Turing Walls into bridges TOPIC 8 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Turing Walls into bridges TOPIC 8 Deck (20)
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1
Q

Conflict and Interaction

A

• Although it is not possible to eliminate conflict from our lives what we can do is to manage it

2
Q

Conflict Definition

A

The interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatible goals and interference from each other in achieving those goals → so it encompasses the notion of interaction of interdependence and of perception. All of these are key features.

3
Q

Components of conflict

A
  • interdependence is key to the development of competence in managing this challenging aspect of communication
  • Conflict can be positive (eg a constructive clash of ideas) Or it can be negative (eg a destructive clash of personalities)
  • It can proceed in a robust but productive way
  • It can also escalate and become destructive to both parties with no useful outcome
4
Q

The potential of conflict in interaction

A
  • The conflict of ideas is different to the conflict of personalities.
  • The conflict of ideas can happen in the context of sports and business and in almost every aspect of our lives.
  • It has the potential to contribute greatly to creativity
  • When different ideas come together and work through conflicting goals constructively, the outcome can be a combining of different kinds of knowledge leading to innovation
5
Q

Potential positive outcomes from conflict

A
  • Where conflict is managed positively Stronger relationships can develop.
  • Important issues can be aired so that understanding from both sides are impressed.
  • Effectively manage conflict can reduce tension it can result in a: Re-evaluation/clarification of goals and missions of both parties.
  • It can pave the way for social or organisational change
  • The effective management of conflict is an extremely valuable, productive and transferable communication competence
6
Q

As we manage conflict we need to:

A
  • Acknowledge both its positive and negative aspects
  • Recognize movements towards constructive or destructive directions as they happen.
  • Understand specific behaviours and interaction patterns that occur in the context of managing conflict
  • Be aware of the forces that influence these patterns
7
Q

Key points to remember

A
  • Conflict is based in interaction
  • The parties are interdependent
  • One thing that differs is their perception. They perceive incompatible goals
  • They perceive each other as interfering with achievement of their goals
  • Communication is vital – since it shapes perception and guides behaviour
  • Conflict not only involves communication but also a difference of interest → important thing to remember, communication is vital in managing conflict but it’s not the only thing involved in conflict. Remember there is also a difference of interest.
8
Q

Another dimension of difference in conflict is realistic vs unrealistic. What is realistic conflict?

A

• Realistic conflict is associated with differences in the means to an end and/or in the ends themselves → more related to contents.

9
Q

Another dimension of difference in conflict is realistic vs unrealistic. What is unrealistic conflict?

A

• Unrealistic conflict focuses more on the intention to defeat and/or hurt the other party → more closely associated with feeling. That draws our attention to an important aspect of communication of all kinds. Communication and the language is a symbolic representation operates on a number of levels simultaneously. Two of those are:

1. the contents level
2. and affective or feeling level
10
Q

Another dimension of difference in conflict is realistic vs unrealistic

A

• Both are very powerful but we need to be aware that both are distinct. And we need to know that we can manage them.

11
Q

Resolution and outcomes - Productive Conflict

A
  • Productive resolution of conflict depends on flexibility and the belief that the goals of both parties can be attained → so flexibility and belief…these have more to do with the affective → the feeling part of communication.
  • Productive conflict resolution results in a satisfactory or acceptable solution for both parties → this doesn’t mean that the road is necessarily easy.
  • It is sometimes competitive as people work to preserve power and to save face
  • Productive conflict means there is greater clarity on the position of the other party → sense of increased understanding for both parties.
12
Q

Resolution and outcomes - Destructive conflict

A
  • Destructive conflict is characterised by inflexibility and the belief that one side must win and the other side must lose → affective aspect of communication is associated more again with feeling.
  • Destructive conflict is sometimes associated with fear of losing and or fear of loss of self-esteem and loss of face, loss of position, loss of identity.
  • Parties may become polarised and more strongly defend non-negotiable positions
  • Many conflicts however exhibit both productive and destructive interaction
  • Either way conflict is fundamentally interactive
13
Q

Conflict as fundamentally interactive

A
  • Since each party makes comments with some awareness of the likely response this is somewhat predictive
  • This underpins a strong tendency for cyclic or repetitive communication behaviour in the management of conflict. An engagement of conflict.
  • It draws attention to the dynamic nature of interaction and its complexity, since it is more than just the individual contributions that matter - the interaction takes on what the text terms ‘a life of its own’ → indeed interaction does. It draws our attention to the dynamic nature of context.
  • The context is impacted by each ‘move’, each conservational, interactional move and it can go one way or another at any time.
  • Our predictions in making the move may not be right – the other person or party may not respond as we expect
  • It is impossible to calculate all the possibilities in the ‘spiral of predictions’
  • This reminds us of the concept of nexting mentioned in earlier chapters, and the notion that we can only be responsible for our own next move → that reminds us that the management of conflict is in our own hands, we have the chance to change it, to make it more positive, and to stop the negative form getting out of hand.
14
Q

What is ‘A communication spiral’?

A
  • a communication ‘spiral’ in which the actions of each person magnify those of the other
  • With each person’s contribution the interaction gathers momentum and feeds back on itself → hence the notion of a spiral which expands and feeds back as it goes along.
  • Wilmot explains that ‘closeness and harmony build more closeness and harmony’ whereas ‘misunderstanding and dissatisfaction create more misunderstanding and dissatisfaction’ (p 401)
15
Q

Elements of communication spirals

A

• participants’ meanings intertwine and relational synergy both builds on itself and accelerates → you can see this In the comment ‘it takes on a life of its own’

16
Q

o Spirals may be symmetrical

A

in which each person does more of the same → if one person or party is shouting the other person will shout louder. The first party will shout louder again and so it goes on.

17
Q

o A spiral may be complementary

A

in such a spiral the person or party does more of the opposite (Bateson, 1972,1979) → the more someone shouts, the more someone/another party can take a calm and measured tone.

18
Q

Outcomes of communication spirals can be generative

A

• A generative communication spiral is one in which behaviours interlock to produce more positive feelings about the relationship between the parties

19
Q

Outcomes of communication spirals can be degenerative

A

• By contrast in degenerative spirals are characterised by misunderstanding and discord which contribute to more and more relationship damage which escalates and can get out of control. This potential for infinite regress (negative, negative, negative) can lead to relationship breakdown and determination of relationships either between people or parties or organisations or groups → so it’s a no win situation.

20
Q

What can we do about degenerative spirals?

A
  • Relationships often involve both generative and degenerative spirals
  • To alter a degenerative spiral – think back to the notion of ‘nexting’ – we can only be responsible for our own next move
  • Avoiding the usual predictable response and do what does not come naturally we can have a substantial positive impact
  • For instance - If someone is shouting at you – you could not shout back → shift the dynamic.
  • We could use third parties constructively → third party can unlock all sorts of aspects of management of the conflict that were inherit or unspoken or implicit.
  • We can use meta-communication → we can stand back and actually comment of what is happening with the communication.
  • ( ie communicate about the communication ‘ we seem to be making progess’ , ‘we seem to have lost track here’
  • We may chose to spend less time with the other person or party.
  • We can change or adjust the external situation
  • Changing the pattern is very powerful
  • It provides a pause in the pattern and the opportunity to shift the dynamic