Dealing with Interpersonal Conflict Group Dynamics

Komives Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Interacting in Teams &

Groups* Characteristics of Groups* Ways Groups Develop* Dynamics Among Group Members* Leadership is Process-Oriented*Teamwork, Collaboration, Group- work & applications of Relational Leadership Model

Understanding Groups

• Average week = many types of groups formal/informal• Key Dimension of Groups - Purpose, Structure, Time• Purpose -friendship support groups - task force

groups - staff that delivers a service or product over time. *Purpose leads to structures & processes needed to accomplish purpose

• * Structure -mechanism of how people in group relate to each other -positions. Ex. Leaderless groups/informal leaders or formal leader/ex. President, chairperson,director. Settings/roles/

• Time - times vary - time limited, task-force, ad hoc committee or longer & ongoing group.

• Challenge of the Leader - attend to the group process in order to facilitate the most involvement of the most memebers in the most effective way to make the best decisions.

Group Development*Forming- recruitment, affiliation. What info is needed about group?When meeting? How to communicate? Purpose or mission? Agreements? Building trusting relationships.

*Storming- group starts to ‘get in gear’ differences of opinion begin to emerge. Group can collapse without shared values/purpose. Have to move through stages successfully to go to next successfully. Successful/Destructive - some stay in this stage and that’s how they get work done.

*Norming- Resolved key issues, establish patterns of getting work done. Formal/Informal, reports, members dealing with intimacy & identity, group culture, personality of group forming

Group Development cont. p.222

*Performing - mature stage of ‘equilibrium’. Time limited groups get here quick, but necessary to go through the other steps successfully first. Longtime groups need to build in strategies to stay ‘renewed’ and ‘recycle’ regularly. When new members join, issues arise, or new processes are needed.

*Adjourning - Final stage of development- “ending well”. Closure -groups exist over different time frames, termination needs to be planned for - closure and finality. Sense of loss for some- should include celebration and recognition of groups accomplishments & reflection on lessons learned.Groups that do not engage in continual revisiting of the cycle to stay active and vital may find themselves moving toward Adjourning - (group dies), may be necessary for new group to be formed, new purpose, new members. Need to stay vibrant & healthy. (same in

relationships/marriage/teaching/self)

Relational Leadership & Stages of Group Development ~

1. Forming - identify common purposes and targets of change

1. Be inclusive, empowering, all are involved, seek & celebrate diversity, model inclusion, shared leadership,

2. Storming - revisit purpose of group and targets of change

2. Climate of caring, commitment to community of practice, ethical open, patient, self awareness, handle conflict directly & openly, identify bias

3. Norming - 3. Be fair with process, collaboration, keep new members welcomed, informed, involved. Clarify responsibility for self & group

4. Performing - rebuild commitment“Gung ho!”

4. Celebrate accomplishments, find renewal in relationships, Empower to learn new skills, revisit purpose

5. Adjourning - (Ending Well, Closure, Processing/Loss/Change)

5. ???? What do you think?

When the group is… Relational Leadership philosophy would encourage…

Active participants need to continually

assesses their group’s development. “SHOULD WE - COULD WE

- ARE WE?”1. “Should We” leads a group to

clarify purpose & direction

2.”Could We” asks the group to anticipate the storming and

norming stages and see if they are up to the task.

3. “Are We” is the constant formative evaluation cycle in the performing stage to see if the group is truly doing what it sets out to do. Evaluation is formative and summative - ex. When the cook tastes the

soup it is formative evaluation, when customer tastes the soup it is

summative.

Dynamics in Groups- the study of the group’s life

~Task Roles

Information Seeker - aware of group needs, facts/data

Opinion Seeker - aware insight, ideas, opinions needed

Opinion Giver - sharing views, feelings, ideas so group benefit

Summarizer - helps to clarify

Clarifier - Elaborate or explain ideas, new words to add meaning. Showing how

Group- Building Roles P. 227

Gatekeeper -aware of who has not given input in discussion- uphold the values/goals of the group

Encourager-welcome all individuals, diverse ideas, warm, inclusive, empower others

Mediator - harmonize conflict, help to resolve differences

Follower - active listener willing supports the group’s actions and decisions

Which Roles Do You Play in Groups? Are you participating? Or are you sitting back reading a newspaper and not even listening = Nonparticipant *If you are a nonparticipant and you find ‘the group boring’ perhaps you should look in the mirror and see who is really boring!!!!!!!

Group Decision Making

Consensus - does not mean that every single decision is made by the entire group, nor does it mean that a majority vote equals reaching a consensus. (p.

234)

Guidelines for reaching consensus within a team:1. Clearly define the issue facing the team.2. Focus on similarities between positions

3. Ensure that there is adequate time for discussion.4. Avoid conflict - reducing tendencies (e.g. voting)

Note: Thoughts & Comments…… Experiences of being in groups that DID WORK & that DID NOT WORK

Group Decision Making

Sometimes leader has to make decision without the group ~ final decisions. Questions to guide the process.

