Conflicts in business communication. Behavior strategy in conflict situations; methodological development in psychology on the topic

Content

1. Social and psychological prerequisites and features of conflicts in business communication. Conflict as a psychologically conscious clash of opposing interests, goals, attitudes, and motives of business partners. Typology of conflicts: interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup conflict 3

1.1. Typology of conflicts 4

1.2. Intrapersonal conflict 5

1.3. Interpersonal conflict 6

1.4. Intergroup conflict 7

2. Stages of formation and progression of conflicts in Business communication, conflict structure: object of the conflict situation; goals and participants in the conflict; causes of conflict, reason. 10

2.1. Participants in the conflict 11

2.2. Causes of the conflict, reason 14

Practice 16

References 18

We transform the conflict into a constructive stream

If the conflict is destructive, then it needs to be transformed into constructive. To do this, you need to wait until the emotional fervor of the other participant in the conflict passes, and only then begin to discuss difficult issues with him.

Managing communication in conditions of conflict is a whole science called conflictology . If you want to study this topic in more detail, then welcome to the secrets of this science, which came out of psychology.

Pondyakova Elena · June 14, 2017

1.1. Typology of conflicts

We will not consider the typology of “conflicts” within the framework of inanimate nature, the division of conflicts into biological and social, human and natural. We will talk about conflict in its own, “narrow” sense of the word, i.e. about conflicts that arise in the process of human activity and human behavior, about conflicts that represent a special quality of interaction between people or between various elements of the internal structure of the individual himself.

However, even in this case, bearing in mind only human interaction, it is not possible to give any complete typology of conflicts. This is because there is a huge variety of actors, attitudes, goals, motives, areas, types, systems and levels, time frames and human interactions, each of which can form the basis of a typology of conflicts. One of the broadest and most obvious grounds for classifying conflicts is their division by subjects, or parties to the conflict. From this point of view, all conflicts are divided into:

1) intrapersonal,

2) interpersonal,

3) intergroup,

4) between the individual and the group.

1.2. Intrapersonal conflict

Intrapersonal conflict is a state of a person’s dissatisfaction with any circumstances of his life, associated with the presence of conflicting interests, aspirations, and needs that give rise to affects and stress.

Here, the participants in the conflict are not people, but various psychological factors of the inner world of the individual, which often seem or are incompatible: needs, motives, values, feelings, etc. “Two souls live in my chest...” wrote Goethe. And this conflict can be functional or dysfunctional, depending on how and what decision a person makes and whether he makes it at all. Buridanov's donkey, for example, could not choose one of two completely identical armfuls of hay, thereby dooming himself to starvation. Sometimes in life, not daring to make a choice, not knowing how to resolve intrapersonal conflicts, we become like Buridan’s donkey [7].

Intrapersonal conflicts associated with working in an organization can take various forms. One of the most common is role conflict, when a person’s different roles make conflicting demands on him. For example, being a good family man (the role of father, mother, husband, wife, etc.), a person should spend evenings at home, and his position as a manager may oblige him to stay late at work. Or the head of a section in a bookstore gave instructions to the seller to arrange books in a certain way, and at the same time the merchandiser ordered to take stock of the availability and condition of a certain category of literature. The cause of the first conflict is a mismatch between personal needs and production requirements, and the second is a violation of the principle of unity of command. Internal conflicts can arise in production due to work overload or, conversely, lack of work when it is necessary to be at the workplace.

Ways to resolve business conflicts

Since the goals of the participants in a business conflict are radically different, it is necessary to perform the following algorithm that will help, if the participants have a mutual desire, to resolve the conflict:

1. Write down your goals in detail on a piece of paper. The main thing is to be extremely honest with yourself, since people often hide their true goals even from themselves.
2. We write down the goals of the other person in the same way.
3. We carry out a comparative analysis. We need to understand what we have in common with him and what is different.
4. Resolve the existing contradiction using a communication management method called “brainstorming.” It is advisable to write down at least 100 ideas together, since the more you throw out, the more your brain thinks.
5. Bring the good ideas you receive to life.

