Conflict management and prevention

Conflicts are natural and happen all the time. They can have positive as well as negative consequences for the ship. It is the way they are resolved that determines the outcome. Negative consequences may lead to relations between some people becoming locked or possibly even to a total breach. Positive outcomes could be people learning from the conflict and getting new ideas.

Keeping a track on conflicts and dealing with them is therefore an important management skill.

Conflict ladder – step by step

The conflict ladder shows how a conflict can escalate from a small disagreement into open hostility. At each step, there is the option of either going up or down the ladder, that is either escalating or relaxing the conflict. Seeing a conflict escalate is associated with considerable human loss.

Green conflict
The first step on a ladder is disagreement. We disagree about something but provided the parties resolve the situation rapidly and constructively, the conflict will have positive outcomes. This means that we need to focus on the situation and not drag the other person's personality into the picture, and as a result you will learn from each other and each other's situation.

What can I do as manager to keep the conflict in the green?

Regularly check the temperature of crew well-being and relations. Talk openly to them about how work is going.

• Be a good role model and tackle disagreements constructively.

• Make space for flexibility aboard for differences in the crew

• Take the initiative to hold discussions about the best way of tackling conflicts aboard. For example, discuss it at a crew meeting and work out some general ground rules together.

Yellow conflict

In the next three steps it all becomes personal. The problem escalates and there is less dialogue. Those involved switch their focus from the actual problem to the personalities. People increasingly see the other party's negative characteristics.

What can I do as manager?

An independent party now needs to help sort it all out so that the conflict does not escalate further.

• Do not be afraid of intervening and offering your help.

• Call the parties in to a meeting and tell them what the meeting is about so they are prepared.

• Help the parties talk together. It will help them understand and listen to each other better.

• Make it clear how you as manager can and cannot help – and how you will deal with the matter of confidentiality.

• Help the parties understand more about the situation and their possible options by asking open questions, such as "In this situation, what is important for you?" or "What do you think is important for the other?" Be supportive without taking sides or playing down the problem.

• Consider whether there is something you can do yourself at the organisational level to defuse the conflict. Consider for example working conditions – is there uncertainty about who has the authority/competence to do what?

• Give the parties time to take the responsibility for finding a solution that satisfies both.

• Check whether the parties need help afterwards.

• Follow-up subsequently – ask them how it is going.

Red conflict

The final three steps mean more emnity, open hostility and polarisation. The conflict develops into a war in which accusations and destructive attacks are made against each other. The original case has been forgotten.

What can I do as manager?

• Get the parties to agree to a mediation process. You may need to use your formal authority to get the parties together. Read more about mediation

• Get help from external consultants

• Consider whether the parties should be separated by redeploying them or reorganizing work.

• Consider whether other crew aboard ship should be briefed and involved.

Mediation - the manager as a conflict solver

Mediation – or conflict resolution – is a system in which a neutral third party (the manager) is responsible for re-establishing constructive dialogue, allowing the parties to resolve the conflict themselves. Mediation means being in the middle.

The manager must avoid becoming a judge. That creates winners and losers which does not help relations. The fact that it may also sometimes be necessary to dismiss employees because of their inability to work together is quite another matter. Then we are no longer talking about mediation.

Important considerations and tasks

As manager, your most important function is to be a neutral moderator, so you should consider the following before you start:

• Are you part of the conflict yourself?

• Do you have strong sympathy/antipathy for either of the parties?

If you answer yes to either of the questions, you will find it very difficult to be neutral. It would probably be better to choose someone else as mediator.

Remember the importance of the following during mediation:

• Do not suggest solutions yourself.

• Do not express your own attitudes and put the blame on one or the other person.

• Stick to strictly being a moderator throughout the entire process.

• Create a framework in which the parties feel secure and find their own solutions.

• Ask questions along the way.

• Summarise where the parties have got to and express optimism and hope

There are five phases in conflict mediation:

1) The parties are informed about the procedure and each give their side of the conflict

2) The parties agree on the nature of the problem

3) The parties find solutions

4) The parties negotiate solutions

5) The parties agree on the future

Mediation – step by step

Before starting on mediation, ensure that:

• You are seated between and equally far from both parties

• The parties sit facing each other

• Everybody can have eye contact

Phase 1 - Information on the process and view of the conflict

The manager reports on the process and proceedings

• People speak one at a time and listen to each other

• Do not discuss each other's statements

• The manager is in the chair and is therefore the person to ask questions and summarize

• The manager asks questions and tries to establish the background to the conflict

• One party reports on the conflict. Start for example by saying: "Tell me a little about how you see the situation"

• The other party reports on the conflict. Get him/her started by saying: "Now it is your turn to say how you see the situation "

• The manager summarizes the most important input

Phase 2 – Establish common understanding /identification of the problems

• The manager endeavours to get the parties to reach mutual understanding.

