life skill project

8/8/2019 Life Skill Project

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RAI BUSINESS SCHOOL

PROJECT ON Linking Goals to Avoidance in Interpersonal Conflict Situations:

A Cognitive Approach

In partial fulfillment of

POST GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PLANNING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

SUBMITTED To SUBMITTED BY

Mrs. Anupma Sharma SANJEET KUMAR SINGH

SR. LECTURER 22/PGPPE/08E/168

RBS, Delhi Sem- IV, RBS, New Delhi


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful to those who have helped me in compiling the

matter for this project. While I take this opportunity to thank allof them-they are too numerous to be mentioned in this brief preface.

I would like to acknowledge my deep sense of gratitude toMrs. Anupma Sharma (Faculty of Life Skills, RBS Delhi) for her valuable help at all stage.

Lastly no words can adequately express my dept e.g. gratitude tomy all faculty members of RBS DELHI and I also thanks myfriends for their support.

TO WHOM SO EVER IT MAY CONCERN


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This is to certify that Sanjeet Kumar Singh as a student of Rai BusinessSchool, Delhi, Batch (2008-2010) PTU University Enrollment number

22/PGPPE/08E/168 has completed Project study of Life Skills incompleted under Guidance.

Mrs. Anupma Sharma (LECTURER, R.B.S. Delhi)

Abstract


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When an argument becomes overheated, is it better to insist on arguments until the other submits,or is it better to withdraw until both parties cool off? When a work team makes a decision, arethe ideas offered always better than the ideas held back? Just as "the squeaky wheels get oiled,"conflict communication research has focused on communicative strategies in dealing withconflict, and the non-communicative strategy of avoidance has rarely been examined. Avoidancehas been largely viewed as a passive and ineffective conflict strategy. The goal of thisdissertation is to develop and assess a cognitive model of conflict avoidance. A typology of conflict avoidance and a typology of goals in conflict situations are developed. Twelvehypotheses about how conflict goals determine individuals' likelihood of using specificavoidance strategies are proposed. In an experiment, the importance of a goal or a combinationof goals was manipulated, and the likelihood of using specific avoidance strategies wasmeasured. Twelve goals or combinations of goals were induced in a role-playing situation. Eachgoal induction was placed in one of two hypothetical scenarios (an interpersonal conflict in agroup project in school and a similar conflict at work). With two scenarios and 12 goal

inductions, 24 experimental conditions were created. A total of 352 student participants wererandomly assigned to the 24 conditions. Participants imagined interacting in the hypotheticalconflict scenario, which was presented in writing; they then provided their responses on aquestionnaire. Results indicated that avoidance has various forms, some of which were caused bydifferent levels of importance placed on different goals. Avoidance strategies were shown tohave two components: communication avoidant strategies (withdrawal, passive competition, exit,and outflanking) and issue avoidant strategies (pretending and yielding). The former strategieswere predicted by competitive goals, whereas the latter were predicted by cooperative goals.Interpretations and implications of the results, the limitations of the study, and future directionswere discussed.

TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS


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S.No.Topic

1. Introduction.

2.Conflict

3.

Link to conflict management style assessment

4. Conflict in Groups and Teams

5. Reason for conflict

6. Solution for conflict

7. Conclusion.

8. Bibliography.

Introduction


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Hi, Shyam, why did Ram get the promotion and not you? Everyone knows you-are more qualified.Well, what can I do about it? Ram and our boss graduated from the samecollege, and they are good friends.Why dont you argue about it? Its unfair!I dont want to offend him; I want to keep my job, Balram.If I were you, I would definitely talk to him.Conflict is inevitable in interpersonal

relationships. In the above situation, Shyam has chosen to avoid talking to his bossabout the perceived unfairness of a promotion because he fears he may lose his job,whereas Balram advises confrontation. Which method is better? Is avoidance or confrontation more beneficial to the employees job security? And which is more

