Conflict Management in the Army Essay Example

The purpose of this informative essay is to discuss conflict management and the ways the Army manages and resolves conflict. Within the Army, conflicts will occur and leadership must manage and resolve it as quickly as possible. In cases where unmanaged conflict occurs the whole unit will suffer in readiness and cohesion. Without conflict management, counterproductive leadership will occur and the leader will not be as effective in their role. An effective Army leader is skilled in managing conflict.

Conflict management is the ability to create and maintain relationships with others. Throughout the Army, Soldiers get into arguments. In order to maintain a positive work environment they must manage the conflict. There are five ways to manage conflict according to askinglot.com, “what are the five conflict management styles? The 5 Conflict Management Styles: Accommodating… Avoiding… Compromising, Collaborating, Competing.” Accommodating is conforming to the ideas of others. This is useful in situations where there are cultural conflicts arising between individuals. When avoiding conflict an individual will leave the conflict without attempting to resolve or manage it. This could occur if the two individuals are not compromising and the best course of action is to separate them. Compromising is the ability for two individuals to resolve their conflict by meeting on common ground. This style of conflict management allows Soldiers to meet in the middle of the conflict. Collaborating is working together in order to manage the conflict. Collaborating is useful when Soldiers are progressing towards a common goal. The final style of conflict management is competing. Competing style is a win or loss style. Leaders use this style when only one person’s idea is acceptable. 

Knowing how to manage conflict allows Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) to become better leaders. To manage conflict effectively, each NCO must know the five styles. Without a basic understanding of each style, leaders will struggle to handle conflict. This is due to the interchangeability of each style. Not all styles are effect every type of conflict. In some conflicts, the avoiding style may the most effective way to manage; however, in other conflicts it may escalate the situation. NCOs that manage conflict effectively are better leaders for their Soldiers. In ADP 6-22, paragraph 5-57, states, “Leaders must often resolve conflicts… Effective leaders negotiate around interests rather than positions that tend to be static and unyielding.” This idea of negotiating to get around a conflict falls in line with the compromising style. By using styles of conflict management, a leader will be able to bring their team together and work efficiently towards completing the mission. Without resolving conflict, units are not able to uphold Army standards or accomplish their mission.

By better training Soldiers in conflict management, the Army, as a whole, will improve greatly. Throughout the Army career, many Soldiers will receive little to no training on conflict management. Currently there are only two training modules in the Army’s education portal, Joint Knowledge Online (JKO). These trainings are only approximately one hour each. The Army should implement more training for the entirety of the force. With increased training, NCOs would have greater knowledge and ability to, successfully, employ the conflict management styles. With better knowledge, NCOs will more effectively lead their soldiers and manage any conflicts that arise. Some NCOs may question why they need to learn conflict management or why it is important. Leaders must know the styles of conflict management in order to be ready for any situation. With an ever-expanding Army, many cultures and personalities are coming together in very close proximity. When many cultures are together, conflicts between Soldiers are going to happen. With a better knowledge of conflict management training, conflicts will be resolved faster, and teams and squads will be more cohesive and effective.