6.2 The Lesson: Strengths for Effective Conflict Resolution
In Chapter 5, we read about the benefits of a proactive approach to minimizing negative conflict at work. In Chapter 6, we will focus on the strengths that allow Human Resources professionals to solve problems and assist others in resolving workplace conflicts.
The Human Resources “Professional”
In Human Resources, you are often called a “professional.” You may be introduced to others as a Human Resources Professional. If you practice in Ontario, Canada, you might become a member of the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA). You may attain your Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.
What does it mean to be “professional”? According to Dale Atkins, being professional consists of four key elements. Watch the video and then discuss the four common key elements among professionals.
Video: “Being A Professional: Dale Atkins at TEDxYouth@EHS” by TEDxYouth [11:15] is licensed under the Standard YouTube License.Transcript and closed captions available on YouTube.
Chapter 6 Exercise 1
Discuss the four elements of professionalism. How would these four elements apply to problem-solving and conflict resolution in the workplace? Explain.
As Dale Atkins explains, the four elements that define a professional are knowing, doing, helping and learning. Let’s explore each of these elements from a Human Resources perspective.
Knowing
You acquire knowledge, a lot of knowledge. You are often referred to as a subject matter expert (SME). While you will gather knowledge over time, it will also come from practice. Knowing is more than an awareness of a topic; it is understanding it. You can share this knowledge and experience with others and can use it to describe situations and solve challenges.
Example: In conflict resolution, a Human Resources professional knows and understands the Thomas-Kilmann approaches to conflict resolution.
Doing
Now that you have this knowledge and understanding of a topic, the next step is to apply it. In this phase, we take action and often lead by example. This application of our specialized knowledge helps the organization move forward by resolving complex problems and conflicts that can paralyze a company.
Example: In conflict resolution, a Human Resources professional learns the details of the problem and applies one of the Thomas-Kilmann solutions to resolve the issue promptly.
Helping
In this process of doing, you are helping others. You make a difference in this stage by improving the situation and solving problems. You not only help people, but you also help the organization.
Example: In conflict resolution, a Human Resources professional helps individuals by assessing their needs and applying a solution that minimizes or resolves the conflict.
Learning
This is where you commit to being a life-long learner. Your knowledge and skills may not help solve tomorrow’s problems. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) is a great example. Human Resources professionals must learn AI and understand how it can be used.
Example: In conflict resolution, a Human Resources professional takes courses and reads books to ensure they stay up-to-date.
Trust
As the Human Resources professional in your organization, employees and leaders will come to you for coaching and guidance on problem-solving and conflict resolution. Partially, this is based on your reputation as a subject matter expert. Partially, this is because of a foundation of trust and credibility that you have built over time.
Trust has surfaced as a significant predictor of job satisfaction, job performance, and organizational commitment (Dirks & Ferrin, 2001; Flaherty & Pappas, 2000). At an organizational level, trust is positively related to revenue and profit (Davis et al., 2000). Looking at a younger age group, interpersonal trust has been found to significantly influence prosocial behaviour among college students (Guo, 2017). Prosocial behaviour is actions that intend to help another person or group, such as volunteering or helping (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989). This means that college students with more harmonious and trusting interpersonal relationships are more likely to engage in behaviour such as assisting someone who needs help, sharing their knowledge/resources, or working with others to achieve a shared goal. While trust is widely regarded as a critical component of healthy interpersonal relationships, the concept of “trust” can be difficult to define and describe.
Interpersonal trust ‘‘encompasses one’s willingness to accept vulnerability based on the expectation regarding the behaviour of another party that will produce some positive outcome in the future” (Krueger & Meyer-Lindenberg, 2019, p. 92). In simpler language, trust is “choosing to risk making something you value vulnerable to another person’s actions” (Feltman, 2011, p. 7). For example, trusting that another member in a group project will fulfill their portion of the assignment by the deadline.
Distrust, on the other hand, is defined as the belief that “what is important to me is not safe with this person in this situation (or any situation)” (Feltman, 2011, p. 8). When we’re with someone we trust, we feel safe and able to be open. On the contrary, when we’re with someone we have not built trust with, we might need to protect ourselves.
