OVERVIEW - One survey found that managers were spending 18% of their time dealing with direct face-to-face conflict. Most organizations are decentralized and compartmentalized which sets up natural conflict, group to group. Whenever you form two groups, conflict follows. Gender and race inroads have probably brought with them increased conflict. Competition has heated up, making speed and agility more important but also created more conflict and less relaxed reflection. There is data-based conflict—my numbers are better than your numbers. There is opinion conflict—my opinion has greater value than yours. There is power conflict—this is mine. And there is unnecessary conflict due to how people position themselves and protect their turf. Dealing with and resolving all these kinds of conflict is more important and frequent than it used to be.