In the psychology of communication and management, this technology is already well-established and tested for strength over many years. If you use this method, you yourself will notice its colossal effect.

1.3. Interpersonal conflict

Interpersonal conflict is an intractable contradiction that arises between people and is caused by the incompatibility of their views, interests, goals, and needs.

This type of conflict manifests itself in different ways in organizations. Many managers believe that the only reason for it is the dissimilarity of characters. Indeed, there are people who, due to differences in characters, views, and behavior, find it very difficult to get along with each other. However, a deeper analysis shows that such conflicts, as a rule, are based on objective reasons. Most often, this is a struggle for limited resources: material resources, production space, time to use equipment, labor, etc. Everyone believes that it is he who needs the resources, and not the other. Conflicts arise between a manager and a subordinate, for example, when the subordinate is convinced that the manager makes unreasonable demands on him, and the manager believes that the subordinate does not want to work to his full potential.

The reasons that led to the emergence of interpersonal conflict can also be very different: objective, i.e. independent of the will and consciousness of people, and subjective, depending on the person; material and ideal, temporary and permanent, etc. A conflict between individuals may arise due to property, or perhaps due to the fact that Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich do not agree in character and cannot yield to each other in small things.

In any interpersonal conflict, the personal qualities of people, their mental, socio-psychological and moral characteristics are of great importance. In this regard, people often talk about the interpersonal compatibility or incompatibility of people who play a vital role in interpersonal communication.

1.4. Intergroup conflict

This conflict is expressed in the clash of interests of various groups. This type includes conflicts between social groups of very different sizes: small, medium and large.

A small social group is a collection of people who are in direct interaction and united by common goals and objectives of joint activities: a school class, a student group, a production team, a department staff, a family. The quantitative composition of a small group can vary from a few people to several dozen people. Such groups can be formal (official), having a clearly fixed structure, charter, hierarchy of positions, and informal, arising spontaneously, based on personal qualities. They can also be temporary or permanent, open or closed.

Medium social groups are, for example, the staff of an enterprise, educational institution, or military unit. Such groups are characterized by an institutional organization, and their main role and task are determined by their official social status. A typical average group is a relatively independent organization that has its own status and functions in the system of social division of labor or non-labor activities (political associations, interest groups). These groups, as a rule, are not temporary, but permanent, and have their own established structure, hierarchy, administration, and governing bodies.

Large social groups include such entities as social classes, political parties, castes, social strata (strata), ethnic communities, national entities, and large religious associations. Such groups are constituted on the basis of essential characteristics common to all members (economic, political, religious, etc.).

It should be noted that it is the conflict between large social groups that some researchers call social conflict in the proper sense of the word, in contrast to intrapersonal, interpersonal and intragroup conflicts, as well as conflicts between small groups.

The causes of intergroup conflicts can be very different: economic, political, national-ethnic, etc. Different levels of social groups have their own characteristics of conflict occurrence and ways of resolving them. Thus, at the level of small groups, a factor such as social identification of groups plays a large role in the emergence of intergroup conflict. It is expressed in the formation of a sense of belonging to the group, identifying oneself with its other members, creating the quality of “we”, as opposed to “they” or “not-us”. “We” are ours, ours, “they” are others who differ from “us”. Thus, social identification has its reverse side, social differentiation, which contains the possibility of intergroup conflict. Moreover, the grounds for social identification can be very different: economic, sociocultural, racial, etc.

At the level of large social groups, the causes of conflicts are larger in scale and depth. Thus, when ethnic conflicts arise, the territorial claims of one of the ethnic groups often play an important role. The basis of political conflicts is the struggle for power, for political dominance in society [7].

2.1. Participants in the conflict

Another basic element of social conflict is its participants. Ultimately, they are always individuals with their own interests, goals and values. However, social life is not limited to the interaction of individuals. In society there are various social groups, communities, peoples, political entities, legal entities, etc., which can also act as participants in confrontation. Thus, there can be a great variety of participants in the conflict, as well as the conflicts themselves.

Modern conflictology divides all participants in the conflict into main (direct) and non-main (indirect).