beneficial to the employees relationship with his boss? Under what circumstances do people choose avoidance over other ways of resolving conflict? In a society thatstresses verbalization and directness such as the United States (Hall, 1959; Kim, Shin,& Cai, 1998), the answers to these questions likely would be biased againstavoidance. Roloff and Ifert (2000) criticized research in interpersonal conflict for itsfailure to explain avoidance. Kim (2002), in discussing non-Western perspectives oncommunication, stated that avoidance had been largely overlooked by the mainstreamresearch on conflict management strategies in the past four decades. Early research inconflict management such as by Blake and Mouton (1964) and by Filley and House2In some situations, avoidance may be an effective or desirable strategy, suchas when the cost of confrontation is too great or when there is insufficient justificationto take action. In their situational theory of non-apologies,argued that when all potential actions seem to bring negative consequences,individuals are likely to avoid the situation. Guerrero (1992) and Tavris (1982) foundthat individuals reported a tendency to use non-communicative acts such as holdinggrudges or trying to ignore angry feelings to prevent their partners aggressive or violent behaviors in interpersonal relationships. Lewin (1935) compared a personsapproaching or avoiding actions to an object experiencing attraction or repellingforces in a physical field. He argued that a positive stimulus pulls the person in (i.e.,the person approaches the stimulus), whereas a negative stimulus repels the person(i.e., the person avoids the stimulus). When faced with two equally undesirablestimuli, the person is likely to take an avoidant action from both stimuli. The avoidantaction may be leaving the field or doing something unrelated to the two negativeoptions .Studies of interpersonal avoidance have begun to increase recently. Most of these studies focused on topic avoidance . In examining conflictmanagement through topic avoidance in close relationships, Roloff and Ifert (2000)stated that, conflict avoidance deserves more attention than it has been afforded.Perhaps achieving successful relationships requires a balance between confrontationand avoidance. Afifi and Guerrero (2000) advocated the explorations of relationship-based, individual-based, and information-based motivations tounderstand peoples topic avoidance in close relationships. Research in topic


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avoidance has provided a good starting point to a systematic investigation of conflictavoidance.Increased discussion of avoidance is also found in the research in crossculturalcomparisons on conflict styles.Although mixed results have been found regarding cultural differences on preferred

use of avoidance, Cai and Fink indicated that an overall generalization is thatcollectivists are more likely to be non-confrontational whereas individualists aremore likely to be confrontational (p. 71). Using a multidimensional scaling analysis,Cai and Fink demonstrated that this generalization is untrue: Individualists avoidmore than collectivists do. Others have found that avoidance is a common strategyused in certain situations, about certain issues, and with people in certain relationships.

cognitive factors on conflict behavior. For instance, the impact of cognitive biases onconflict processing has been widely documented .The research on avoidance about topic disclosure and cross-culturalcomparisons on conflict styles suggested examining the cognitive processes of

conflict avoidance in understanding peoples conflict behaviors. People use avoidanceto achieve multiple goals .The major purpose of this dissertation is to examine the links between goalsand avoidance strategies in interpersonal conflict situations through a cognitivemodel. Before the links are examined, a typology of avoidance strategies and atypology of goals are developed. Because the study investigates the likelihood of using avoidance strategies through a goals approach, which is one of the ways tostudy cognitive processes, the assumptions for cognitive research apply to this study.Wilson (2005) summarized four assumptions that cognitive theorists usuallymake. First, the individual is the unit of analysis. This study examines the goals thatan individual uses for avoidance in an interpersonal conflict situation; the focus is

placed on the actor's goals and strategies, not the other partys. Second, individualsinterpret the environment and respond to it actively .This studyexamines interpersonal conflict, and thus the goals activated by characteristics of interpersonal conflict situations are the foci. Personality or dispositional variables arenot discussed. The active response to the environment also implies that conflict

