[LIS-Forum] Conflict Management

Dp Tripathi dptnitrkl at gmail.com
Sun Aug 7 10:58:38 IST 2016


Conflict Management:

Any library professional working anywhere in any library, always has to
play the dual role – first one is to understand the behavior of their
library patrons and the second one is to understand their superiors and
subordinates. In this regard, many professionals have given their opinion
and one of them is Mann and Katz who says, there are three skills of
managerial and they are:
1. Technical Skills
2. Human Relation Skills, and
3. Conceptual Skills
And, out of these three, most importnat is 'Human Relation Skill' which is
responsible to establish effective relationship with chiefs, superiors,
sub-ordinates and library patrons. A library professional, especially
Librarian, has to to be sensitive to the attitutdes, feelings and
requirement of staff members otherwise, he/she will not be able to estimate
the reaction of library staff of saying and doing. The important human
relations are not only those related to achieving the objectives of
organizations but those related to maintaining the organization's internal
system.

There are many factors that kill the interpersonal relationships and
CONFLICT is a very influential and one of them. After your best practices
and efforts sometimes conflict occurs between individuals and groups as
well. Lack of understanding between interacting individuals is the root of
interpersonal conflict.

However, libraries are considered totaly the institution of library patrons
and here in any situation, conflict can not be avoided. It is our
(Librarian) responsibility to identify the main areas of conflicts. This
may vary from one library to another library depending upon the nature of
the library, goal and objectives of the library and type of the library
users who are being served. Some of the genral areas where conflict may
occur easily and they are:
1. Authorities demanding more and more services to satisfy users' need with
limited resources
2. When any change is introduced, (either in infrastructure or library
services) it affects the timing of the sub-ordinates and also the
acceptance by the working staff (in most cases – introduction of computer)
3. Most important – when we (Librarian) avoid or fail to recognize the
special efforts taken by any staff to improve the library system and
services
4. When library users demanding more services but resources are very
limited or limited allocation
5. When we (Librarian) don't try to identify or recognize the conflicting
condition, it develops hostile relationship among staff and authority.
Sometime, deliberate conflicting condition is developed by some of the
sub-ordinate, that has to be identified seriously.

The best method to resolve these conflict is to identify the conflict first
and work on it seriously before hostile relationship takes place. Some of
the very known procedure may help to adopt and go ahead with any one of
them.
1. Suggestion Box: This is the best method to know and solve the conflict.
Many times, staff or anyone does not find courage to bring the real
condition before the authorities and conflict goes unnoticed. It will also
help to submit the problem without getting noticed.
2. Observation: The authority has to be sharp enough to observe the
behaviour or change in communication style, nature and behaviour of any
staff towards his/her head and also in working environment.

Conflict Management is the technique which can help the authority to
develop congenial environment and also restrain the staff from fighting and
argument. The authority with the conflict management technique can resolve
the conflict in constructive manner and easily establish healthy relation
between individuals.

Some of the mentioned ways may help to resolve the conflict:
1. Approaching personally
2. Participative Decision Making
3. Better understanding and cooperation
4. Building trust and faith for each other
5. Motivation and Encouragement
6. Sacrifice for the benefit of individuals
7. Changes in the system and structure of need sometimes may reduce the
conflict.

The above lines are based on readings different resources and personal
experience. There may be more options to resolve conflict through different
methods.

Request to share your input also in order to resolve the conflict.

Thanks,
DP Tripathi
NIT Rourkela

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