1 The main participants in the conflict are always direct, immediate parties involved in the confrontation. They play a decisive and most active role in its emergence and development. The main participants in the conflict are its main characters and the contradiction of their interests lies at the heart of the confrontation. Therefore, the main participants are called subjects, or opponents (from the Latin opponents - objector) of the conflict.

In connection with the potential or power possessed by the parties involved in the conflict, there is such a thing as the rank of the opponent. The more opportunities a conflict participant has to influence the course of the confrontation, the higher his rank. In this case, ranking can be done on various grounds: physical strength, political and economic power, resource, administrative or information potential, etc. The rank of the conflict participants is directly related to their social status - the position occupied in society in accordance with the profession, age, marital status and social role of the conflict participant. In various conflict situations, the different potential of the conflict participants is also in demand. So, if there is a physical fight, the rank of opponents will be determined by their muscular strength; in economic fights it will depend on their economic potential.

2 Non-main parties to the conflict include all other parties to the conflict. They are often also called indirect participants in the conflict. By definition, they play a secondary role in the emergence and development of the conflict. Often non-main parties to the conflict are also called third parties.

The role of non-main participants in the conflict can be both constructive (positive) and destructive (negative) - they can contribute not only to the resolution or prevention of the conflict, but also to its aggravation and further development. At the same time, the result of the intervention of a non-main participant in the conflict may not coincide with its goals. They say about such a case that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, or the modern version - “we wanted the best, but it turned out as always.”

Among the indirect participants in the conflict, we should highlight groups that are specially created to support one or another subject of the conflict. These are called support groups. Support groups can be provided by friends, subjects connected with opponents by some obligations, work colleagues. In intergroup and interstate conflicts, these are states, various interstate associations, public organizations, and the media.

Other participants also play an important role in the emergence and development of the conflict:

• initiators (instigators);

• organizers;

• accomplices;

• intermediaries (mediators).

1) Initiators (instigators) - those participants in the conflict who take the initiative in starting a conflict between other individuals, groups or states. They can be individuals, various associations and even states. These can be both core and non-core participants. After a conflict has arisen, the initiator of the conflict may not participate in it. A person who starts a squabble in a team may then go into the shadows or quit his job altogether, and the conflict will continue without him.

2) Organizers - a group of people (or an individual) developing a general plan for confrontation with an opponent in order to resolve the contradiction in their favor. Organizing a conflict means thinking through all its dynamics in such a way that the expected benefits as a result of its end are greater than the losses. The organizers can be both the main and non-main participants in the conflict.

3) Accomplices - persons who help participants in the conflict in its initiation, organization and development. Accomplices can be both spontaneous groups of people and specially created ones, as well as individuals. The assistance provided by supporters can be of a very different nature: material, ideological, moral, resource, informational, administrative, etc. The accomplices were countries that provided one form or another of assistance to Nazi Germany in World War II.

4) Intermediaries (mediators) - a third party in the conflict and its indirect participants. The role of the mediator is the role of an authoritative assistant called upon by the subjects of the conflict to resolve the problem. This role can be played by individuals, organizations and states. An important feature of a mediator is his authority, recognized by both parties to the conflict. Therefore, only people or organizations that are chosen by both parties to the conflict can act as a mediator. In this case, both official and informal organizations can act as intermediaries. Such intermediaries at various levels and in various capacities can be: magicians, sorcerers, elders, thieves in law, clergy, prominent cultural figures, statesmen, international organizations such as the UN, etc.

The purpose of mediation is to achieve an end to the conflict by finding a compromise between its opponents. Therefore, the mediator must have the appropriate qualities for this: the ability to negotiate, wisdom, special knowledge, culture of communication, high moral principles. He must also take a neutral position in relation to its participants, even in cases where his personal sympathies or beliefs run counter to the position of any of the parties. Otherwise, one of the parties will refuse such an intermediary [7].

2.2. Causes of conflict, reason

In any conflict, it is important to distinguish the immediate cause of the conflict from its true causes, which are often hidden.

It is important for a practicing leader to remember that as long as all the listed elements of the conflict structure exist (except for the reason), it cannot be eliminated. An attempt to end a conflict situation by force or persuasion leads to its growth and expansion by attracting new individuals, groups or organizations. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate at least one of the existing elements of the conflict structure [5].