strategies to pursue the goals are more relevant in this study than are conflict styles ,which are more appropriate to be discussed when the focus is to understanddispositions .Wilson (2005) defined a strategy as "an abstract category of behaviors thatshare a common feature or quality and that appear to pursue a goal". Aconflict strategy is used to pursue goals arising from a conflict situation. A conflictstyle refers to the recurrent approaches to managing conflict across situations and is asocialization product, or in other words, a learned behavior for managing conflict(Ting-Toomey, 1994). Roloff and Ifert (2000) argued that avoidance can be aneffective communicative choice and that the strategic use of avoidance does not makea person an avoider. Wang and Chen (2004) found that conflict strategies variedacross situations and were not always consistent with conflict styles. Because themain purpose of this dissertation is to identify the goals that predict avoidance in aconflict situation, the dissertation examines avoidance as a strategy rather than a style.


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The third assumption that cognitive researchers have made is about limitedcognitive capacity for understanding and responding to the environment (Wilson,2005). This assumption applies to this study. The focus of the dissertation will be onthe goals most relevant to interpersonal conflict. The goals that the actor may not beconscious of are not discussed. In other words, this study tests avoidance strategies as

a means to achieve the ends that the actor has planned consciously.Finally, the dissertation builds a cognitive model that may apply to variousinterpersonal conflict situations (Wilson, 2005). The dissertation does not examinethe prior relationship between the actor and the other party or prior conversationalepisodes between the two. Attention is directed to goals that motivate avoidancestrategies (i.e., the link between goals and avoidance strategies). Any variables thatmay influence the formation of goals or that may be affected by avoidance strategiesare beyond the scope of this study. The link between goals and avoidance strategiesshould be found in various interpersonal conflict situations.The following chapter reviews the literature on avoidance and goals. Arationale is provided to link goals to avoidance strategies in a cognitive model.

Chapter 3 describes the pilot studies and the method used to test the model. Chapter 4 provides the results. Chapter 5 summarizes the study, interprets the results, anddiscusses the limitations of the study, directions to future research, and thesignificance of the study.

Conflict

The Experience of Conflict


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everyday experience suggests conflict can not be avoided in interaction withothers

The Nature Of Conflict

conflict is difficult to define: a struggle for mastery, a combat to overcome,active opposition, strife conflict involves opposing forces and differing objectives

Types of Conflict

Social Conflict

interpersonal conflict- two individuals me against you; intergoup struggles-us against them;individual opposing a group- me against them, themagainst me; intragroup conflict- members of group all against each other ona task

Psychological Conflict (internal conflict)

this type of conflict could be going on inside the person and no one wouldknow ( instinct may be at odds with values)

Freud would say unconscious id battling superego, according to Freud ourpersonalities are always in conflict

Approach-Avoidance

conflict can be describe as having features of approach and avoidance:approach-approach conflict; avoidance-avoidance conflict; approach-avoidance conflict

Approach-Approach Conflict

two desirable things are wanted, but only one option can be chosen( example: desirable date Or ski trip)"I want this but I also want that."

Avoidance- avoidance Conflict

two unattractive alternatives ( example: study or do the dishes "I don'twant his and I don't want that

Approach- Avoidance Conflict


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attractive and unattractive parts to both sides "I want this but I don'twant what this entails"

Functional vs Dysfunctional Conflict

Dysfunctional Conflict: when conflict disrupts, hinders job performance, andupsets personal psychological functioning

Functional Conflict: from an interactionist perspective conflict can beresponsive and innovative aiding in creativity and viability. Determine if conflict achieves goals or undermines them

Benefits of Conflict - Opportunity not obstacle by David Johnson

enables a person to become aware of problems in a relationship serves as catalyst for positive change energizes and motivates to deal with immediate problems stimulates interest and curiosity relieves minor tensions -cathartic causes decision to be made more carefully promotes self-knowledge clears the air of unexpressed resentments

Psychological Orientations to Conflict

Conflict orientation: we all display predispositions when faced with conflict;some approach, some withdraw;orientation involves beliefs and perceptions.(some see opportunity in conflict, some destruction; some want to face andresolve; some want to win )Our orientations change from situation tosituation