1. Does the decision support our vision & mission? Purposeful?

2. What opinions do my group members have about this issue? Inclusive?

3. Will the decision heighten our involvement or limit involvement? Empowering?

4. Is this the right thing to do? Is it principled? Ethical?

5. Should I slow down making this decision so that others can get involved? Process- Oriented

~Creative Conflict~ p. 229

Advantages of Conflict1.Can increase motivation &

energy2. Clarifies issues &

positions3. Can build internal

cohesiveness and esprit de corps

4. Can lead to innovation & creativity

5. Can increase self-awareness

6. May be a means of dealing with internal conflicts

7. Can lead to new synthesis of ideas or methods.

Liabilities of Conflict1. Can be debilitating.2.Can distract from goals3. Can cause defensiveness &

rigidity4. Can cause distortions or

reality.5. Often becomes a negative

reinforcing cycle.6. Tends to escalate (more

serious)and to proliferate (more issues).

7. Efforts to resolve are often not reinforced.

Conflict Resolution - Conflict Resolution -

Talk it Out!Talk it Out!

1.1. Stop & Cool Off -Stop & Cool Off - (pause button)

2.2. Talk & Listen - Talk & Listen - (Using « I » statements)

3.3. Think of Ways to Solve the Think of Ways to Solve the Problem Problem (Using « I » statements)

4.4. Choose the Idea you both likeChoose the Idea you both like

Demonstration: Brainstorm different possible conflict situations & let’s PRACTICE! I’ll go first & then YOU

Conflict 1: Your office partner keeps leaving a mess on your desk and you are getting really frustrated and angry. It’s starting to cause you to dislike your colleague greatly. You find yourself getting snippy with her and cringing inside when she enters the room.

Conflict 2: Your Mom keeps trying to force you to eat when you are not hungry, or make you take a jacket with you when you leave the house, but you don’t want it. You are getting very tired of her treating you like a baby and you wish she would STOP IT!

Conflict 3: You are experiencing a conflict within yourself because you know that you are not ‘living right’ ~ you feel you need to talk it out with your self to ‘solve the problem’.

Group Work ~ 1.Choose a 2 partners (3 in a group) to

discuss your personal style in conflict situations. (5 minutes).2. Now practice the steps of “Talk It Out” using an example conflict that your group comes up with. (15 minutes).3. Do NOT forget to use the “I- Statements” for both Step 2 & Step 4 4. It’s on the final exam! 5. Be prepared to share back in class!

Working Groups -vs- Teams

Working GroupsLeader appointed

General Mission - Group’s PurposeIndividual work provides productsEffectiveness measured- Outcome

Individual Accountability EvidencedIndividual Accomplishments Meetings are efficient/short

Meetings members discuss, decide, and delegate

TeamsShared Leadership

Specific well defined purpose

Team & Individual workEffectiveness/Teamwork

ProductsBoth Team/Individual Accountability Evidenced

Team Celebration/IndividualMeetings open-ended/active

problem solvingIn Meetings members discuss,

decide, and do real work

“We can no longer afford the luxury of even a few individuals working in isolation from the rest of the organization…Strength is not in the individuals, but in the team. Put a group of superstars together on any team, they will lose if they operate as individual superstars. But once they start operating as a team, they become unbeatable.” P.235

Types of Teams

• Functional -Power & Authority at the top/hierarchal organization

• Self-Directed-Members posses knowledge & skill to accomplish task/goal, certain power delegated from leader/manager

• Cross-Functional-Team is composed of individuals from variety of skill sets, departments, areas combine sets that no one person can possess.

Characteristics of Team Leadership p. 242

• Multi-tasking between internal & external demands

• Clear Elevating Goal• Results-driven structure• Competent Team Members• Unified Commitment• Collaborative Climate• Standards of Excellence• Principled Leadership• External Support

Establishing the Team p. 244• 1. Task Structure - team understands task & finds meaning/given autonomy to accomplish the task

• 2 Group Boundaries - the size of the team is just right (not too big/small) Diversity exists; sufficient knowledge, info, interpersonal skills to accomplish the goals harmoniously

• 3. Norms - the team has a set norms to guide behavior of members

• 4. Authority- there is flexible rather than rigid use of authority by leader and team members that allows for open debate and instills a sense of empowerment and trust as well as a degree of command when compliance by group members is warranted.

~SMART GOALS ~ Teams must have clear goals to achieve success

• S- Specific - goal must be clear to everyone• M- Measurable - quantifiable• A- Attainable - must be realistic & possible• R- Relevant - aligned with direction overall • T- Time-bound - set time frame to achieve

“In a productive work community, leaders are not commanders and controllers, bosses and big shots. They are servers and supporters, partners and providers” (Kouzes & Posner)

“Team Learning - happens in dialogue with each other through reflection & shared experience. Process… Dialogue -vs- Discussion - Dialogue methods….thinking together…Dialogue clarifies points not prove them. P. 241Group/Team Reflection = Growth - Individually & Collectively <3 Gung ho!