In general philosophical terms, the concept of “cause” means a phenomenon whose action causes or produces some other phenomenon, which is called a consequence. In society, as in nature, there is an infinite number of cause-and-effect relationships and dependencies. And conflicts here are no exception; they can also be generated by a variety of reasons: external and internal, universal and individual, material and ideal, objective and subjective, etc. Their classification can be carried out on various grounds and should not be considered complete.

When studying this issue, we will group the reasons as follows:

1) conflict of interests as a fundamental cause of conflicts;

2) objective factors of conflicts;

3) personal factors in the emergence of conflicts. It should also be noted that it is necessary to distinguish the cause of the conflict from its cause.

The cause of the conflict is a phenomenon that contributes to its occurrence, but does not necessarily determine the emergence of the conflict. Unlike a reason, a reason arises by chance and can be created completely artificially, as they say, “from scratch.” The reason reflects the natural connection of things. Thus, the reason for a family conflict may be an under-salted (over-salted) dish, while the real reason may be the lack of love between spouses.

Prerequisites for occurrence ↑

As a rule, conflicts in communication, especially in a business situation, do not arise out of nowhere. There are always preliminary features that form the potential for future disagreements, misunderstandings and quarrels - preconditions for conflicts.

Their characteristics should include 2 sides:

In the process of conflict interaction, the prerequisites for incidents, disagreements and discord are:

Practical task

Make a typology of conflicts that have taken place in your business communication. Analyze the stages of their formation and progression.

A 30-year-old woman, divorced, has a 7-year-old child. She constantly writes memos to her superiors about errors in the work of all employees of the department, and has no friendly relations with anyone in the department. Such conflict is destructive. Creates conflict situations for the slightest reason - they said something wrong, they put it in the wrong place, etc. The already weakened psyche of a person is destroyed, both those who create scandals and the one who is being attacked at the moment becomes nervous and it is difficult to say who will be next in a conflict situation with this person. This conflict is called “between the individual and the group.” After the end of the next conflict, relations between employees deteriorate. Conflict creates a negative image - the “image of the enemy”, which contributes to the formation of a negative attitude towards the opponent. This is expressed in a biased attitude towards him and a willingness to act to his detriment. After the end of the conflict, there is a deterioration in the quality of joint activities in the group. The reason for this situation may be hidden in the internal conflict of the woman, perhaps she is experiencing dissatisfaction in family relationships or was an unloved child in the family; all this negatively affects relations with employees of her department. And since a person spends most of the day at work, it is easier to find “enemies” there. Minor conflict situations smoothly flow into memos to superiors about the mistakes of others, although the woman herself is not free from the same mistakes, and when those around her, affected by such “tutelage,” point out to her such mistakes, the conflict grows with renewed vigor. This is precisely the cause of the conflict. Most likely, the goal in this conflict is this woman’s desire to prove to her superiors that she is an indispensable employee and cares about improving work in the department.

Often a conflict develops as a series of conflicting events. Mutual conflict actions can modify and complicate the initial structure of the conflict, bringing new incentives for further actions. It is logical to present this process as follows: the transition from negotiations to struggle, the struggle heats up emotions, emotions increase perception errors - this leads to an intensification of the struggle. Since this person always has an image of an enemy, the adequate perception of other personalities is displaced, this is expressed in distrust of others, in a negative perception of everything on the part of others, even if I offer her help.

Coping methods and behavior strategy ↑

The rules for dealing with tense interpersonal relationships in the business sphere require conscious management of behavior.