Clayton Lafferty/Ronald Phillips 12 Individual Styles in 3 basicOrientations (1990)

Constructive Orientation to Conflict (Conciliatory,Pragmatic,Self-empowered, Relationship Building)* conflict viewed as normal to achieve longer term* those with constructive orientation are realistic* pragmatic approach means feelings are expressed honestly and directly* self worth is not associated with results of dispute* those with this approach are self-empowered and internally centred(address difference with sensitivity and patience)* they are conciliatory, well intentioned, work fairly and reasonably; lookingfor underlying needs and motivations, maintaining an objective perspective;


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diffusing and facilitating; value loyalty to relationship; few issues break bondof friendship

Passive-Defensive Orientation to Conflict (Accommodating, Avoiding,Insulating, Regulating)

* conflict not seen as normal and possibility generating but seen as a threat;they avoid getting involved by calming waters; belief is conflict isunnecessary and destructive* they are accommodating giving in and doing as others ask; self-worth ismeasured by others acceptance and approval*they try to insulate themselves from controversy feeling powerless instruggle; labeled as avoider denying conflict letting others resolve; appearloyal seeking dependent relationship with those more powerfulTo improve they should: recognize value of conflict; state their interests;stand up for self; accept conflict exists

Aggressive- Defensive Orientation to Conflict (Perfectionistic,Competitive, Dominating, Escalating)* this orientation escalates conflict; belief is that competence is key; a desireto put themselves above opponent to hide own inadequacies*dominators seek high ground of power and authority "Might makes Right"* conflict as a competition to gain or lose status -winning linked to self-worth* perfectionism-setting unrealistic standards impossible for othersTo improve: don't confuse force with power; separate self-worth fromoutcome; be fair; explore difference; accept less than perfect; respectothers; accept feelings as facts

Conflict Management Styles

the particular conflict strategy you use in any situation dependson how important goals and relationships are to you

to be skilled in conflict management you should be skilled in allfive strategies

you have choice; styles are learned.

LINK TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE ASSESSMENT
http://webhome.idirect.com/~kehamilt/ipsyconstyle.htmlhttp://webhome.idirect.com/~kehamilt/ipsyconstyle.html


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The Competing Shark

Sharks use a forcing or competing conflict management style sharks are highly goal-oriented Relationships take on a lower priority

Sharks do not hesitate to use aggressive behaviour to resolve conflicts Sharks can be autocratic, authoritative, and uncooperative; threatening andintimidating

Sharks have a need to win; therefore others must lose, creating win-losesituations

Advantage: If the shark's decision is correct, a better decision withoutcompromise can result

Disadvantage: May breed hostility and resentment toward the person using it Appropriate times to use a Shark style

o when conflict involves personal differences that are difficult to changeo when fostering intimate or supportive relationships is not criticalo when others are likely to take advantage of noncompetitive behaviouro when conflict resolution is urgent; when decision is vital in crisiso when unpopular decisions need to be implemented

The Avoiding Turtle

Turtles adopt an avoiding or withdrawing conflict management style Turtles would rather hide and ignore conflict than resolve it; this leads them

uncooperative and unassertive Turtles tend to give up personal goals and display passive behaviour creating

lose-lose situations Advantage: may help to maintain relationships that would be hurt by conflict

resolution Disadvantage: Conflicts remain unresolved, overuse of the style leads to

others walking over them Appropriate times to use a Turtle Style:

o when the stakes are not high or issue is trivialo when confrontation will hurt a working relationshipo when there is little chance of satisfying your wantso when disruption outweighs benefit of conflict resolutiono when gathering information is more important than an immediate

decisiono when others can more effectively resolve the conflicto when time constraints demand a delay\


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The Accommodating Teddy Bear

