Dealing With Conflict

So you've run across a conflict and need to chart a course of action. Don't feel badly. Everyone runs into a conflict now and then. It's how you handle any dispute that matters. While you can always grieve, you've got a number of options that you can take first.

1. Have you spoken with the person, perhaps your supervisor, who you feel is responsible for the problem or issue? If not, go see that individual and try to discuss the situation in a non-threatening, non-confrontational way. State objectively the actions or events that have happened as devoid of opinion and accusation as possible, and then provide your assessment, the "why," of the situation. Finally, ask for feedback to see if your assessment is accurate, at least in that person's view. (e.g., "How do you see it?") When you get feedback that you do not understand, ask open-ended questions that start with "why" and "how." Say things like "tell me more about that" or "help me understand that." Go in with the idea that you're trying to understand the other person and not simply setting that person straight. When one or both parties in a dispute believe that they and only they are the keepers of truth, little room is left for any meaningful movement. Enter into the discussion with the idea that you may not know all the facts.
2. If speaking with the other party to the dispute doesn't work out, try going to your supervisor, or the next supervisor in the chain if your immediate supervisor is a party to your dispute. Again, try to present the facts objectively.
3. If neither of these discussions works, consider mediation. Nobody will force a solution on you but more often than not, the parties find common ground and come up with an agreement. The mediator simply facilitates the discussion. Mediation resolves "irresolvable" issues every day. The odds are good it can work in your case, too, regardless of how bleak the outlook may appear from where you're standing. If all of your informal steps, despite your best efforts, fail, then you can always request a grievance hearing panel. See System Operating Standard HR 2.4.14 for specific procedures. Keep in mind that, while mediation can be requested anytime, employees have 10 workdays after any decision or action with which they disagree to contact their Campus Resolution Coordinator and request a formal grievance hearing.

Whether you need to discuss the possibility of a mediation or hash out grievance procedures, give George Reamy, the System Resolution Coordinator, a call at 254-867-3965, or shoot him an e-mail at george.reamy@systems.tstc.edu.