The behavioral manifestations themselves can be:

In this case, there are the following strategies and solutions:

Bibliography

1. Business psychology. Textbook for higher and secondary special educational institutions / Ed. Morozov A.V. - St. Petersburg: Soyuz. 2000. – 354 p.
2. Conflictology. Textbook for universities / Ed. AND I. Antsupova. — M.: Unity. 1999.- 551 p.
3. Conflictology. Textbook / Ed. A.V. Dmitriev. – M.: 2000. – 320 p.
4. Psychology of conflict. Textbook / Ed. N.V. Grishina. - SPb.: Peter. 2000.-343 p.
5. Psychology. Textbook for economic universities / Ed. V.N.Druzhinina. - St. Petersburg: Peter. 2002.- 456 p.
6. Psychology and ethics of business communication. Textbook for universities / Ed. Lavrinenko V.N. – M.: UNITY. 1997. – 279 p.
7. Burtovaya E.V. Conflictology. https://www.iu.ru/biblio/archive/unknown_konflictions/57.aspx.
8. Leonov N.I. Reader on conflictology. https://www.iu.ru/biblio/archive/unknown_konflictions/57.aspx.

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Topic 8. Conflicts in business communication

Literature

Literature

1. Psychology and ethics of business communication: Textbook. for universities / Ed. V.N. Lavrienko.-M., 2001. — P. 136-154, 208-220.

2. Business communication: UMP/ NFMGEI, T.N. Vasilyeva., T.A. Fokina - N. Novgorod, 2003.

additional literature

1. Morozov A.V. Business psychology. Course of lectures: textbook for higher and secondary specialized educational institutions. - St. Petersburg, 2000.

2. Workshop on the psychology of management and professional activity / Ed. G.S. Nikiforova, M.A., Dmitrieva, V.M. Snetkova. – St. Petersburg, 2001.

3. Psychology of business communication. Reader. Textbook for faculties: psychological, economic and management. – Samara, 2006.

4. Practical psychodiagnostics / Ed. D.Ya. Raigorodsky. – Samara, 2003.

5. Pugachev V.P. Management of the organization's personnel. - M.: Aspect-Press, 1999. P. 197-198.

Topic 7. Stress resistance in business communication

Causes and sources of stress. In everyday life, the concept of stress is often used to refer to the various difficulties experienced, as well as the conditions and experiences they cause.

As stressors, i.e. factors leading to both the occurrence of short-term stressful conditions in a person and the development of severe, long-term experiences can be adverse physical environmental influences, extreme situations, physical and mental trauma, etc. We can also say that a stressor is a stimulus that can trigger the fight or flight response.

The set of characteristic stereotypical general responses of the body to the actions of stimuli of a very different nature, reactions that have primarily a protective significance, was designated by G. Selye “as a general adaptation syndrome.” General adaptation syndrome has three stages:

Ò Phase 1. Alarm reaction. As a result of the initial encounter with a stressor, changes occur in the body. The body's resistance decreases (shock phase), and then defense mechanisms are activated;

Ó Phase 2. Resistance stage (adaptation phase). If the stressor continues its impact and one can adapt to it, resistance arises in the body. Signs of an anxiety reaction in the body practically disappear. Resistance becomes higher than normal.

+ Phase 3. The stage of exhaustion, in which the failure of the body’s defense mechanisms is revealed and the violation of the coordination of vital functions increases, their mismatch and disintegration occurs.

Initially, the emotional reaction is formed as anger or fear, promoting, respectively, extreme behavior - attack (fight) or flight.

However, such behavior can be rejected if it is assessed by consciousness as inappropriate. In extreme conditions, many situations can turn out to be absolutely stressful, depending on the attitude of the individual himself and his experience towards them. Hence the role of psychological motivational factors that determine attitudes towards certain events.

Individual styles of response in stressful situations. A critical life situation is an emotionally experienced life circumstance that, in a person’s perception, represents a complex psychological problem, a difficulty that requires solution or overcoming. This means not familiar situations, no matter what problems or difficulties they contain, but those that require the search for a new solution, a way out of the unusual resources of their residence. Each of these situations is fraught with either a challenge or a threat to human life, or even causes irreparable losses.

However, when exposed to stress factors, all people will develop the same stages of stress, but external behavior may differ. Some capitulate to difficulties, others mobilize all their physical and spiritual capabilities to resist them. Based on the above, we can conclude that there are two individual styles of behavior in stressful situations: Fight - attack; Flight - refusal to fight, avoidance.

It is known that morale (for example, optimism) and energy (vitality) influence resilience, and belief in one’s effectiveness influences persistence in solving difficult life problems. The presence of material resources (money) opens up access to information, legal, medical and other forms of professional assistance.

However, the availability of resources in the social structure is different, because In society, not only material wealth is distributed unevenly, but also respect, prestige, and power. This is why people with low economic status are more likely to feel powerless in the face of stressful circumstances than those from wealthy backgrounds. It has also been found that people with few resources are more likely to choose an escape strategy compared to those who do not lack them.

The way of managing unpleasant experiences by denying the problem or withdrawing from the arena of the conflict situation appears to increase distress and thus not only exacerbates old problems, but also gives rise to new ones. The negative consequences of avoidance strategies are especially severe in the presence of long-term stressors. It should be noted, however, that in the case of short-term stressors, such behavioral tactics can be effective. It is probably acceptable in a situation where there is no way to control the stressor.

The choice of response strategy depends on a number of factors. Depending on a person’s gender, they choose different strategies. Men either do nothing and do not think about getting out of the crisis, or they themselves make efforts to solve the problem, and also more often take direct active action. Women, on the other hand, prefer a passive strategy and more often seek help from others.

Age also influences the choice of strategy. While young people use active strategies focused on solving a problem, older people more often choose a passive strategy, focused mainly on their emotional state.

I am a concept. The self-concept contributes to the achievement of internal consistency of the individual, is an active principle, an important factor in the interpretation of experience, and a source of expectations - ideas about what should happen. I - the concept - the totality of a person’s ideas about himself - is a regulator of behavior. In everyday life, a person’s behavior is determined by the influence of such components (structures) of the self-concept as the social self, the real self. To experience a difficult life situation, a person needs to use his full potential, to actualize those abilities and skills, the use of which is not required in ordinary conditions.

The choice of strategy is influenced by factors that act as the leading basis for constructing the self-concept. For different groups they are generally similar, but not the same, and have different character (“trust and authority”, “trust and interest”, “fairness, versatility”, “responsibility, integrity”, “intelligence and competence”). .

Professional stress is a tense state of an employee that arises when exposed to emotionally negative and extreme factors associated with their professional activities.

Factors (stressors) operating within the organization and causing stress.

1. Overload or too little load. In both cases, the employee experiences anxiety, frustration (a feeling of collapse), a feeling of hopelessness and material loss.

2. Role conflict. Either conflicting requirements are presented to the employee, or the principle of unity of command is violated. Role conflict may arise as a consequence of differences between the norms of an informal group and the requirements of a formal organization.

3. Role ambiguity. In this case, the requirements may be evasive and vague.

4. Uninteresting work – people have different views on the concept of “uninteresting work”.

5. Other factors: variations in room temperature, poor lighting, excessive noise, improper balances of authority and responsibility, poor communication channels and unreasonable demands of employees on each other.

Methods for overcoming work stress: 1) developing a system of priorities in work - “must do today”, “do when there is time”, etc.; 2) be able to say “no” when there is a limit after which we cannot take on more work; 3) establishing effective and reliable relationships with management - teaching your boss to respect your priorities, your workload; 4) disagreement with those who make conflicting demands (role conflict).

Types of professional stress – informational, emotional and communicative.

Information stress – the employee does not have time to make a decision under strict time constraints. Decision making may be accompanied by a high degree of responsibility in conditions of uncertainty, lack of information, and frequent, unexpected changes in information parameters.

With emotional stress, the employee’s deep attitudes and values ​​associated with his profession are destroyed. This type of stress occurs when there is real or perceived danger, anxiety, humiliation, guilt, anger and resentment in cases of contradictions or rupture of business relationships, or in conflict with management.

Communication stress – occurs when there are real problems in business communication; accompanied by increased irritability, caused by the inability to defend against communicative aggression; lack of knowledge of special techniques for protecting against manipulation; inconsistent pace of communication.

Dynamics of professional stress. There are 3 stages in the development of professional stress in a person: increasing tension (1), stress itself (2), decreasing internal tension (3).

At the first stage

psychological contact disappears in business and interpersonal communication, alienation appears in relationships. Stress is also constructive and increases the success of professional activity.

