Learning to Manage Conflict

by Dean Tjosvold

Most people go through their lives trying to avoid conflict. Yet, at work and at home, conflict is not only inevitable, according to Dean Tjosvold, but also beneficial. In today's fast-paced and competitive world, he says, knowing how to manage conflict successfully is essential. In Learning to Manage Conflict, Tjosvold demonstrates how everyday arguments and disputes can be used as tools to improve communication, enrich relationships, and solve problems more creatively. Whether the conflict originates at work or at home, he shows, the methods for managing it are similar. Using the technique he calls "cooperative conflict," he explains how those engaged in disputes can learn to recognize the goals they share, and the ways to collaborate to meet those goals. In the process of meeting their common objectives, says Tjosvold, the conflict partners will share information and resources, acknowledge the other's point of view, and discuss. Opposing ideas openly. This cooperation will lead to i