Reflective Essay: Applying Self-Assessment Tools to Manage Conflict

This essay reflects on the application of self-assessment tools—Johari Window, MBTI, Transactional Analysis, and DISC—in managing a workplace conflict. The author, a manager, recounts a situation involving a project deadline, employee overtime, and a subsequent dispute leading to termination and a strike. Through self-assessment, the author identifies their leadership style, understands employee perspectives, and develops strategies to resolve the conflict. The reflection details how each tool contributed to understanding personal strengths and weaknesses, improving communication, and making ethical decisions. Ultimately, the conflict was resolved by implementing an incentive plan, re-evaluating management approaches, and reinstating the terminated employee after a commitment to workplace conduct. The essay concludes with a discussion of the limitations of using these tools individually and emphasizes the importance of continuous self-assessment for effective leadership.

Running head: WORKING WITH DIVERSITY AND CONFLICT
Working with Diversity and conflict
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction
Considering the fact that conflict in the workplace is an unavoidable part of work
experience, they can be highly reduced by self-assessment (Leon-Perezet et al. 2015). Having
self-awareness is crucial since when we have a better understanding of ourselves, we can easily
assess our strengths as well as weaknesses. This understanding of our own selves helps us to deal
with conflicts that we face in our workplaces. Some of the highly beneficial self-assessment tools
include the Johari Window model, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) model, the
Transactional Analysis (TA) and the DISC tool. In this essay, I will reflect upon how the above-
mentioned tools have helped me to manage a critical conflict that happened in my workplace
The conflict
Being the manager of the XYZ Company, situated in Sydney, Australia, I have
experienced several crucial conflicts in my workplace. As a manager, I always believe that
conflict can be healthy if solved with efficiency. It helps in the development of better
understanding among the employees as well as the superiors. However, if not solved in an
appropriate way, conflict can take a major shape and result in immense loss of revenue of the
organization. That year, our Company had got the opportunity to sign a major project that can
enhance our revenue to a great level. However, the deadline of the project was too short and
hence the manager decided to let the project go Being a person of overachieving mentally, I
insisted my superior to sign the contract of the project assuring that I would be able to manage
the situation. My intention was to pursue and motivate the employees to work overtime and thus
get the work done within the stipulated time. Unfortunately, the plan made by me did not seem to
work the way I wanted to. While more than 70 percent of the employees were not ready to work

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overtime, 26 percent of the employees asked for incentive for working after the official time was
over. Only 4 percent of the employees seemed to have no issues with the plan. As a result of this,
the productivity required for the completion of the project on time was not achieved. Being
highly tensed, I started pressuring the employees to work overtime. While the majority of the
employees kept silence, one of the employees protested. Our conversation eventually took the
form of an argument. During the argument, the employee had started using abusive words
against me. Being highly short tempered, I terminated the employee under Zero Tolerance Act
and for ill-behaving with his superior. This situation ignited the conflict and the employees of the
organization called for a strike in favour of the terminated employee.
How Johari window, MBTI, TA and DISC helped me to manage the conflict
In order to deal with the above-discussed situation, I underwent the four abovementioned
self-assessment test. With the help of DISC, Analysis tool helped me to understand my
leadership style. From the DiSC Analysis test (Saxena 2015), I understood that I belong to the Di
category. The term Di stands for Dominant and influential. This tool helped me assess my
strength as well as a weakness as a leader. While I have the capacity to influence and motivate
my employees to a great level, being a dominant leader, I imposed the pressure of my own
decision on the employees which had lead to the above-mentioned conflict. The DiSC Analysis
model also helped me to predict the behaviour of my employees and this, in turn, enabled me to
establish effective interaction with each one of them. The Johari window model helped me to
handle criticism. I understood that criticism is one of the best ways to understand one’s own
personality and what one’s peers think about him (Burian et al. 2014). With the help of Johari
Tool, I understood what my peers, as well as my subordinates, think about me. This, in turn,
helped me to understand their psychology and issues they have with me. I also gained the