Second stage

– loss of effective and conscious self-control (complete or partial). A person is aware of his actions vaguely and incompletely; Having exhausted his energy resources, a person feels devastated and tired.

Third stage

. “A man returns to himself,” experiencing a feeling of guilt, and swears that this nightmare will never happen again.

Each person has his own individual scenario of stress behavior, expressed in the frequency and form of manifestation of stress reactions. The direction of a person’s stressful aggression can be towards himself or towards others – colleagues, subordinates. The stressful scenario starts almost automatically.

Rules of self-regulation under conditions of professional stress

1 rule

: It is useful to observe yourself: how do you feel at the first stage of stress? What tangible changes occur in your condition and mood? How long does stage 1 of your stress last? How does this happen?

Rule 2

: You need to look for ways to stop yourself. It is important to take a break and interrupt the action with an effort of will. Take a break, leave the room, move to another part of the room.

Rule 3

: you must strive to transfer your energy into another form of activity, do something else: water flowers, make tea, go out into the corridor, talk with a nice employee, go to the window, look at passers-by, wet your hands with cold water.

Rule 4

: seriously think about what moments in work help relieve stress. What makes you most happy? What do you do with passion?

Formulation of refusal in business communication.

A person is afraid to refuse when he always wants to be kind to everyone, to be respected, whose self-esteem depends on the assessment and attitude of other people, and is not internally free from business partners.

The communicative refusal formula contains 3 main parts: a phrase containing positive content; a phrase containing negative content (reasons for refusal); a phrase containing positive content (a positive forecast that help will be provided sometime in the future).

Manipulation in business communication. Usually they talk about manipulation with a negative connotation, suggesting something derogatory, offensive, reducing a person’s status and destroying his human dignity.

The goals of the manipulator are simple : self-interest (money, connections), the desire to use the strength and life time of another person; self-affirmation (I am strong, and you are weak).

The criteria for manipulation are situations when: 1) one person intimidates another person and seeks to induce in him an experience of fear; 2) the manipulator makes another person experience guilt and remorse at a time when he is not guilty of anything; 3) one person tries to make the other person feel depressed, lacking self-confidence and decreased self-esteem; 4) the first evokes in the other a feeling of imposed duty.

The role of the victim is often played by an open and kind person who for a long time cannot believe that he is being used. With increasing age, a kind person becomes even more beautiful, his face glows, his eyes radiate.

In the life of a manipulator, the opposite pattern works: he lives hard, often experiencing “black” states. And over the years, his face acquires a heavy, unpleasant expression, even despite the fact that his features were beautiful in his youth.

The manipulator is internally cold, there is no warmth of human life, no vivid feelings and experiences. He either buys another (I will give you money and power), or he buys himself - I want money and power.

Protection from manipulation – strengthening one’s position in life and mastering communication techniques. The life position should be active and contain not only the desire to help people, but also to fulfill one’s own desires, achieve one’s goals, and strive to realize one’s interests.

The desire to be realized in life is a prerequisite for a normal, full-fledged human existence. It is important to ask yourself more often: “what do I get as a result of communicating with this person. What does he do for me? Do I enjoy this? Does communication bring me joy and satisfaction?

You must remember your human rights.

Techniques for communicating with a manipulator involve boldly and directly talking about: what he is doing; what the person being manipulated feels; what actually happens in the process of interaction between the manipulator and the victim (see Table 7.1.).

Table 7.1.

We can highlight the techniques used by unscrupulous employees

to avoid completing a task or avoid responsibility. Here they are: 1) without finishing one task, they ask for something else; 2) they try to prove to the manager that the assignment did not indicate what is now required; 3) claim that some time ago the boss said the exact opposite; 4) state that they have little authority to perform this task; 5) declare that they are “not getting help”; this makes it possible to evade responsibility; 6) prove that the assigned task is not their responsibility and that someone else should do it, etc.

Money and professional stress. It has been noticed that a large lottery win or inheritance does not bring benefit, but harm. A person loses the bearings of ordinary life, commits strange acts, and goes on a drinking binge.