Teddy bears use a smoothing or accommodating conflict management style

with emphasis on human relationships Teddy bears ignore their own goals and resolve conflict by giving into others;

unassertive and cooperative creating a win-lose (bear is loser) situation Advantage: Accommodating maintains relationships Disadvantage: Giving in may not be productive, bear may be taken

advantage of Appropriate times to use a Teddy Bear Style

o when maintaining the relationship outweighs other considerationso when suggestions/changes are not important to the accommodatoro when minimizing losses in situations where outmatched or losingo when time is limited or when harmony and stability are valued

The Compromising Fox

Foxes use a compromising conflict management style; concern is for goalsand relationships

Foxes are willing to sacrifice some of their goals while persuading others togive up part of theirs

Compromise is assertive and cooperative-result is either win-lose or lose-lose Advantage: relationships are maintained and conflicts are removed Disadvantage: compromise may create less than ideal outcome and game

playing can result Appropriate times to use a Fox Style

o when important/complex issues leave no clear or simple solutionso when all conflicting people are equal in power and have strong

interests in different solutionso when their are no time restraints

The Collaborating Owl

Owls use a collaborating or problem confronting conflict management stylevaluing their goals and relationships

Owls view conflicts as problems to be solved finding solutions agreeable to allsides (win-win)

Advantage: both sides get what they want and negative feelings eliminated Disadvantage: takes a great deal of time and effort Appropriate times to use an Owl Style

o when maintaining relationships is importanto when time is not a concerno when peer conflict is involvedo when trying to gain commitment through consensus buildingo when learning and trying to merge differing perspectives


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Seven Steps to Constructive Conflict Resolution Using theCollaborative Style (Johnson)

1. Confront the Opposing Party

let other party know of conflict by expressing your view and feelings andinvite other party to do same the stronger or more solid the relationship the more forceful the

confrontation may be if other party displays high anxiety and low motivation them avoid conflict

2. Define the Conflict Together

define conflict in agreeable way, fairly, objectively to avoid defensiveness arrive at common definition of problem avoiding insults and negative value;

be clear and specific; describe feelings; reflect back; control passions

3. Communicate Personal Positions and Feelings

keep lines open; know the other's position; understand their point seek to uncover what differences are look for common ground what does each have to do to resolve conflict

4. Express Your Cooperative Intentions

make it clear that you don't want to undermine relationship state desire to work together for a mutually agreeable solution show optimism-the net effect will be stronger bond

5. Understand the Conflict from the Other Party's Viewpoint

do not ignore or fail to recognize perspective of others see the situation fro their view

6. Be Motivated to Negotiate in Good Faith

be motivated by good intentions

7. Reach an Agreement

win-win means everybody satisfied.


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often, non-communicating meetings are characterized by team members sitting and listening towhat the boss has to say. Often chatter or silence prevails in teams. A lack of communication canalso be noted when team members dont get along, and so refuse to talk to each other. Thesefeuds create barriers within teams and prevent communication in the team. A lack of communication or disrespectful communication leads to a lack of trust, which is another

symptom of team conflict. Teams that fail to produce desired results often lack the trust in oneanother as team members necessary to succeed. Without trust in a team, verbal or non-verbalconflict becomes the norm of the team. Team members spend more energy protecting their own

positions and jobs then they do producing what is required for the teams success. When trusterodes in a team, the habit of blaming others becomes the norm as individuals try to protectthemselves. Team members become enemies that compete against each other rather than alliesthat build and help one another to achieve a common goal. Teams that lack trust often gossipabout other members or have frequent side conversations after meetings to discuss opposingopinions. Such activity sucks strength out of the team and its purpose.

Another symptom of team conflict can be seen when team members have opposing agendas. This

is not to be confused with members who have different opinions. Having different opinions in agroup can be very healthy if managed correctly because it can create better ideas and ways of getting the job done. However, when team members have opposing agendas, more is at stakethan differing opinions; it is two individuals fiercely committed to the exact opposite approach.Opposing agendas can create confusion in team members and can cause them to lose sight of their role in the team and the teams final goal. Teams must work toward a common goal in order to be successful. Extreme effort must be made to reconcile differences, or such a team can look forward to failure.

What are Appropriate Solutions to Conflict?

