Five options for managing business conflict

When business competition turns ugly it gets into conflict situation. Both parties throw caution to the wind and take the conflict to the serious level of exchanging expletives to body blows to say it figuratively. Conflicts are indeed unavoidable where parties compete for one- upmanship. Here are five options available to business strategist for managing business conflict:

1. Confrontation: Sleep walking towards confrontation is the worst thing that can happen. It starts with one party upping the ante when there is equilibrium prevailing in the market between him and another. Confrontation need not be a direct one but can take several forms of indirect offensive. Colluding with the enemy of one’s opponent following the edict “the enemy of your enemy is friend” is done ostensibly to enrage the competitor who will surely consider it as an affront. 

2. Avoidance: This option is recommended when your firm is not strong enough to take up the cudgel now or in near future. Perhaps avoidance is the best medicine to be used with an opponent who is a gorilla in the market place lest you get pulverized under his feet. Even in the case opponent and you are at same level in terms of strength and capacity, avoidance helps you to postpone the D-day to sometime later. 

3. Cooperation: If the competitor is not seeking a major offensive against your firm but a kind of warning to be followed up with a surgical strike on your market standing, then it would be better to send message of conciliation stressing upon the fact the both can cooperate in solving mutual issues and work for the betterment of common interest.

4. Compromise:  When your firm is strong in terms of one area say, production but weak in another area say marketing while opponent is strong equally in both sectors then it is advisable to make compromise. You can draw redline in the production side that opponent must not cross and you undertake not to threaten his marketing share.

5. Accommodation: The best option always remains as “live and let live”. Here your firm and the opponent can declare truce and discuss all matters over the table. Instead of bellowing “all options are on the table” you must bring forth patience and go along with the opponent in his own game. Time to come the opponent might weaken and be flippant regarding challenging you. Sun Tzu said succinctly: “If you wait by the river long enough, bodies of your enemy float by”.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail:   cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist