JA Career Success® Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

NAME: DATE:

Session Four: Conflict Resolution in

the Workplace
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Handbook

Vocabulary and Definitions

Vocabulary Definition

conflict disagreement over opinions, principles, or interests

conflict resolution the process of working out a dispute or disagreement

critical thinking the process of using logic and reasoning to make a judgment

active listening a technique in which the listener fully concentrates on, understands, responds
to, and remembers what a speaker says

empathy understanding the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of other people by

looking at the situation from their perspective

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

Scenario: Forklift Fiasco

Recently, the Logistics department at Orbit Boom has experienced some conflict
among team members. The department uses an order management system to
log shipments that arrive from production overseas. Once the shipping/receiving
associate logs a shipment, the system tells the forklift drive where to put items
in the warehouse. Similarly, when an order comes in, the order management
system identifies where things are stored in the warehouse so everyone can find
the inventory, pack it up, and ship it out to fulfill the order.
Some of the warehouse’s shelves are more than six feet high. Inventory boxes
can only be added to or retrieved from those shelves with a forklift. There are
only two forklifts, and three forklift operators must share them on a first come,
first served basis. The forklift operators argue over access to the forklifts, causing
delays in order processing. The team members blame each other for the delays,
and multiple orders have been sent out to customers late. Day-to-day work have
become tense, and the decrease in performance has become unacceptable. The
warehouse supervisor has approached Kyle Lewis, the VP of Logistics, for some
guidance on the best course of action for helping the team.

How to Resolve Conflicts

Video Notes: Parts 1, 2, and 3
Take notes about the Forklift Fiasco and your assignment.

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

The Four Steps of Win-Win Conflict Resolution

Practice active listening. Concentrate on what each person is saying and

_______________________________ what they say to ensure you understand it.

Use empathy. Set aside any personal feelings about the other people; be

respectful and try to see things from their _______________________________

_______________________________ _______________________________.

Agree on the facts. In a company, different people

______________________________ _______________________________

_______________________________, so have everyone share what they know.

Find creative solutions. To solve a problem together, use critical thinking

and _______________________________ brainstorming.

Win-Win Conflict Resolution

What is the supervisor's goal?

What steps would you take as the warehouse supervisor to create a win-win
situation?

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

Conflict Resolution in Action

Think It Through
What are some of the specific issues related to the conflict?

How can the people involved in the conflict get all the facts?

We Can Work It Out

• Assign each group member a character to play.

• Read through the script once silently. Underline anything you think increases
the conflict. Circle anything you think might help resolve the conflict.

• Act out the script with your group. When you reach the end of the script, stay
in character and continue the debate, following the prompt given.

• Use critical thinking, empathy, and active listening to solve the problems in
the warehouse.

The Characters
• Warehouse Supervisor (WS): warehouse supervisor for one year; has worked
for the company the longest (eight years)

• Warehouse Worker 2 (WW2): forklift operator; has worked for the company
for two years

• Warehouse Worker 3 (WW3): forklift operator; has worked at Orbit Boom for
two weeks (four years of experience at a previous company)

• Warehouse Worker 4 (WW4): forklift operator; has worked for the company
for one year

• Shipping/Receiving Associate (SRA): has worked at Orbit Boom for six

months (one year of experience at a previous company)

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

The Script
WS: All right, everybody, let’s get this meeting started so we can finish it and get
back to work. We all really need to resolve this conflict. Every minute you spend
arguing means another minute delay for our customers.
WW2: I’ll go first since I have seniority. This new hire [points at WW3] is the
problem, because whenever the forklift is missing for a long time, I know
instantly who was the last person to have it.
WW3: I was the last one to have it because I’m working the most. You guys assign
me all the stuff on the top shelves and the forklift is the only way to reach it.
WW4: We don’t give out the assignments and you don’t work any harder than the
other two of us. I resent you suggesting otherwise.
SRA: I don’t care why orders are being filled late, all I know is that I submit the
orders in plenty of time. You three are supposed to fill them. And it’s taking way
longer than it should.
WS: Arguing about it isn’t going to make things better.
WW3: Neither will blaming other people.
WW2: Fine, I won’t blame you. Yet.
WW4: I think we need a better system of sharing the forklifts. There are three of
us and only two forklifts.
WW2: I know, it’s like musical chairs. Someone is always left out, running around
trying to find stuff on the lower shelves you don’t need a forklift for.
SRA: Well, at least everyone is working hard. Sounds like it’s an equipment
problem.
WS: I can tell you right now, management isn’t going to buy another forklift. We
just spent a fortune on a new inventory system.
WW2: Yeah, but the inventory system can’t solve a personality problem…
WW3: I have a question. Why does the inventory system have so many popular
products that are up so high they can’t be reached?
WW4: That’s a good question, for a newbie.
WW3: I may be a newbie here, but I worked in Logistics for four years before I
came here.
WW2: Hm, it’s true that when we installed the new inventory system, a lot of
products got moved.
SRA: Hey boss, how much does a forklift cost?

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

WS: Don’t go thinking we’re going to get a new forklift. The ones we have are the
best money can buy. They cost about $20,000. Our equipment budget only has a
few thousand left in it this year.
WW4: Does the new inventory system allow us to reconfigure shelves if we want?
WS: I think so, but why would you want to do that? Just start getting along better!
That’s why we’re having this meeting.
SRA: Any solution will work, as long as it gets the orders flowing faster.
WW3: I think it’s about more than getting along. We’re fighting because the
system in the warehouse isn’t working, not because we don’t like each other.
WW4: Are you sure?
WS: Enough. I want to hear some win-win ideas that make everyone happy. We
don’t want management thinking the Logistics department can’t figure out how
to work together. It’s our job to keep things running smoothly! Let’s throw out
some solutions and get to something we can all agree on.
Each group member should contribute to a discussion about solutions. You can
expand on ideas that came up in the script, or come up with new ones. You must
resolve your conflicts and work together respectfully. You will present your solution to
the class. Try to stay in character.

Your solution:

Supporting points:

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JA Career Success Session Four: Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

Collaborate on a Solution
Work as a class to agree on a single solution to pitch to the VP, Kyle Lewis, and
the warehouse supervisor.

• Listen to each other’s points of view.

• List the options.

• Take a vote on each option to narrow down the list.

• Discuss the remaining options, giving everyone a voice.

• Take another vote.

• Have a final discussion to refine the wording of the agreed-upon solution.

Final solution:

Supporting points:

Key Takeaways
• When conflict is disrupting a team's goal, the whole team is responsible for
conflict resolution.

• Resolving a conflict together requires active listening, looking at the facts,

and using respect and empathy.

• Conflict resolution in the workplace requires keeping the company’s best

interests in mind.

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Reflect

• How did you apply each soft skill in this session?

° Conflict resolution:

° Critical and analytical thinking:

° Decision making:

° Teamwork:

° Leadership:

° Interpersonal skills:

• Do you think most people practice empathy? What would be different if

they did?

We don't get harmony when everybody sings

the same note. Only notes that are different can
harmonize. The same is true with people."
– Steve Goodier

• How does this quote relate to conflict resolution?

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