Communication/Conflict in the Workplace

Read Brody (2014) Chapter 10: "Improving Communications and Handling Conflict".

In your written assignment to me:

1. Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with a subordinate or supervisor.

2. What were the concrete issues?

3. Describe the flow of communication in chronological order.

4. Describe how, when and where the communication occurred at each step of the way (i.e. e-mail, telephone, face-to-face, in the context of a meeting, etc.). Note anything about the environment or time of day or week that may have made the conflict worse. (For instance, late Friday afternoon after a tiring week, etc.)

5. Describe any emotional issues, personality factors, past history, etc. that might have made the situation more volatile.

6. Describe major "phases" of the encounter.

7. What was the end result?

8. As you reflect on this encounter, what helped it come to resolution? Was there anything that made the situation worse?

9. If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently and why?