Conflict Resolution

Managing Teams under Fire

Prepared By: Usman Ahmad

PMO Enablement Session

Agenda

• Overview

• Tuckman’s Team Development Model

• Five Levels of Conflict - The Agile Way

• Conflict Management Strategies

• The Iceberg of Conflict

• ABC of Mutual Purpose

Overview

• An agile team humming along in the rhythm of steady -

momentum will display conflict all the time. Its normal.

• It happens in neighborhoods, community, friends and agile

teams—especially agile teams—where team members sit

arm’s distance everyday while responding to the built-in

pressure of the time-boxed sprint.

• As a leader, we often have to help team in navigating

through conflict to rather make it a constructive

disagreement.

Tuckman’s

Model

Background

• Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first came up with the

memorable phrase "forming, storming, norming, and

performing" in his 1965 article, “Development

Sequence in Small Groups”

• Its a helpful framework for recognizing a team's

behavioral patterns, most useful as a basis for team

conversation.

• It explains that as the team develops maturity and

ability, relationships establish; the leader changes

leadership style.

The Model

Team’s Feeling & Action Steps

Stage Feelings Action Steps

Forming • Excited• Making bonding• Developing trust• No commitment to team

• Define structure• Set goals• Clear expectations & roles• Kickoff Meeting

Storming • Expression of differences• Reaction to leadership• Discovering team members• Resistance to processes

• Set regular meetings• Keep clear vision• Clear communication• Identify appropriate resources

Norming • Begin to resolve issues• Process starts flowing• Well defined purpose• More individual motivation• Listen to each other

• Reinforce roles & processes• Provide regular feedback• Recognize & publicize wins• Team building activities• We can succeed !

Team’s Feeling & Action Steps (Cont.)Stage Feelings Action Steps

Performing • Satisfaction• Self evaluation• Can do attitude• Flatter each other• Ready for additional

responsibilities

• Maintain traditions• Delegate• Empower• Praise & share reward• Continuously Improve

Adjourning • Variety of concerns• Sense of accomplishment• Anxiety about next role• Sadness or sense of loss• Less focused on final tasks

• Complete deliverables• Evaluate lessons learned• Celebrate & acknowledge• Keep motivation for next role• Let it Go !

Five Levels of Conflict

in Agile

The Volcano

Conflict Navigation ModesLevel Response Options

1- Problem to Solve Collaboration and consensus. Seeking a win-win situation.

2- Disagreement Support. Empowering the others to resolve the problems. Refocus on team’s shared values.

3- Contest Accommodate. Negotiate. Get factual.

4- Crusade Establish safe structures. Use “shuttle” diplomacy, carrying thoughts from one group to other until they are able to de-escalate and lower the level of conflict.

5- World War Do whatever is necessary to prevent people from hurting one another.

Conflict Manageme

nt Strategies

The Dimensions

In conflict situations, a person’s behavior can be described about two basic dimensions:

Assertiveness:The extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy only his concerns.Cooperativeness:The extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy other person’s concerns.

These two dimension can be used to define five methods of dealing with conflict.

Strategies

Iceberg of

Conflict

Honesty and Empathy

• Closely intertwined with the process of searching below the surface.

• Skill and practice are necessary to successfully balance them.

• Empathy is a harder concept. As an empathic person, you will need to hold two seemingly opposing ideas at the same time:

1. Realize that the other person is unique, with ideas, experiences, and emotions you can never fully know;

2. Imagine walking the other person’s path, to try to understand the other person’s ideas, experiences, and emotions. 

The Iceberg

ABC of Mutual

Purpose

Agree, Build & Compare

What do you do when you disagree with another person’s stories or facts?

1. Agree on what you agree. 2. Build on what you agree with.   3. Compare your views rather than state others are

wrong. 

Remember the ABC

Agree:

If you completely agree with the other person’s path, say so and move

on.  Agree when you agree.  Don’t turn an agreement into an

argument.

Build:

If you agree with what’s been said but the information is incomplete,

suggest building.

Compare:

Finally, if you do disagree, compare your path with the other person’s. 

That is, rather than suggesting that he or she is wrong, suggest that

you differ. I think I see things differently.  Let me describe how.

Conflict or

Opportunity

Conflict or Opportunity?

• Don’t shy away from conflicts. When lead correctly, diversity

of opinion can bring out valuable solutions to problems,

which you otherwise may have not known existed.

• As an effective leader with followers, learning how to

constructively deal with, and manage disagreements is

critical for our success.

• When handled constructively, there is an opportunity to

build an even stronger relationship with team with knowing

each other’s perspective even in a better way.

Thank You !