Dealing_Effectively_with_Conflict

Dealing Effectively With Conflict University of Phoenix Dealing Effectively With Conflict “Conflict is a natural result of people working together. Without conflict, complacency in teams can occur and the development of the team and/or the team member can be seriously impeded” (Capozzoli, 1999, p. 14). The purpose of this paper is to take a look at conflict among a team or group of individuals. The dynamics of a team are made up of many different mindsets. Team dynamics means each individual of a team will have strengths and weaknesses. Both will have a positive and negative effect on a team’s well being and ability to accomplish goals. There has been discussion by many that some of the contributions to negative results within a team lie with several types of conflict. Some areas of conflict are relationship, task, and process (Jehn, 1995 and 1997). Each of these types refers to an individuals inability to focus on pertinent issues rather than personal, agree on other member’s ideas or opinions, and the manner in which tasks are delegated among team members. Some contributing factors that will also work in conjunction with the aforementioned types of conflict are: negative emotions, an example of this would be an individuals inability to see others contributions as viable, feelings of jealousy or anger toward other team members, or a lack of confidence in his or her own abilities to make active viable contributions (Pinkley, 1990). The greater the negative emotion is within a team the less likely it will be that they achieve a positive outcome. To overcome this, a team may desire to redirect this behavior type during their session’s, this can be done by ignoring or avoiding the behavior of a specific individual and redirecting attention to the task at hand. Another area of conflict could be task resolution. A teams inability to assign tasks that would highlight an individuals strengths, or team members who when assigned a task do not complete his or her portion, lack of communication regarding work in progress and a team’s inability to come together and communicate on a regular basis of progress made. Some ways to address this would be with open discussions by all team members at the onset that would address any areas needing clarification. There should also be stated rules or consequences for team members late with returning work assignments. The team should have a plan in place so that if a member does not complete an assigned task the other members can pick up and follow through to completion. Yet another scenario discussed that can create problems within a team would be disagreements about logistical and delegation issues, with regard to how tasks are assigned and accomplished. An example of this could be the inability of assigning a specific task to an individual for completion. By disagreeing regarding tasks to be assigned to other team members, it could appear that abilities and competencies of fellow team members are in question. Each of these areas of conflict if not addressed and resolved can chip away at components that some say are essential for teams to thrive and succeed. Power struggles are also a type of conflict among teams. There need only be one leader in a team. The leader must be willing to assign the tasks that must be completed, and also hold each member accountable for his or her actions in completing each task. To be an effective leader a common pitfall that should be avoided is that of triangulation. An example of this would be a disagreement among two or more team members. If the members are unable or unwilling to address and resolve their differences, they will involve a third person. In most cases this will be the leader. A leader if not careful can give the perception of taking sides and only fueling the conflict further. One way a leader can effectively handle this would be to first avoid assuming the role of rescuer, and second insist that all members involved reach a resolution on his or her own. If this action still proves to be ineffective, then the leader can meet with all parties simultaneously to reach a resolution. Another method used to approach conflict would be for the team leader to identify another member of the team who can serve as a sounding board. By using this method, there would be an impartial party involved to lend an ear and helpful advice to reaching a resolution. One of the rules of using the sounding board method is that “he or she must hold the individual seeking advice accountable for either dealing directly with the conflict or letting it go” (Guttman, 1999, p. 50). Values, attitudes, needs, perceptions, and expectations also play a role in conflicts among teams. Team members will not always share the same cultural values, attitudes of team members will be different, which means the goals of one person will differ from the goals of another. When team members needs differ and are not met, it will cause frustration and conflict. When team member’s expectations and perceptions of how the team process will work are not met this to will lead to conflict. Although there are many contributing factors to what will lead to conflict within a team, it should also be noted that conflict when handled appropriately can lead to the success of the team. Positive conflict can be good within a team environment. When teams encounter conflict in most cases it promotes more participation and conversation. Conventional thinking is challenged and new opportunities identified. Team members will begin to see a path in which they (members) are working toward a common goal. Conflict can get tasks done and obtains results. Conflict can, in fact, enhance the quality of decision making within a team. In conclusion, team conflict used in a positive manner can promote personal growth, employ team building strategies, effective communications, and brainstorming techniques, which are team driven and in such a manner that it results in a solution to the problem. Conflict can be destructive when it does not promote teamwork, offers no solutions to existing problems or diverts energy from the more important activities or issues. Once conflict is understood among team members, it will then be manageable. References Behfar, K., Mannix, E., & Peterson, R. (2008, Jan). The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams: A Close Look at the Links Between conflict Type, Conflict Management Strategies, and Team Outcomes. Applied Psychology, 93(1), 170-188. DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.93.1.170 Capozzoli, T. K. (1999, Nov). Conflict resolution-a key ingredient in successful teams. SuperVision.Burlington, 60(11), 3.14. http://proquest.umi.com Esquivel, M. A., & Kleiner, B. H. (1997). The importance of conflict in work team effectiveness:[1]. Team Performance Management.Bradford, 3(2), 89-94.http://proquest.umi.com Guttman, H. M. (1999, Nov). Conflict At the Top. Management Review, 88(10), 49-53. Tjhosvold, D. (2008). The conflict-positive organization: it depends upon us. Organizational Behavior, 29, 19-28.http://EBSCOhost.com Addresses the effects of destructive conflict, as well as outcomes achieved through constructive conflict within a team. Destructive Conflict Would be defined as the inability of a team or its member’s to make a decision, the destruction of moral and/or the division of a member or group of members. Constructive Conflict The ability of team members to change and grow, reach solutions and promote the involvement of all team members in reaching solutions and attaining goals