Reference no: EM132184765

Purpose/overview:Conflict is an inevitable part the communication in our work, school, and social lives. To be effective communicators, we need to understand what conflict is, why it occurs, and how to handle it. Like all communication skills, conflict management develops through practice and real-life application.

Directions: Read the case study below. Then, analyze the case using the reflection and response steps provided.  Your eventual goal is to write an effective Perception Check John could use to approach this conflict.

Case Study: John is a hard-working employee. He always shows up on time and does what his supervisor asks him to do. John also has wonderful customer service skills. Several of his co-workers have been on the job for years and feel they know more than John. As a result, they treat him as a subordinate instead of a peer by telling him what to do, slacking off when he’s around, and reminding him that they’ve to had put up with this inequity, too. They mock John when he does something well and humiliate him when he makes mistakes.

John has been tolerating their unprofessional behavior because he doesn’t want to appear difficult, but he’s had enough. He approached his supervisor and voiced his concerns. John’s supervisor responded: “Nothing is fair in life, John. We all have to pay our dues. After all, they’ve been here an awfully long time.”

He really likes his job and knows he’s good at it, but he’s increasingly frustrated with his work environment.  What should John do next?

Typical Reactions.  Write at least two statements John could use that would reflect our typical, often thoughtless approach to a conflict of this nature (don’t get too nasty in your language).

Identify what you know. What personal experiences does each person bring to the conflict?  What are the facts? What has each participant done to “cause” the conflict? What emotions are being experienced by each participant? Provide lots of ideas!

John                            Co-workers                            John’s boss

What is your recommendation for John?

Create an appropriate perception check containing facts, explanations, feelings, consequences, and a request statementJohn could use to approach this conflict with his co-workers.

Create an appropriate perception check containing facts, explanations, feelings, consequences, and a request statementJohn could use to approach this conflict with the boss.

Conversation differences. Reflect upon the result of the conversations from number 1 and 3 above.  Explain in detail how the conversations would be different--the long-term effects either approach could have, whether each approach would likely resolve the conflict, etc.