As mentioned above, conflict is a natural and necessary element of a healthy team experience. If a team never experiences conflict, it is less likely to be as productive as a team that doesexperience conflict. This is especially true if the task that a team is attempting to complete iscomplex in nature or highly detailed. Without having members question specific actions,decisions, or the specifics of the proposed solution, it may appear to the team that there is onlyone way in which to solve the problem or complete the task.

One way in which a team can avoid being unproductive is by selecting members with different backgrounds. This can be difficult because people often assume that individuals who think similarly and get along with one another will be more productive when working together. Butthis is not necessarily true. In many cases having groups of people who think alike and are not

willing to voice their disagreement can be detrimental, or even dangerous. Popular examples of this group think phenomenon are noted in the Kennedy Administrations disaster with regards tothe Bay of Pigs, or those involved with the Challenger shuttle launch. Differences among teammembers should however, be task orientated and not personal or relationship oriented.Relationship conflicts are rarely productive. If potential members of a team have a history of conflict due to relationships and not in relation to tasks, one or both should probably not bechosen as a team member. Additionally, peacekeepers should also be avoided, unless the teamenvironment fosters a very safe atmosphere where the peacekeeper will feel comfortable enough


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to speak out in the team setting. In this case, a difference in opinion could be beneficial, but itmight not be presented due to the members disproportionate desire to avoid conflict.

Avoiding the potential for group think, relationship conflicts, and peacekeepers in choosing teammembers will help to promote healthy conflict. But commitment is equally important. If team

members are individually or collectively indifferent toward the overall goal, they probably willnot perform well. A lack of commitment can also lead to a lack of conflict. If the team iscommitted to the overall goal and members are well chosen, there can be a healthy dose of conflict in the process to complete the task.

When conflict does occur, it is important to address it immediately. Although developing asolution to the conflict may take time, acknowledging it will help to ensure that it can become

productive to the team. Whatever the problem, effective teams identify, raise, and resolve it. If its keeping them from reaching their goal, effective teams try to do something about it. Theydont ignore it and hope it goes away. By not addressing conflict, the leader risks sending themessage that conflict is unmanageable and cause vested members to become complacent or feel

their input is not valued. In the worst scenario, a conflict that is not resolved could go from beingtask orientated to personal.

How Can a Team Prevent Negative Conflict?

Conflict may be inevitable on a team and may even have a positive effect, the absence of conflict is not harmony, its apathy. However, most of us have had experience with the cripplingside of conflict. In this section we offer insight into how other teams have successfully managedconflict and make recommendations for mechanisms to put into place in order to prevent harmfulconflict. How do successful teams manage conflict?

Three business professors, who studied teams which had learned how to successfully fight in ateam without allowing the conflict to become destructive, found some common themes as to howsuch teams function. First, successful teams worked with more, rather than less information anddebated on the basis of facts. Second, teams developed multiple alternatives to enrich the level of debate. Third, productive teams shared commonly agreed upon goals and objectives. Fourth,teams injected humor into the decision-making process. Fifth, teams maintained a balanced

power structure. And sixth, teams resolved issues without forcing consensus.

In another study, which surveyed 15,000 team members and their assessments of their teammates, two professors found that the most important behaviors in team relationships are opennessand supportiveness, Regardless of whether it was a working relationship with a peer, a superior,

or a direct report, the result was the same. The two factors identified as most important wereopenness and supportiveness. Moreover, the authors identify specifically what is meant by thesetwo adjectives within a team context: openness refers to the ability to surface and deal withissues objectively, while supportiveness refers to bringing out the best thinking and attitude inthe other person.

From the above insights into successful teams, we start to see that such teams put a high value onfact-based decisions and are able to set up mechanisms that bring out the best in each team


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member and facilitate information sharing. Drawing from these insights, then, what specificmeasures, should a new leader or newly formed team put into place to ensure the team canwithstand conflict and even gain the benefits of creativity that comes out of conflict?

How Do Teams Prevent Damaging Conflict?

