CHAPTER 12
Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with the knowledge to develop many of the
communication skills necessary for effective leadership. A secondary purpose is to explain the basics of
CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES
Open communication between company leaders and group members helps an organization overcome
problems and attain success. John Hamm says that effective communication is a leader’s most essential
tool for executing the essential job of leadership: inspiring organizational members to take responsibility
for creating a better future.
I. COMMUNICATION NETWORKS FOR LEADERS
A major feature of communication by leaders is to rely on networks of contacts both in-person and
electronically. Leadership networks are a response to a rapidly changing world in which
interconnectedness is important because it facilitates learning and solving complex problems.
Networks provide resources and support for leaders.
A. Face-to-Face Communication Networks
Developing networks of live interpersonal contacts remains an essential method for a leader to
build relationships, motivate others, and attain collaboration. Leaders achieve more engagement
on attaining business goals directly.
B. Social Media Networks
An important use of the social media is for the leader to build and maintain a professional
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
C. Group Chat as a Communication Network
Chat is becoming the backbone of many business organizations bringing together both people
II. INSPIRATIONAL AND POWERFUL COMMUNICATION
Both formal and informal leaders must be persuasive and dynamic communicators. Two key
domains are speaking and writing, and nonverbal communication. Seven basic principles of
persuasion presented later in this chapter are also relevant here.
A. Speaking and Writing
The majority of effective leaders have an extra snap or panache to their communication style.
The same energy and excitement are reflected in both speaking and writing. Colorful
language is important for communicating a vision.
1. Be Credible. If the speaker is perceived as highly credible, the attempt at persuasive
communication is more likely to be successful.
4. Use Heavy-Impact and Emotion-Provoking Words. Certain words used in the proper
context give power and force to your speech. Using powerful, upbeat language can
enhance a person’s leadership image. Closely related to using heavy-impact language is
the use of emotion-provoking words. Examples of emotion-provoking and powerful
words include “outclassing the competition,” “bonding with customers,” and
“capturing customer loyalty.” It also helps to use words and phrases that connote being
modern, such as virtual organization, and transparent organization. A large vocabulary
assists using both heavy-impact and emotion-provoking words.
7. Minimize Language Errors, Junk Words, and Vocalized Pauses. If you minimize
common language errors you increase persuasiveness and appear more articulate and
8. Use Business Jargon in Appropriate Doses. Sprinkling business talk with jargon helps
establish rapport and adds to a person’s popularity. But too much jargon makes a
9. Write Crisp, Clear Memos and Reports, Including a Front-Loaded Message. Business
leaders characteristically write easy-to-read, well-organized messages both in e-mail
10. Use a Power-Oriented Linguistic Style. A major part of being persuasive involves
choosing the right linguistic style, a person’s characteristic speaking pattern. Several
components of a linguistic style give power and authority to the message sender in
many situations. Several examples follow: (a) speak loudly enough, (b) frequently use
the big picture perspective. (c) apologize infrequently, (d) know exactly what you want,
and (e) frame your comments in a way that increases your listener’s receptivity.
B. Basic Principles of Persuasion
An advanced method of being persuasive is to capitalize on scientific evidence about how to
persuade people. The seven principles listed here have accompanying tactics that can be used
to supplement the other approaches to persuasion described in this chapter.
1. Liking. People like those who like them.
2. Reciprocity. People repay in kind. The leader should be a model of desired behavior.
These principles should be applied in combination to multiply their impact. Another principle
of persuasion of potential use to leaders is altercasting, in which you characterize another
personal as a certain type of person to encourage him or her to behave in a desired manner.
(You’re an expert in Spanish. Can you help me translate this document?)
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
C. Nonverbal Communication Including Videoconferencing and Telepresence
Effective leaders are masterful nonverbal and verbal communicators. Nonverbal com-
munication is important because leadership involves emotion, which cannot be commu–
nicated convincingly enough through words alone. Mentioned here are nonverbal signals that
are likely to connote power, being in control, and forcefulness:
1. Using erect posture when walking, standing, or sitting.
2. Exhibiting dominant behavior, such as standing up straight during confrontation.
Clothing, dress, and appearance represent another mode of nonverbal communication. Even
on dress-down days, the majority of effective leaders will choose clothing that gives them an
edge over others. Appearance includes more than the choice of clothing. For example, freshly
shined shoes and good-looking teeth contribute to a leadership image. What constitutes a
powerful and self-confident image is influenced not only by the organizational culture but by
the culture in general.
include the following:
• Choose what you wear carefully.
