In today’s fast-paced and interconnected business landscape, conflict resolution and bargaining have become indispensable leadership skills for organizational success. According to the World Economic Forum, people management is one of the 10 skills you need to thrive in today’s workforce. Four of the others also relate to people skills, as well as conflict resolution and bargaining: coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, service orientation and negotiation.
As working professionals seek to advance into more challenging and rewarding leadership roles, enrolling in an MBA program that heavily emphasizes developing these in-demand skills becomes an invaluable investment. The online Master of Business Administration (MBA) concentration in Management and Change program from Carleton University offers a unique opportunity for aspiring leaders to understand conflict resolution and bargaining comprehensively, empowering them to tackle challenges head-on and thrive as influential decision-makers in their respective industries.
Today’s Leaders Need Conflict Resolution Skills
Conflict resolution can occur through either a mediated or non-mediated process. In a mediated approach, a neutral third party facilitates discussions between the conflicting parties. The mediator encourages open communication, active listening and impartiality, guiding the parties toward a mutually agreeable solution. In a non-mediated process, the conflicting parties directly engage with each other, working collaboratively to address the issues at hand.
Regardless of the approach, these are some of the most important skills necessary to ensure a mutually workable resolution:
- Open communication: This capability fosters an environment where parties freely express their thoughts, concerns and perspectives without fear of judgment or reprisal. Transparent and honest dialogue paves the way for better understanding, smoother collaboration and the early identification of potential conflicts, enabling proactive resolution.
- Active listening: Active listening entails attentively focusing on the speaker, seeking to understand the ideas, emotions and underlying messages conveyed. This skill fosters empathy and trust, allowing conflicted parties to feel heard and valued. By actively engaging in attentive listening, individuals can uncover the root causes of conflicts and work towards mutually beneficial resolutions.
- Impartiality: Being impartial means maintaining a neutral stance and avoiding favouritism or bias while addressing conflicts. By remaining objective, conflict resolution processes are perceived as fair, encouraging parties to cooperate in finding common ground.
- Using ‘I’ statements: Employing ‘I’ statements during conflicts involves expressing personal feelings and perspectives without blaming or accusing others. This approach encourages non-confrontational communication, reduces defensiveness and promotes constructive problem-solving.
- Willingness to compromise and collaborate: A key conflict resolution skill is the willingness to find middle-ground solutions that satisfy the interests of all parties involved. Emphasizing collaboration over competition fosters a sense of teamwork, making it easier to reach agreements and maintain positive relationships.
- Prioritizing resolution over being right: Effective conflict resolution focuses on finding mutually beneficial outcomes rather than proving one’s superiority or being proven right. By prioritizing resolution, individuals can work collaboratively towards solutions that benefit all parties, contributing to a harmonious and productive work environment.
Bargaining Skills Are Vital in Leadership Roles
Business leaders require the ability to engage in principled negotiation, emphasizing mutual gains and long-term relationships over short-term victories. Versatile negotiation skills extend beyond bargaining tables, finding applications across many workplace scenarios.
Whether securing vital resources for a project, negotiating pricing with suppliers or bargaining terms with partners, effective negotiation skills are invaluable in steering organizations towards success. These are some of the most critical moral bargaining skills to secure agreeable outcomes for all parties involved:
- Empathy and emotional intelligence: These skills enable negotiating parties to understand and connect with the emotions, concerns and perspectives of others. Negotiators can cultivate rapport and build trust by fostering a deep sense of mutual understanding, creating an environment conducive to collaborative problem-solving.
- Problem-solving and creativity: Training in this area enables negotiators to explore innovative solutions and think outside the box. By approaching challenges with an open mind and a willingness to explore various options, negotiators can uncover win-win opportunities and overcome impasses more effectively.
- Flexibility and adaptability: Negotiators who exhibit these capabilities can adjust their approaches based on evolving circumstances and dynamics. This skill ensures negotiators can respond to unexpected challenges, remain open to new ideas and pivot their strategies when necessary to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Patience and resilience: Demonstrating these qualities allows negotiators to persist through complex and time-consuming negotiations without losing focus or becoming discouraged. This skill helps negotiators maintain a positive attitude, overcome setbacks and stay committed to reaching mutually beneficial agreements.
Develop These Skills in Carleton’s Online MBA Concentration in Management and Change Program
Carleton University’s online MBA concentration in Management and Change program is offered through the Sprott School of Business, which was recognized for its social impact and sustainability achievements in the 2021 Positive Impact Rating (PIR) at the UN PRME Global Forum. The program’s emphasis on people-management skills exemplifies some primary reasons for this accolade.
Courses in Managing People and Organizations, Conflict and Negotiation, Power and Influence, Managing Diversity and Leading and Managing Change are especially impactful in producing the high demand for graduates ready to handle the most challenging people management demands.
Learn more about Carleton University’s online MBA concentration in Management and Change program.