In order to prevent damaging conflict, the team leader must lay a conflict-friendly foundation for the team. The following approach will help the team leader to set the stage for conflict that iscreative and productive:

1. Set a clear goal for the team.2. Make expectations for team members explicit.3. Assemble a heterogeneous team, including diverse ages, genders, functional

backgrounds, and industry experience.4. Meet together as a team regularly and often. Team members that dont know one another

well doesnt know positions on the issues, impairing their ability to argue effectively.Frequent interaction builds the mutual confidence and familiarity team members requireexpressing dissent.

5. Assign roles such as devils advocate and sky-gazing visionary and change these roles upfrom meeting to meeting. This is important to ensure all sides of an issue have beenconsidered.

6. Use techniques such as role-playing, putting oneself in the competitors shoes, or conducting war games. Such techniques create fresh perspectives and engage teammembers.

7. Actively manage conflict. Dont let the team acquiesce too soon or too easily. Identifyand treat apathy early, and dont confuse a lack of conflict with agreement.

Resolving Conflict

Interpersonal conflict should be managed and resolved before it degenerates into verbal assaultand irreparable damage to a team. Dealing with interpersonal conflict can be a difficult anduncomfortable process. Usually, as team members, we use carefully worded statements to avoidfrictions when confronting conflict.

The first step to resolving interpersonal conflict is in acknowledging the existence of theinterpersonal conflict. Recognizing the conflict allows team members to build common ground

by putting the conflict within the context of the larger goal of the team and the organization.Moreover, the larger goal can help by giving team members a motive for resolving the conflict.

The Rosetta Stone for dealing with conflict is communication. As team members we allunderstand the inevitability of interpersonal conflicts. Moreover, as we have established above,open and supportive communication is vital to a high performing team. One way to achieve thisis by separating the problem from the person. Problems can be debated without damagingworking relationships. When interpersonal conflict occurs, all sides of the issue should berecognized without finger-pointing or blaming. Above all, when team member gets yelled at or


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blamed for something, it has the effect of silencing the whole team. It gives the signal toeveryone that dissent is not allowed, and, as we know, dissent is one of the most fertile resourcesfor new ideas.

When faced with conflict, it is natural for team members to become defensive. However

defensiveness usually makes it more difficult to resolve a conflict. A conflict-friendly teamenvironment must encourage effective listening. Effective listening includes listening to oneanother attentively, without interruption (this includes not having side conversations, doodling,or vacant stares). The fundamentals to resolving team conflict include the following elements:

1. Prior to stating ones view, a speaker should seek to understand what others have said.This can be done in a few clarifying sentences,

2. Seek to make explicit what the opposing sides have in common. This helps to reinforcewhat is shared between the disputants,

3. Whether or not an agreement is reached, team members should thank the other for havingexpressed his view and feelings. Thanking the other recognizes the personal risk the

individual took in breaking from group think and should be viewed as an expression of trust and commitment toward the team.

How Can Teams Resolve Conflict Between Factions?

In resolving conflict between factions, the team leader should start by bringing the groupstogether and acknowledging there is a conflict. The team leader should make sure all groupmembers are clear about the group goal. Not only should each group member understand whatthe goal is, they each need to be willing to work toward achieving it.

Set ground rules for the group if this has not been done. An important rule to include is to

eliminate outside politicking. When disagreements or issues arise, they should be discussedwithin the group. Factions should not have separate discussions about the problem. If groundrules have already been established, discuss whether all agree with them and are willing to followthem. Discuss the methods and processes that will be used to reach the team goal. Again, it isimportant to get all team members working together towards the common goal.

The team leader should stay alert to one faction forcing a particular solution. If such an instancearises, those forcing a solution should be asked to articulate the reason behind their thinking.Once the thinking has been articulated, there can be open discussion as to the merits anddrawbacks to the proposed solution.

What Should a Team Leader Do To Resolve Conflict and Promote TeamPerformance?