• Speak in crisp conversational tones and pay attention.
III. LISTENING AS A LEADERSHIP SKILL
Listening is a fundamental management and leadership skill for such purposes as encouraging
subordinates, establishing good exchanges, and identifying problems. The relevance of careful
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
A. Show Respect
A foundation tactic for a leader to become an effective leader is to show respect for others.
B. Selective Listening to Problems
Being bombarded with information, the leader makes an intentional or unintentional decision
information such as good news, bad news, or financial news.
C. Making the Rounds
Making the rounds refers to the leader casually dropping by constituents to listen to their
IV. OVERCOMING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
In today’s workplace, leaders communicate with people from other countries and with a more
diverse group of people from their own country. Implementing the type of guidelines presented here
will assist leaders in overcoming and preventing many communication barriers.
1. Be sensitive to the fact that cross-cultural communication barriers exist. (Awareness will lead
to asking for feedback.)
2. Challenge your cultural assumptions. (Assumptions work like stereotypes.)
6. When the situation is appropriate, speak in the language of the people from another culture.
7. Observe cross-cultural differences in etiquette. (For example, in many countries business
people want to dine before conducting business.)
8. Do not be diverted by style, accent, grammar, or personal appearance.
V. THE LEADER’S ROLE IN RESOLVING CONFLICT AND NEGOTIATING
Leaders and managers spend about 20 percent of their time resolving conflicts and negotiating.
A. Conflict Management Styles
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
The five basic styles of managing conflict are based on a combination of satisfying one’s own
concerns (assertiveness) and satisfying the concerns of others (cooperativeness). See Figure
12–1.
1. Competitive. The competitive style is a desire to win one’s own concerns at the expense
4. Collaborative. The collaborative style reflects a desire to satisfy fully the desires of
both parties. It is based on an underlying philosophy of win-win approach to conflict
resolution, the belief that after conflict has been resolved, both sides should gain
something of value. When collaborative approaches to resolving conflict are used, the
relationships among the parties are improved. The collaborative style of conflict
management has many variations, one of which is to agree with the person criticizing
you.
5. Avoidant. The avoider is a combination of uncooperative and unassertive. He or she is
indifferent to the concerns of either party.
People engaged in conflict resolution typically combine several of the five resolution styles to
B. Resolving Conflict between Two Group Members
The most useful approach to resolving conflict between two people is to get the parties
him or her.
C. Negotiating and Bargaining
Negotiating and bargaining is a basic leadership role. Conflicts can be considered situations
calling for negotiating and bargaining or conferring with another person to resolve a
problem. The approaches to negotiation here emphasize a strategy of integration or
collaboration, with a philosophy of win-win.
1. Minimize Feeling or Looking Anxious during the Negotiation. Experiments suggest that
negotiators who feel anxious tend to make weaker first offers, and are more likely to
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
3. Begin with a Plausible Demand or Offer. A plausible demand or offer is better than a
4. Focus on Interests, Not Position. Rather than clinging to specific negotiation points,
keep your overall interests in mind and try to satisfy them. The true object of nego-
tiation is to satisfy the underlying interests of both sides.
6. Allow for Face Saving. While negotiating, recognize that you might want to make
another deal with the other party, so conduct yourself in a dignified manner. Do not
attempt to maximize gain for yourself and minimize gain for the other side. A Dale
Carnegie leadership principle states that if employees are allowed to save face after
dealing with a problem, they are more likely to perform well and report errors.
VI. GUIDELINES FOR ACTION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT
A subtle part of being an effective communicator is to avoid language that discourages another
COMMENTS ON EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
Leadership Self–Assessment Quiz 12–1: A Self–Portrait of My
Communication Effectiveness
A potential contribution of this self-portrait is that it points to behaviors likely to be characteristic of
Leadership Skill–Building Exercise 12–1: Feedback on Verbal and
Nonverbal Behavior
Constructive feedback about the impact of one’s verbal and nonverbal behavior is valuable. We suspect
Leadership Skill–Building Exercise 12–2: Leadership Listening
Students typically enjoy participating in group role plays of this nature. The challenge, as usual, is for
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
Leadership Self–Assessment Quiz 12–2: Cross–Cultural Skills and
Attitudes
This quiz has a bilingual bias, with three of the statements referring to competence in another language.
