Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The faceless internet and conflict

When looking at conflict management online- there are several tools out there for a world that is increasingly global. There are plenty of online studies and quizzes one can take to assess their management style, to answer real to life scenes about conflict and other easy fixes to conflict. For the corporation going global, these are a huge help I'm sure. Some of the website I saw, I wanted to explore further to develop my own skills. I think these small workshops help in the global world because the conflict is never as heated as when you work with someone face to face day to day.
However, if you are in a business with constant interaction among team members and upper management, it is safe to say some things can not be dealt with strictly online. From personal experience, most conflict is never really addressed through email or other similar correspondence. Most conflict, when it really comes to a head, must be dealt with in person. It is only in person that you can really listen and therefore communicate. You can actively listen to words, as well as body language, voice tone, and other signals you miss via the Internet. Online management is effective for corresponding with large groups of people instantly, but when problems really need to be solved nothing can substitute personal interaction.

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