Team Conflict Management
While we mostly dislike conflict, for most task groups an unstructured,
laissez-faire, or conflict-free climate is not effective. Too much conflict can also
inhibit group effectiveness. When properly managed, conflict, like adversity, can
serve to strengthen team bonds.
Conflict
Introduction
Four Basic Steps for
Resolving Conflict
Timing and Other Hints
Guidelines for
Effective Listening During a Conflict
Managing
conflict is more challenging than increasing participation or shifting influence.
Be
careful not to ‘blame’ the individuals involved in the conflict. Rather
see expressed conflict as a ‘GROUP’ dynamics issue, not an interpersonal
issue.
If
the group is avoiding conflict in general or avoiding conflict about core/key issues, you
might comment about what the group is avoiding and suggest setting aside some time to deal
with it.
Most
work groups in organizations have norms that allow mostly positive feelings to be
expressed. They may also allow controlled disagreement; disagreement without
anger. The problem with this is that negative emotions that are suppressed usually
erupt later when the person who suppressed their anger gets back at the group by attacking
another person’s idea, regardless of the idea's merit. Moreover the attack is
usually disguised as a substantive or procedural issue. It is thus usually more
effective to deal with the anger directly in the first place using a constructive
confrontation strategy. Effective team leaders model and/or encourage such conflict
management maturity.
Conflict
Introduction
Four Basic Steps for
Resolving Conflict
Timing and Other Hints
Guidelines for
Effective Listening During a Conflict
C. Addressing Resitance
Identifying resitance
Case Study: Managers as the Enemy
Addressing the Belief
that Change has been Handled Improperly
Addressing the
Belief that Change will fail