Leadership Self–Assessment Quiz 12–3: My Conflict Resolution Style
This quiz provides some clue as to whether the student emphasizes collaboration (win-win) versus
Leadership Skill–Building Exercise 12–3: The Minimum Wage
Negotiation
This role-play about the minimum wage negotiation is potentially effective because people have strong
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 12-4: My Leadership Portfolio
Reflecting on communication experiences is a relatively easy portfolio entry because almost
Leadership Skill-Building Exercise 12-5: Evaluating the
Communication Skills of an Organizational Leader
Evaluating the communication skills of an organizational leader is a particularly relevant exercise because
COMMENTS ON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Now that you have studied this chapter, what are you going to do differently to improve your
communication effectiveness as a leader?
We like this question because it serves as one more reminder for the student that skill development
2. How could a person find out early in his or her career if his or her communication skills were good
enough to become a successful leader?
One approach would be to ask a couple of knowledgeable people, such as a professor or executive,
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
3. In the United States, a person who has an English (U.K.) accent is often at advantage to obtain a
leadership position. What is your opinion of the ethics of a person developing such an accent in
order to get promoted?
A point of view advocating developing an English (U.K.) accident to get ahead is “Do whatever
4. What do you see as a potential downside to a power-oriented linguistic style?
One potential downside to a power-oriented linguistic style is that it could make the communicator
appear phony, much like the actors in commercials for making millions in real estate, or selling
5. In what way does being good at public speaking enhance a leader’s effectiveness?
Being effective at public speaking enhances a leader’s effectiveness in several key ways. First, the
6. Jack Dorsey, the executive chairman of Twitter, and the CEO of Square, is quite soft spoken yet
still very persuasive. How can that be?
Much of Dorsey’s persuasiveness stems from his credibility and expert power. He is a cofounder of
7. Given that people really do defer to experts, how might the leader establish his or her expertise?
An important tactic for establishing expertise is to help the group solve a difficult problem. A less
8. What concrete steps can a leader take to demonstrate that he or she respects a group member from
another culture?
Respect is generally best communicated in subtle and indirect ways. Listening carefully to the
person speaking about his or her native culture is a good starting point. Asking cross-cultural
9. Assume that during a meeting, a middle manager is told by a subordinate the he or she is not fit the
position and should resign. What approach do you recommended that the leader take to resolve this
conflict?
One viewpoint is that the leader should probably not feel obliged to enter into negotiation with the
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
10. Think of any business leader you admire, and then go to YouTube to find a video of him or her
talking. (You may need to try a few business leaders to find one feature on YouTube.) What do
you think of that executive’s communication effectiveness?
The evaluation of the communication effectiveness is likely to be subjective. Yet if the student
PLAUSIBLE RESPONSES TO CASE QUESTIONS
Leadership Case Problem A: Dani, the Front–Stabbing CEO
A key point this case raises is how candid should feedback be to enhance organizational
effectiveness? Open and candid communication can be valuable, but sensitivity and tact are still
important for effective communication.
QUESTIONS
1. How helpful does the new candid feedback at Bellerose appear to be?
2. What suggestions might you make to Dani and her staff so the candid feedback to each other
does not trigger interpersonal conflict?
The front stabbers, in general, should learn to emphasize positive feedback, and use more tact,
diplomacy, and sensitivity in giving feedback. The feedback giving might also be framed in
Associated Role Play
challenged with the task of providing constructive feedback without alienating the recipient.
Leadership Case Problem B: Sean Contemplates a Delicate
Confrontation
This short case touches on a sensitive type of conflict that can face any leader, dealing with possible
lack of respect, or even insubordination form a direct report
Chapter 12: Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
1. What kind of leadership issue is Sean dealing with?
The leadership issue facing Sean can be framed in several ways. One, Sean is facing the need to
2. What do you recommend that Sean do about his conflict with Phil?
Perhaps the best recommendation is for Sean to schedule a one–on-one session with Phil in
Associated Role Play
This role play is challenging because Sean and Phil have opposite interpretations of whether Phil has done