#131 the foot

I wrote my master's thesis on conflict and its resolution.  My premise was that there are three main sources of conflict:  role ambiguity, interdependence and scarce resources.  

While it was a study of student organizations, the key principles are applicable for most organizations (and relationships) today:
"Role conflict becomes an organizational problem when two or more people interpret or perceive the same situation differently and their interpretation results from different sets of concepts, values and attitudes; or when they attach different sets of expectations to a given role."*

More specifically in my professional experience, conflict grows when it is unclear as to who has the ultimate authority to make a decision.  Without a clear distinction of who can "put their foot down", disagreeing parties continue the debate and frustration mounts as the issue festers.  The marketing staff wants one design, but the client prefers another.  They go back and forth; who has the foot to end the debate?  One staff member wants to use vendor A while another parallel staff member prefers B.  Who ultimately makes the call?  One director wants the facilities area to work on project 1 while another director believes project 2 is more important.  Who decides?  The boss is going out of town and says the remaining staff should work together if something comes up.  Usually collegiality will prevail, but who has the foot to make a decision if push does come to shove?

So much of organizational life today is interdependent -- and most of the time that is great. But outlining a clear ultimate decision maker in the beginning can save much angst down the road.  In my five years in my current job, I have only had to "use the foot" once in a conflict between my departments where the directors couldn't work things out.  At that point I had to weigh whether I should choose a decision I favored or support who I thought had the ultimate responsibility to make the call (not the same thing).  I made a choice and we all got back to work.  Things are not so clean or clear in interdepartmental conflicts where no one is sure who really does decide.  Many hours of productivity are lost and morale can degenerate quickly when "moving on" is not an option because the problem lingers.  

At the start of your next project, try to be clear as to who holds the trump card -- and then work incredibly hard in such a way so that no one has to play it.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

* J.D. Lawson, L.J. Griffin, and F.D. Donant:  Leadership is Everybody's Business, 1976, p. 193.