Conflict Resolution #6 – Stage 4: Coalitions

This is article 6 of the series on Conflict Resolution

Workplace disagreements are bound to arise due to employees’ diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and objectives. Although it’s not always a bad thing, ignoring it can be. It can reduce productivity and create an undesirable work atmosphere. That’s why conflict resolution is crucial to keep things from getting out of hand.

The nine-stage conflict escalation model developed by Friedrich Glasl has been successful in resolving conflicts. In this article, we will cover the fourth stage, which is coalitions.

What Occurs During the Fourth Stage of Conflict Escalation?

Thinly veiled attacks on the other party’s social image, overall demeanour, position, and relationships with others are the setting for Stage 4. At this stage, the struggle is no longer over specific issues but rather about winning or losing. Both sides are more concerned about preserving their good name.

This is the point at which parties in conflict begin to assign collective qualities to members of the opposing side and members of their own group. Individuals are viewed as untrustworthy, incompetent, and overbearing because of affiliation with a particular party.

Typical perceptions of the earlier stages have been solidified and reinforced into full-blown generalised and persistent impressions of the other side. Stereotypical, entrenched, and resistant to change, these perceptions are hard to shake. Images of this nature play a vital function in establishing a feeling of orientation. They give the impression that one knows what to anticipate from the surrounding environment.

Although the negative perception of the other side is based on prejudices and assumptions about their intentions and goals, it does not invalidate their essential moral integrity. When the parties interact, these negative impressions take up the entire field of vision, obscuring the positive ones.

The sides cannot see each other’s full complexity and personality because of these filters. Nobody accepts the image of themselves that is painted by the opposing side. However, both parties try to persuade one another that their own images deserve recognition. One of the most telling signs that a group is in Stage 4 is the inability of the participants to speak highly of their counterparts. Some believe that the opposing side is incapable of change, labelling them as “uneducable.”

Stereotypes exert a subtle but significant influence on both parties, causing them to feel pressure to play the parts that have been given to them. These behavioural expectations can be quite difficult to break free from. Because of this, both parties no longer take responsibility for the conflict’s subsequent escalation based on their own acts and intentions.

Encounters are rife with attempts to exploit the other side’s weaknesses to hurt them. The conventional norms are followed, but hostile behaviours are taken advantage of whenever possible. At this point, interactions usually involve “deniable punishment behaviour.” The opposing party is provoked, ridiculed, and chastised, yet these actions are done in ways that do not violate formal rules of etiquette. Insinuations, cryptic remarks, sarcasm, and body language can be used to deliver attacks. However, the aggressor can claim that they didn’t mean any harm or offence if questioned. There will almost certainly be some retaliation since neither side can address the issue openly. Because the attacks are being carried out in the background, there is less risk of a public scandal.

During this stage, the sides actively seek out the support of onlookers to win their argument. Opposing sides plan and carry out actions aimed at improving their public image. In addition, the parties actively strive to stage public confrontations to gain new supporters.

Actions are now primarily concerned with affecting the opposite side and gaining an advantage in the battle of wills rather than accomplishing outcomes regarding the actual issue. Attacks are launched against the other party’s character, demeanour, conduct, position, and interpersonal relationships. The core of the disagreement is no longer perceived as a clash of ideas but rather as an inherent flaw in the character of the other party.

Common Signs of Conflict at Stage 4

During the fourth stage, keep an eye out for the following warning signs:

Smear Campaigns

Smear campaigns deliberately and strategically employ exaggerations, assumptions, and false allegations in an attempt to undermine the credibility of the opposing side. One party strives to discredit the other. If innocent gossip has turned into something malicious, then you should be alarmed.

Underhanded Comments

The other side is harassed, humiliated, and condemned without breaking the rules of workplace decorum. Attacks can be delivered through innuendos, veiled comments, irony, and nonverbal cues. Watch out for passive-aggressive statements made by employees. These could signify that the conflict is taking a turn for the worse.

Public Confrontations

Parties will go to great lengths to stage their confrontations in public to get support from individuals who aren’t directly involved in the conflict. This can be disruptive to work and worsen polarisation in the office.

De-escalation Techniques

The conflict has progressed to the point where there will be a winner and a loser. However, this does not rule out the possibility of resolving the situation with the help of mediation. Here are a few basic steps to follow while mediating employees:

1. The mediator sits down with the parties engaged in the dispute to discuss it.
2. The mediator explains why the mediation is taking place and what it hopes to accomplish.
3. It is important that each participant explains their point of view on the issue without interruption or comment from the other side. This should be a brief dialogue that explains the dispute and identifies whose perspectives are at odds with one another. If one person attacks the other, you should step in.
4. As the mediator listens to each party, they acquire information about the situation.
5. The mediator helps both parties find common ground and resolve issues.
6. The mediator requests each party to identify the steps they want to see the opposite side take to resolve the dispute.
7. Ultimately, both parties reach an understanding and agree to make the necessary changes to bring the issue to a close.

The Bottomline

Workplace conflicts are inevitable. However, when disputes aren’t handled properly, they can devolve into something that can hamper productivity. Factions may form, and there will be a rift between employees. To rein the situation back in, we’ve shared some steps you can take to mediate the conflict. However, as bad as the disagreement may seem, it can turn even worse.

In the next instalment of this series, we will discuss the fifth stage of escalation: loss of face.