How to Manage Conflict: Turn All Conflicts Into Win-Win Outcomes (Handbook) [Paperback]

Peg Pickering (Author)

Book Description

Series: Handbook | Publication Date: January 2000

How to Manage Conflict is a practical guide offering advice and suggestions for successfully handling all types of discord. Each chapter provides directions to conquer rough terrain and builds upon five strategies: understanding the critical ingredients for collaborative thinking, aligning responsibilities to the needs of others, building into daily interactions the practices necessary for support, developing conflict resolution skills and negotiation skills to resolve various types of challenges, and developing personal tools and systems for dealing with tensions and pressures. In a short amount of time, users will immediately learn how to apply these strategies favorably and effectively.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Career Press; 3 edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564144402
• ISBN-13: 978-1564144409
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, March 20, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Manage Conflict: Turn All Conflicts Into Win-Win Outcomes (Handbook) (Paperback)

To learn how to cure conflicts or head them off before they become major conflagrations, spend a little time with author Peg Pickering. Her brief but compelling guide to conflict resolution is a must read for every employee from the mailroom gang to the CEO. She offers practical, usable methods for understanding, diffusing and resolving conflicts ranging from minor annoyances to major blow-outs. Strongly and honestly written, the book is devoid of fluff and goes right to the point without pages and pages of psychobabble. We at getAbstract recommend this book to everyone who has to deal with anyone else.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good primer on conflict for the business manager, May 14, 2010

By 

Alain B. Burrese "Author, Speaker, Mediator, ... (Missoula, MT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Manage Conflict: Turn All Conflicts Into Win-Win Outcomes (Handbook) (Paperback)

"How To Manage Conflict: Turn All Conflicts Into Win-Win Outcomes" by Peg Pickering is a useful little book with some practical suggestions for handling conflict. It is aimed at the manager who must deal with conflict with employees, vendors, and customers, but some of the information is practical for other settings as well.

It's a short book and very easy to read. And while it does not go into depth regarding conflict resolution theories like some texts, it does provide simple, practical advice that you can implement right now without knowing a lot of the modern theories out there. Much of the information in this book is presented in lists, bullet points, and a very simple to read format.

The book is organized into ten short chapters. At the end of each chapter, there is a section titled "Reflections." These reflections are more than a review or summary of the chapters. In fact, some of the chapters are basically a review or summary of a concept. The reflections are there to make the reader think, and I liked that. There are questions for you to think about and answer to better understand yourself, and to better implement the concepts and strategies into your own situations.

The ten chapters cover these topics: Fundamentals of Conflict, Types of Conflict, Identifying Conflict Stages, Conflict Management Styles, Constructive Management Styles, Communication's Contribution to Conflict, Emotional Aspects of Conflict, The Intervention Team, Dealing with Angry Customers, and A Parting Philosophy. There is also a short suggested reading list.

Again, the entire book is just over 100 pages long, and there is a lot of white space, so none of the topics is covered with any depth. However, for a down and dirty outline on conflict, it has some very good points. Because I work in the conflict field, I'm used to much longer texts on the topic, but I found this a refreshing little guide and primer. For many people, it will be just what they need to deal with certain situations they face.

I especially like the "Reflections" sections because it in not enough to just read about conflict. You must "Think" about it. These sections, if people will honestly do them, will assist people in understanding themselves and others in conflict situations. That's the first step, then a person must practice conflict resolution skills and continue to use them as they grow as peacemakers.

As someone who has shelves of books dealing with all aspects of conflict, this is a nice little book to have there, and the quick read was a good review of certain concepts. For the manager or business person who only has a short amount of time to learn some basics on dealing with conflict to better perform leadership duties, this book should be very helpful.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., is a mediator and the author of a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.

5.0 out of 5 stars attitude renovator, November 12, 2009

By 

JD of SD of Ca. "JD" (San Diego) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How to Manage Conflict: Turn All Conflicts Into Win-Win Outcomes (Handbook) (Paperback)

this book helped me look at my own attitude towards everyday dealing with people at work. I learned to think more and react later.