There is a certain philosophy of money. According to this theory, each person has his own individually programmed amount of money or wealth. Therefore, it is necessary to listen to success: there are troubles and failures - it’s time to help a poor relative or give alms.

Of course, the self-affirmation that every person needs comes through money. In the absence of an internal manifestation of one’s “I,” something spiritual, living and very important for a Russian person dies away. In Russia, a rich person faces unusual difficulties of an autonomous, closed existence.

Issues for discussion:

1. Causes and sources of stress.

2. Gender aspect of business communication.

3. Social components of stress.

4. Psychological and physiological stress.

5. Stress is positive and negative.

6. Stages of stress development according to G. Selye (anxiety stage, resistance stage, exhaustion stage).

7. Signs, characteristics and types of stressors.

8. Stress factors.

9. Causes of psychological trauma. Uncertainty as a cause of stress.

10. Physical, emotional, behavioral signs of stress.

11. Three types of individual styles of behavior in stressful situations: constructive, reflexive, extensive.

12. Mechanisms of psychological defense against stress.

13. Timely recognition of stress.

14. Methods for determining a person’s mental state. Self-diagnosis profile.

15. Choosing optimal behavior.

16. Anti-stress self-defense techniques.

17. Changing attitudes towards stress factors.

18. Overcoming stress.

19. Personal stress protection program.

20. Formula for self-esteem.

1. Psychology and ethics of business communication: Textbook. for universities / Ed. V.N. Lavrienko.-M., 2001. — P. 136-154, 208-220.

2. Business communication: UMP/ NFMGEI, T.N. Vasilyeva., T.A. Fokina - N. Novgorod, 2003.

additional literature

1. Morozov A.V. Business psychology. Course of lectures: textbook for higher and secondary specialized educational institutions. - St. Petersburg, 2000.

2. Workshop on the psychology of management and professional activity / Ed. G.S. Nikiforova, M.A. Dmitrieva, V.M. Snetkova. – St. Petersburg, 2001.

3. Psychology of business communication. Reader. Textbook for faculties: psychological, economic and management. – Samara, 2006.

4. Practical psychodiagnostics / Ed. D.Ya. Raigorodsky. – Samara, 2003.

5. Sukhovershina Yu.V., Tikhomirova E.P., Skoromnaya Yu.E. Business (professional) communication training. – M.: Academic Project; Trixta, 2006.

6. Bodrov V.A. The problem of overcoming stress // Psychological Journal, 2006, No. 1, pp. 123-127.

7. Klimov E.A. Stress management in professional activity // Psychological Journal, 2003, No. 2, pp. 18-22.

Conflict (from Latin Conflictus - collision)

– the presence of a contradiction, a collision of multidirectional goals, interests, positions, opinions or views of the subjects of interaction, fixed by them in a rigid form. A conflict situation contains both the subject of a possible conflict and its object. But for a conflict to develop, an incident is necessary in which one of the parties begins to act, infringing on the interests of the other party.

Causes of conflict. Conflicts arise for various reasons, but knowledge about conflicts helps to manage them.

Information (IFORM) causes of conflict are:

distortions (rumors); unwitting misinformation; facts (incomplete, inaccurate, extraneous, deliberate concealment); publication (unwanted); representativeness (unreliability of experts, witnesses, lack of credibility of information); polysemy of meanings.

The structural causes of conflict include: status ; traditions (traditional habits, values, views); resources; services and goods (conflict over quality or purchase price); contacts (collision on the pretext of contracts, agreements, purchase agreements, memorandums of understanding and promises).

The causes of conflict may also be values ​​(values), including: values; ethics; needs; norms (violation of accepted professional or organizational norms); concerns (fears, lack of trust); justice; traditions or violation of accepted traditional rules, usually not written; ideology.

The causes of conflict are relationship factors: balance of power in relationships; expectations of the parties; compatibility; the value of the investment in the relationship.

Conflict causes behavior (behavioral factors of conflict) if it is: aggressive, irresponsible, domineering, deaf, demonstrative, selfish.

In table 8.1. Some variants of conflicts and possible causes are described.