beneficial for the conflict resolution, as it is found to be positive in most of the cases.
Conflict Avoidance
Conflict avoidance is another vital strategy, which focuses on reducing the conflict up to a certain degree. This particular technique can significantly assist in improving the communication climate. It focuses on avoiding confronting directly the problem. Techniques to do this may involve changing the core subject, not bringing up the cause of the issue and putting off a discussion. However, it is argued that it requires active interest from at least one person involved in the conflict.
Coleman et al., (2014) highlighted that conflict avoidance can be achieved by feeling-swallowers. These individuals tend to swallow their feelings. They also smile even if the circumstances cause them distress and pain. They focus on behaving as they prioritize the approval of other individuals and realize that it may become dangerous to confront them by communicating feelings. The aspect of conflict avoidance can be adopted by individuals who have a soft nature and may be easily dominated.
It may be argued that conflict avoidance may not wo