• The manager controls proceedings so that the parties explain their own needs and interests instead of making demands on the other party. Proceedings can be controlled for example by way of such questions as "What do you feel is important? Have I understood you correctly in this what you need is..., that you agree on.......?" etc.

• The manager lists their common problems and ensures that the parties agree on the list. "Do you agree that the main problems are...and ...?" • The manager concludes Phase 2 when there is a common understanding of what the main problems are. For example: "We disagree how to do the duties we share and on who is responsible for ensuring work is done properly and on time."

• It can be a good idea to write the main problems down.

Phase 3 – Create solutions

• The manager asks the parties to provide ideas for solutions, one at a time, using such questions as "How do you think the problem could be solved?"

• Brainstorming for possible solutions under the leadership of the manager. This means that other people's proposals should not be criticized but used to provide inspiration for other, different proposals.

• The manager inspires the parties to assess each other's ideas in positive terms, for example by saying: "What are the possibilities for this proposal?"

Phase 4 – Negotiating solutions

The manager encourages the two parties:

• To talk about how they both see the future, for example: "How do you think these solutions will work in future for you both?"

• Consider what can be done and what it will require.

• Stick to the things where agreement has now been reached.

• Emphasize the issues on which they have moved towards each other.

Phase 5 – Make agreements

• Agreements should usually be written down by the manager (these are confidential agreements ) and contain the following:
  - A brief description of the problem and solutions
  - Who does what and when. It is important for both parties to make an effort
  - Both parties are winners

• A good solution:
  - Takes into account the interests of both parties
  - Contains realistic obligations for both parties
  - Is easy to understand and comply with
  - Satisfies both parties

Preventing conflicts

One way of tackling the process of preventing conflicts is to establish a dialogue on well-being aboard. This could be about how you can work together to enhance general well-being or you might decide to work specifically on preventing social isolation. This method is not suitable if you have major conflicts aboard since it rarely leads to a more tolerable situation. Past experience has shown, however, that people are "braver" than one would think provided that management are positive about the process. The four phases of the process are described below. Each phase can be dealt with in half an hour given good preparation.

Tool: Focus on Well-being

This tool focuses on what works and what should be improved.

There are issues that everybody has an opinion about. It is important to get everybody's views so as to set up a well balanced project for promoting positive aspects aboard while identifying and raising the profile of the issues that could be improved.

Phase 1 – What can we do better?

Step 1

Let everybody sits by themselves for 5 - 10 mins considering the two questions.
- What works well for well-being aboard?
- How could well-being aboard be better?

Then set up small groups of 3-4 people.

Step 2

The small groups then discuss their proposals for the two questions. Write their proposals on the flip over:
- What works well?
- What could work better?

Step 3

At a joint meeting subsequently, each group presents their view of what works well and what could be better. This means that groups respond rather than individuals having to stand up for themselves.

The various groups’ suggestions should be written on a flip-over or a board.

This way you get an overall view of what works and what could be improved in working on promoting well-being, as expressed in the employees’ own words.

Phase 2 – Prioritising

Then prioritize where action needs to be taken. Here it is important to clarify what people think is most important. But it is important to be aware that this is just an indicator. Management then need to think what can be done given the resources/ frameworks that are available. Priorities can be determined by a simple vote. Tell people that they have a total of three votes which can be cast by using a speed marker to tick the three topics they think are most important, meaning one vote per topic per individual voter. This gives the group's view on priorities. It also means that as management, you have a clear indication of what the crew feels is most important aboard.

Phase 3 – Solutions

The next phase consists of making suggestions for improvements. Proposals can often be implemented immediately. There might be small things that have irritated lots of people for a long time, such as never be able to find things because of people not putting tools back where they belong. Other proposals may need more planning and further consideration. Management should do some further planning on such proposals and possibly prioritize them according to the vessel's resources and options. Management can then either do more work on the proposals themselves or set up working groups with representatives from management and crew (see below).

Step 1 - For each of the three highest priority themes, discuss:

• What can you do together?

• What can management do?

• What can individuals do?

• Make an action plan that says who is holding the rope, who does what and when something should happen It is most effective when done in smaller groups.

Step 2 Proposals for solutions and action plans should be presented to everyone.

This lets them all have a chance to say something and possibly make good additional suggestions.

Phase 4 – Taking proposed solutions forward

Consider setting up a small working group to continue the process subsequently, with the captain being a member ex officio and one or two crew members as well.

The working group's assignment is to:

1) Put the results of the meeting into good order and circulate the report to all.

2) Review the issues raised, think about them and discuss them.

3) Continue the process with an action plan stating which activities and solutions are to be implemented, with the timetable and persons responsible.

4) Call a meeting on the plan with everybody presents so it can be discussed, modified and improved.

5) Follow up on activities right to the end, tidy up loose ends and consider progress.

This process can be used many times when taking the temperature of well-being aboard.

It can also serve as the vessel's mental working environment risk assessment.

ARTICLES RELATED TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION