The Last Word on Conflict Management?

The first word on conflict management is ‘collaboration’ – which, as I said here last time, is also central to the World Health Organisation’s definition of a ‘Healthy Workplace’.   The ‘last word’, in terms of the current series of the pod,  is ‘culture’ because, as I say on the show, it ‘runs under, over, around and through everything we need for a successful collaboration’.

The subject of shared:

·         Values,

·         Beliefs,

·         Attitudes and

·         Practices (to name just a few elements!)

is multi-layered, multi-dimensional – and dynamic.  So I’m not even going to pretend I can do it justice on one pod and post.  What I’ve aimed to do on the pod is to flag up some examples of cultural trip wires – and what I’m aiming to do here is to give you some tools to help you spot them– before you fall over them.

Those tools are contained in the Model of National Differences, developed by Fons Trompenaars, with Charles Hampden-Turner; but you can adapt them for use in an industry and your particular business.  They can even help you define how you invest your attention resources and how that differs from other people you deal with at work.  That understanding helps you identify areas of existing or potential conflict – and the best way of dealing with them.

If you’ve read earlier posts, you’ll know I normally give you five tips; but this time, I’m going to go through all seven dimensions of Trompenaars’s model – because this is the final post to come from a pod, for a little while – and because I couldn’t decide which two to leave out! 

In each case, it isn’t an either/or question – there is a spectrum.  So even between two cultures which fall into the same category on paper (like the UK and US), there can be a lot of variation – and so, a lot of scope for conflict:

1 Environmental Control – Internal vs. External:

In a more internal culture, we like to control environmental outcomes.  In a more external community, they prefer to stay in harmony with nature and let it take its course.

2 Time – Sequential vs. Synchronic (or Synchronous):

This is the one that tripped me up a few years ago – as I explained on Episode 8 of the pod!

More sequential cultures like the structure of schedules and deadlines – and (traditionally at least) tackling one task at a time.  More synchronic cultures are likely to treat deadlines as guidelines and to tackle several tasks at the same time. 

Of course, culture is a living thing, which changes over time – and the distinctions between sequential and synchronic time cultures have definitely blurred over the years.  We looked at that on Ep4 of the pod – when we dealt with ‘the multi-tasking myth’.

3 Public/Private Life - Specific vs. Diffuse:

‘Specific’ here means a person’s status is specific to whether they’re acting in their professional, or personal, capacity.  So two colleagues at different professional levels, who share a hobby, might be quite formal with one another at work – but completely informal on the golf course, or the tennis court.

If they were operating in a more diffuse culture, the difference in professional status would be diffuse across every area of their lives – so professional formality would carry through to personal formality. 

4 Status – Achievement vs. Ascription:

In an achievement culture, status has to be earned.  In an ascription culture, it’s ascribed according to criteria such as:

·         Birth,

·         Age or

·         Title.

This Is an example of the potential for significant differences between the apparently similar. 

The US has always been an achievement culture – and the UK is often included in the same category.  We’re certainly closer now than we’ve ever been – but it’s worth remembering, we still have ascription – including within our aristocracy. 

5 - Principles and Practices – Universalism vs. Particularism:

I talk about this spectrum on the show – between:

·         The conviction that the same principles etc can be applied to anyone, anywhere, without being adapted; and

·         The belief that how we apply those principles depends on the circumstances – so you need to get to know the people you’re dealing with.

Again, time has blurred the boundaries.  As I say on the pod:

‘Globalism has softened universalism’.

If you’ve read any of these posts before, you’ll know I stand firmly in the second camp.  Experience has taught me that, in the vast majority of cases:

·         Perception begins with perspective – what we ‘see’ (or think we ‘see’) starts with where we’re ‘looking from’; and

·         Context shapes content.

6 Priorities – Individualism vs. Communitarianism:

This also comes up on the show – the spectrum which runs between cultures where:

·         The individual on one hand and

·         The group on the other,

Comes first.

7 Expression – Neutral vs. Emotional:

This spectrum speaks for itself really; but for completeness:

In neutral cultures, it’s considered ‘unprofessional’ to show strong feelings, whereas in motional cultures, people express themselves more openly and easily.

In our time, people aren’t only influenced by the culture they grew up in.  They can be touched by any values etc they connect with – through their heritage, family ties, long-distance friendships – even the media.

The result for those of us in business is that, even if we never do any international trade, we’re likely to come up against at least one of the dimensions of difference I’ve just outlined.  Now I’ve flagged them all, hopefully you’ll spot them before they trip you up – and cost you money – and more!

Any group with shared:

·         Values,

·         Attitudes,

·         Beliefs and

·         Practices etc,

Has a ‘culture’ – and whether it’s positive or negative impacts on everything and everyone it touches.  That came up in a business news story this week:

I’m talking about the intention of Thames Water (a company which has consistently failed to perform financially, environmentally and in relation to customer service), to pay twenty-one of their senior executives over and above their salaries, last April.  I’m choosing my words carefully because there’s a lot of controversy behind the scenes.

On Monday (9th June), on the BBC, Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said the underlying problem was the ‘culture’ in the industry.  He argued the lack of competition had caused these businesses to ‘lose focus’ – to ‘become addicted to debt and dividends’ and to forget their real purpose – to provide water and suage services.  This, he said, caused them ‘to behave more like hedge funds, or merchant banks’ than providers of an essential commodity.

Any industry or business which loses sight of its main purpose is open to internal, as well as external conflict – which is likely to prove more expensive than any bonus – or ‘retention’ package, in the long run.

Changing a culture is never going to be a quick fix – but it can be done – and the investment will yield dividends – financial and otherwise.

Although there’s no show next week, I will be here with another post.  .  In the meantime, if you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work – cultural or otherwise – come and talk to me!  All my details are on the website:

http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com