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Introduction

In the business world, many business meetings can be accompanied by misunderstandings between the participants caused by their different points of view, which may ultimately cause conflicts. In general, there are several types of conflicts, each of which has different nature and problematic. In addition, it is worth considering that conflicts have both positive and negative sides. Depending on a situation, conflicts can be beneficial or harmful to the processes associated with the meeting and have a crucial impact on a business. Accordingly, the way in which disagreements and misunderstandings are resolved will determine whether it will serve the organization’s goals or disrupt its activities. It is advisable to conduct research in the field of communication and organizational meetings in order to compare all the information and understand how to manage conflicts.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Conflicts

Many business meetings are accompanied by tensions and conflicts that are difficult to avoid. These problems can have both advantages and disadvantages and affect the course of the meeting and its results in different ways. Studies show that, for example, one of the main negative sides of a conflict is a violation of the progress and morale of all those present at the meeting (Mind Tools, n.d.). Accordingly, this means that due to the pressure of a stressful situation caused by a disagreement, the group members will be less effective in solving the necessary questions and problems. In addition, a negative atmosphere at the meeting may hinder the achievement of the necessary business results. Thus, this information shows that conflicts that occur during business meetings can be very destructive. Therefore, it is very important to solve them timely.

At the same time, another study proves that there are positive sides to the conflict. According to Howard Shore, conflict is an indicator of an effective meeting (Shore, 2014). Going out of the comfort zone can be very useful in the end, because it will make the participants be more attentive and diligent in their work. Alternatively, the absence of a conflict may mean that the participants of the meeting speak little about real problems and challenging goals and that the people do not feel responsible for them, which may hinder the achievement of expected or necessary results. Thus, this suggests that if there are no regular conflicts during the discussion of issues at the meetings, it means that there is a problem with the team. In addition, another study states that for a meeting to be held with a maximum efficiency, it should include people with two different points of view (Stranden, 2014). Therefore, it seems that one and the same conflict situation that used to impose a challenge during meetings may be advantageous and useful in other circumstances.

Conflict Types

Studies show that the conflicts that occur during the meetings can be of two types. One of them is represented by real professional differences when a collision is based on the differences in opinions (Mind Tools, n.d.). In most cases, such disagreements do not escalate into an open conflict, but this can happen when the result of the meeting is very important or may have any negative consequences. Therefore, this type of conflict should ultimately be resolved; otherwise, it will ruin the relationship between the participants at the meeting. Another type is the struggle for power and personality problems. That is, a conflict can be caused by a personal dislike between individuals or a situation when they feel threatened for their positions (Mind Tools, n.d.). Thus, this type of collision is mostly related to the personalities of the people than to anything related to the meeting. Accordingly, a solution to the main problem will be needed here, in addition to other methods of conflict resolution. However, other data suggest that a conflict may be related to the different interests of those present at the meeting (Texas Center for Women’s Business Enterprise, n.d.). Since those interests may be especially significant for one person or several parties, this may probably lead to a confrontation.

Conflict Resolution Approaches

Based on the foregoing, it is clear that conflicts at meetings require an adequate management and approaches to their resolution. Therefore, there are different methods to resolve them. So, a study on conflict resolution at team meetings states that you initially need to contact all team members to determine the true cause while encouraging honesty and the need to find a solution (Long, 2018). In addition, it is assumed that the use of a break can be beneficial and relieve tensions between all. The following method will serve as an adoption of various measures to resolve conflicts (Long, 2018). That is, this may include the distribution of tasks, responsibilities, and workload, which can significantly reduce the level of conflict and will allow finding the best way to hold a meeting in the future. Together with all this, more frequent discussions and measures should be taken in advance to avoid disagreements and make gatherings more efficient.

Based on the previously obtained data, it is clear that there is a wide choice of approaches to conflict resolution at a meeting that can be applied with the consideration of their type. For example, depersonalization approach implies focusing on the cause of dissatisfaction of the whole party instead of the one of an individual member of the group (Mind Tools, n.d.). This will provide an opportunity to conduct a more objective analysis of the important points of each of the parties. Next, you can use the questioner approach, which allows you to switch the focus of the team from the conflict to a study supported by real information and not simple statements (Mind Tools, n.d.). The next method is to reduce or remove the threat, for which it is necessary to understand what the involved person feels. Since people often feel threatened in this or that way, a solution requires the investigation of what is necessary to solve the main problem. In addition, another solution may be the holding of separate meetings that are required in cases where personal issues are discussed. In such cases, an attentive observation of participants for a better understanding of them will help to prevent conflicts in time (Mind Tools, n.d.). Thus, the abovementioned methods are extensive and suitable for solving various conflicts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the studies on conflicts that occur at meetings showed that the latter could have positive and negative sides, which can be both destructive and useful. In addition, there are different types of conflicts, which depend on differences in opinions, interests, a negative attitude towards certain people, and a sense of threat. Therefore, different methods and approaches can be used to resolve conflicts in meetings, the choice of which depends on a particular situation.