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knowledge of how to deal with criticism and use it for the benefit of my own as well as for the
organization. From the Johari window model, I find out that according to employees I am a
highly enthusiastic leader but at the same time I am highly dominating and often end up
pressuring my employees. In order to eradicate my negative image form the mind of the
employees, I started communicating with the employees and genuinely tried to understand their
issues. During my communication with them, I understood that how hard and tiring it is for
them to work for provide extra effort after performing for a prolonged period of time. The MBTI
model helped me to develop a solution to eradicate the above-mentioned conflict. Considering
the fact I belonged to the TF dichotomy, I prefer thinking focused decision (Weick 2015). The
four factors I considered while taking the decision included:
1. What was the conflict about?
2. Principles and opinions of the two group involved in the conflict
3. Analysis of the difference in opinions
4. Taking a firm decision
During my analysis, I understood that my decision of making the employee work even after
their shift time is over is not only unethical but illegal as well. The Employees has the legal right
to sue me legally. Fortunately, they have not taken the step since they respect my commitment
and loyalty towards the organization and my ability to motivate them.
Along with the MBTI model, the TA model also helped me to manage the conflict. I had
implemented the Ego States theory during the decision-making process (Radwan 2014). This
theory helped me to understand that being the manager of XYZ Company, during the
conversation with the employee, it was my duty to communicate with him modestly. This, in

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turn, would have helped me to understand his issue as a result of which he was showing
aggressive behaviour. After analyzing my role as well as the psychology of my employees
behind the conflict, I decided to implement the following steps. Firstly, since our organization
has already signed a contract with the company and needs to complete the project within the
stipulated time, I organized a meeting where the current liability of the company and the huge
loss of revenue that the company would face if corporation from the employees is not obtained
will be stated. Secondly, considering the fact that this immoral as well as illegal to pressurize the
employees for working more than their office hours, I decided to implement an incentive plan.
Extra money was provided to the employees who worked for an additional period of time after
their working hours were over. Finally, we appointed he terminate employee again in our
organization only after he provided a written commitment that he would follow the code of
conduct in the workplace in future.
Identification of the tool that helped me the most
The four tools mentioned in the above discussion helped me to manage the conflict in
different ways. While the disc tool helped me to evaluate my leadership style, the Johari window
model assisted me to understand my own personality and what my peers and employees think
about it. With the help of both of these tools, I understood my strength as well as weaknesses.
The MBTI tool helped me to assess the situation and show me the way so that the situation can
be handled most effectively. Finally, with the help of TA tool, I was able to take an effective
decision and managed the conflict successfully.
Areas of Concern

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The only concern I had while using and implementing the four above mentioned tools to
manage the conflict was that none of the tools is multifunctional. I noticed that none of the tools
possesses the capability of solving the issue on. Hence I had to use all the four tools to manage
the above-mentioned situation.
Self assessment
It is the core concern for me to see each aspect of conflict management and finding out
why it stays critical to be a successful leader during the operational conflict. I have adapted some
helpful lessons from various experiences as a manager and how I can enhance my administration
capacity in this type of situation. I tenaciously work to settle on sound and convenient choices
while enabling others to adopt some features from me. I observed my workforce very closely and
pay special attention to identify the core causes of these conflicts while keeping them efficient by
understanding their problems and obstacles. I have to build up a structure as per my observation
and identification of situational choice, guaranteeing each undertaking decision is
comprehended, regulated, and achieved by me and my subordinates while it would not have any
dominant approach towards them.
I routinely look for better approaches to assemble the workforce without any dominating
approach while utilizing and motivating them as per their capabilities. I want to be an
exceptionally devoted individual where I need to build up more leading capacities for making an
ideal decision in any kind of conflicts. At the same time, I have the capacity to keep me
motivated in any chaotic situation. I want to prepare effective motivational push for me and for
my subordinates to achieve the objectives with collective dedication.

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Reference List
Burian, P.E., Francis, R., Burian, P.S. and Pieffer, M.A., 2014. Leadership Systems Model: An
Integration Of People, Process, And Behaviors In A Dynamic And Evolving
Environment. International Journal of Management & Information Systems (Online), 18(4),
p.261.
Leon-Perez, J.M., Medina, F.J., Arenas, A. and Munduate, L., 2015. The relationship between
interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30(3), pp.250-
263.
Radwan, N., 2014. An adaptive learning management system based on learner’s learning
style. International Arab Journal of e-Technology, 3(4), p.7.
Saxena, P., 2015. JOHARI WINDOW: An Effective Model for Improving Interpersonal
Communication and Managerial Effectiveness. SIT Journal of Management, 5(2), pp.134-146.
Weick, K.E., 2015. The social psychology of organizing. M@ n@ gement, 18(2), p.189