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Conflict in corporate teams is fine as long as your team
immediately works toward a solution. Shouting matches, pounding
on tables, and other displays of emotion may erupt, but
effective management of these moments can bring volatile
situations under control. Believe it or not, conflict can serve
as the precursor to increased creativity and productivity.
When conflict is good. You must expect certain kinds of
difficulty in team processes. As the weeks and months pass,
circumstances, attitudes, and relationships will change.
Adjustments to these changes may cause differing degrees of
conflict. Some predictable situations are:
*Members beginning to resist tasks
*Individual work demands interfering with team time
*Members disagreeing on data and causes
*Members pressuring the team to move to solutions
When negative behaviors arise, view them as opportunities for
progress. Unless they go unresolved, none of the above will
adversely affect team performance. On the contrary -- as you
deal with these issues, your team will emerge stronger than
before.
When conflict is bad. Adverse conditions develop when a team or
an individual tries to ignore the existence of conflict. Denial
causes situations to escalate from simple to complex.
Unresolved problems will slow down progress and may eventually
bring your team to a halt. Therefore, the earlier you deal with
minor differences, the easier they are to solve.
Not everyone has the same ability to sense a problem. Some
individuals are more sensitive to interpersonal dynamics. There
are times you may have to believe someone else even if you
don't see what he/she sees. Be aware of your ability or lack of
ability to reach people. If you are not as perceptive as other
members, trust their judgment until proven false. It may take a
longer for you to see what they see.
What to do. Identify the type of conflict you're facing, and
make sure everyone agrees. There are three types of conflict:
fact conflicts, methods conflicts, and values conflicts. Review
the facts of the situation and look for areas where everyone
agrees. After looking for agreement, gather more information
from all parties to try to resolve areas of disagreement. New
information frequently resolves minor differences.
Each conflict type requires a different level of effort to
resolve. Frequently, facts conflicts have easy solutions.
Methods conflicts may require that the team review the original
mission and goals. Values conflicts are difficult to resolve
and your team may have to suspend regular activities to handle
the situation.
Most of the time, settle differences in the presence of the
entire team. If you communicate privately only, the rest of the
team will wonder if the problem still exists. Open
communication means allowing everyone to give input and sharing
the victory. Sometimes, more serious conflicts should be
settled outside meeting time, but remember to let everyone know
when the situation is over.
If you have a facilitator, ask that person to assist in
defining the problem, clarifying thoughts and feelings,
defining roles, and helping the team to practice active
listening.
A. Lisa Stevens
3 Jan. 2009
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A._Lisa_Stevens
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