Team leaders have the responsibility of resolving conflict within their teams. There are thingsthat team leaders can do to make a team where conflict resolution occurs naturally. One thingthat team leaders can do in their groups to resolve conflict is to set up team rules from the outset.As discussed earlier, such team rules can guide team members to resolve conflict betweenthemselves, rather than going to the leader to resolve all conflict. Team leaders should foster an


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environment in their teams that is safe and positive. Such an environment will help foster communication and will help team members to resolve conflicts. Team leaders can also provideretreats and other activities away from the office that will help to build team unity and trust.These factors will also strengthen a team and help to avoid negative conflict before it begins.

Team leaders can also strictly monitor performance issues in their group. Performance issues thatgo unresolved create relationship conflict and a lack of motivation and morale. Performanceissues in individual team members must be addressed immediately in order to avoid issues in thegroup. This doesnt mean that team leaders always need to eliminate poor performing teammembers immediately. Sometimes it is the responsibility of the team leader to provide extratraining to team members when theyre struggling, to help them meet expectations. Whenattitudes need to be changed, awareness can be brought to how a team members attitudenegatively affects the team and invitations can be given for attitudes to improve.

In this process it is vital for the team leader to remember that accountability must be held withteam members. Without accountability in a team, focus on the goal will not occur and teams

wont produce desired outcomes. Accountability promotes achievement and helps team membersto reach their potential. A lack of accountability can produce great task conflict and relationshipconflict. Full accountability can help produce a feeling of fulfillment and achievement and teamswill achieve their optimal performance.

How Can a Team Member Resolve a Conflict with the Team Leader?

If a team member has a conflict with the team leader, the first step is to identify the type of conflict. If the conflict relates to the goal of the team, then it would appear that the goal is notclear. The conflict can also relate to the processes being used by the team. In either situation, theteam member can bring up the issue in a group meeting. Ask that the goal be clarified so that all

team members understand what it is. If processes were never discussed and decided on by theteam, now would be an appropriate time to do so. If the team leader does not want to discussthese issues in a team meeting, the team member should approach the leader separately todiscuss. The team member should explain the issue and why the current situation is not working.Again, ask that the team be allowed to discuss these issues.

If the conflict is interpersonal between the team leader and a team member, the issue should bediscussed privately between the two. The team member should go to the leader and explain thatthere appears to be conflict and that he or she would like to resolve it. LaFasto and Larsonoutline an approach that can be used to resolve conflict called the Connect Model. The stepsinvolved in the model are as follows:

1. Commit to the relationship.2. Optimize safety.3. Narrow to one issue.4. Neutralize defensiveness.5. Explain and echo.6. Change one behavior each.7. Track it!


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These steps provide a great review of what has been discussed throughout this chapter and willhelp to resolve the issue between a team leader and team member.

In summary, team conflict is an important and integral part of any team that exists. As we haveoutlined it in this chapter, conflict, if approached effectively and managed appropriately, can

exponentially work in the favor of any team. Appropriate management of the relative type of team conflict at hand is critical for teams to be successful. This chapter has discussed several of the aspects of team conflict and how they can be best managed and potentially resolved. Theseconcepts will help teams improve their functionality and dynamic effectiveness in an effort toreach their ultimate goals in reaching to be a high performing team.

Conclusion


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needed to understand how approach and avoidance motives, goals, processes, and outcomesoperate in close relationships. The present results do, however, show that investigation of interpersonal relationships from this framework is likely to inform us about both motivation

and relationships.

Bibliography

http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/

http://books.google.com/books

http://en.scientificcommons.org/
http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/http://books.google.com/bookshttp://en.scientificcommons.org/http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/http://books.google.com/bookshttp://en.scientificcommons.org/


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http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams/

http://www.riverhouseepress.com/

http://www.coachingtowardhappiness.com/
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams/http://www.riverhouseepress.com/http://www.coachingtowardhappiness.com/http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams/http://www.riverhouseepress.com/http://www.coachingtowardhappiness.com/

life skill project

Documents