The emotions connected to trust are care, open-handedness, and curiosity, while the feelings related to distrust are resignation, bitterness, and fear. When experiencing trust, we are prone to cooperation and collaboration, open communication, supporting others, thinking critically about our behaviours, and expecting the best from people and situations. When experiencing distrust, we are likely to be defensive, blame and shame others, judge ourselves and others, withhold information, and expect the worst from people and situations.
Building Trust
Feltman (2011) shares a model in which the choice to trust comprises four distinct aspects of how a person might act (see Figure 6.2.1). The four aspects are as follows:
- Sincerity—the assessment that a person is honest, they are true to their word and their word is true, and their opinions are valid and supported by evidence (e.g., a manager outlines the three largest obstacles facing a group and shares a two-part strategy grounded in research for overcoming them).
- Reliability—the assessment of how well a person keeps commitments (e.g., a friend says they’ll reach out to you in a week to schedule a time to get together, and they do).
- Competence—the assessment that a person has the required skills, knowledge, and resources to do what they are supposed to do (e.g., a social media chairperson for a campus organization knows how to build a social media plan).
- Care—the assessment of how much a person is concerned with the interests of others as opposed to being exclusively motivated by self-interest (e.g., a friend tells you about the opportunity to apply for a competitive scholarship for which they are also applying).
Image Description
A Venn diagram with four overlapping circles labelled Sincerity, Reliability, Competence, and Care. These qualities are interconnected and collectively lead to the “Decision to Trust.” An arrow extends from this decision to the final outcome, which is labelled Result. The diagram implies that trust is built through a combination of these four elements, leading to a positive result once the decision to trust is made.
Building Trust in Teams
Thoughts on building trust at work typically center on the manager-employee relationship. Still, it is also important to consider fostering trust among team members, as trust is the foundation for all relationships within a project. Without a minimum level of trust, communication breaks down, and the project suffers.
A recent survey published in the Harvard Business Review by Ron Friedman (2024) identified the following five key behaviours of high-performing teams:
- High-Performing Teams Don’t Leave Collaboration to Chance. They discuss how they will work together first.
- High-Performing Teams Keep Colleagues in the Loop. A culture of inclusion is created.
- High-Performing Teams Share Credit. Share recognition for the success of the project.
- High-Performing Teams Believe Disagreements Make Them Better.
- High-Performing Teams Proactively Address Tension.
Trust develops naturally through behaviours shared by all team members, enabling everyone to bring their best to the team.
Strengths You Can Rely On
The Human Resources professional’s tool chest contains several strengths. These strengths include helping employees and people leaders with problems and workplace conflict resolution.
Tact
The Human Resources professional should know what to say to maintain the relationship and keep the conversation alive.
Example: “I know the past week has been difficult for you. I don’t want to minimize the impact on you and your family.”
Diplomacy
The Human Resources professional should be sensitive to the perspective of the person you are interacting with to ensure an effective outcome.
Example: “I understand how important this is to you based on your cultural background. We will find a solution that satisfies your beliefs and needs.”
Confidentiality
Human Resources professionals should protect sensitive information to build trust with everyone involved.
Example: “I appreciate your honesty, and I assure you this information will remain confidential.”
Flexibility
The Human Resources professional should recognize the need to be flexible and change as the situation changes.
Example: “Based on this latest update, let’s revisit our notes from our earlier brainstorming session and agree on a new path forward.”
Ethical
Human Resources professionals should conduct themselves in a moral and legally compliant manner.
Example: “I want to ensure we do the right thing based on our company policies and the legislation regarding harassment in the workplace.”
Impartiality
The Human Resources professional should focus on the people and the facts. There is no room to insert your thoughts and opinions; you should avoid personal bias.
Example: “Now that we have heard everyone’s needs in this matter, what do you think we should do moving forward?”
“Developing Trust & Being Trustworthy” from Developing Human Potential by Hannah Sunderman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Modifications: specific sections on defining trust and building trust were reused.
