Working as a team

Looking at team working, the impact on colleagues and conflicts within the

work place

Team working • Most personal work independently but within

a team, group or department• A team is a small group of people with

complementary skills, committed to a common purpose– Payroll – Accounts department – Production team

Advantages of team working • Additional resources

– Provides extra skills, time, information and ideas• Inspiration

– Help generate ideas, problem solving– Compare individual’s ideas and viewpoints to influence others

• Motivation – Help and support given can give additional motivation and team

satisfaction• Communication

– By talking, allows others to identify how their tasks can be dependent on others and vice-versa

– Help to solve issues /problems• Synergy (process of working together)

– People working together can result in accomplishing more

Downside of working together

• Can cause friction and conflict – Different skills and personalities – Different working styles – Conflict can result in poor efficiency– Decision making can take longer due to the

number of people involved in the team

Working as a team • Effective team working requires: – Mix and balance of people in the team

• Required skills, knowledge and experience that can contribute to the tasks

• Strengths and weaknesses within the team• Identify the individuals role within the team• The importance of each contribution, from the very small

to major roles within the team

– Clear shared objectives and performance feedback • Team must have well defined purposes and objectives• Well understood purpose and objectives which apply to all

team members

Working as a team - continued

• Ensure members are working together to same goal or individual targets to achieve main goal

• Each member has clear set responsibilities (as agreed)• Team receive regular feedback

– Information on progress/ result– Correction or adjustment to performance– Celebrate successes

• Co-ordination, collaboration and communication• Ensure members are working together or their work fits in with others

work – IMPACT ON OTHERS• Information that is provided by one individual will be used by another • Schedules and working patterns may have to be implemented (set by

team leader)• Important deadlines are met, the impact if not achieved• Communication where deadlines can not be achieved, how to resolve?• How to reduce risk of conflict due to failure of communication

Impact of your work on colleagues • Members in an accounting dept are generally

interdependent – Their work is linked to others – One members output activity becomes another’s

input activity • Listing the banking receipts leas to cashier banking and

posting to personal accounts

– Failure to complete will impact on other members work

– Deadlines – is a set/ agreed time when a task must be completed, failure will have a knock on effect

• Assistance and support – Occasions where a task can not be completed by the

deadline, additional support will be required – Support and assistance can contribute to a good

working relationship and team performance unless: • Has negative impact on other members work • Becomes a recurring issue/pattern

– Support can be personal and practical• Empathetic listening• Collaborative problem solving• Encouragement • Constructive feedback

• Being appropriately assertive– You may be required to decline a request or require support

yourself. This may have to be presented in an assertive form – There are different factors that need to be assessed before

demonstrating assertiveness • The authority of the requester making the demands• Nature of the request – is it appropriate , reasonable, best interest

of the department – can a better course of action be presented • Impact on other people and tasks – does it prevent you from

meeting your deadlines• Which of the requesters has the most authority, if equal negotiate a

compromise or refer to higher authority• Which is the most courteous, respectful, professional and assertive

way to resolve the problem

• Assertive communication – Standing up for your rights, needs and opinions

without dismissing the rights, needs and opinions of others

– You have the right to say NO– State clearly and directly • what the problem is• What you do or do not want to happen• Explain why you can not comply with the demand –

impact on work or others work • Propose alternative solutions where possible • Invite them to make alternative suggestions

Conflict and dissatisfaction at work • Conflict means ‘the clash of opposing forces’

– This includes personalities, interests and attitudes• In a working relationship or team there are likely to be

disagreements and conflicts• Dissatisfaction of work –

– unresolved issues, – Frustrations – Poor working conditions – Unfair treatment

• Within a workplace you should be able to handle disagreements and conflicts thus maintaining a good working relationship

Types and causes of conflict • Differences in people • Differences in working styles • Difference in status • Interdependency of work• Competition between groups or departments for

limited resources • Unfair treatment• Hurtful treatment – Differences, frustrations and competition may not lead

to conflict but they can escalate or deteriorate into harmful conflict

• Disagreement – you can disagree with a superior and still maintain a good working relationship

• You can try and give an opinion but if the superior does not agree, accept their authority and forget the argument

• More serious conflict– Disobeying agreed rule/ procedures– Behaving in an unacceptable or illegal way– Maybe required to take the issue to higher authority

known as Escalation

Effects of unresolved conflict and dissatisfaction • If conflict and dissatisfaction are not resolved can get

worse and have negative impact on the team – Individuals may become resentful, de-motivated and unco-

operative – may withdraw their contribution– Cause of dissatisfaction may be barrier to effectiveness – Unresolved conflict between individuals can result in

reduction in communication, co-ordination and co-operation – Conflict between team con cause split in team causing more

hostility – Can polarise differing viewpoints (hold extreme views) dig in

heels (refuse to budge on view/opinion)– There are laws and policy frameworks for positive working

relationships

Resolving conflict & dissatisfaction • Some dissatisfaction may be within your

competence and authority to resolve yourself• Or resolve with colleagues and superior

through informal negotiation • Some dissatisfaction may be beyond your

competence and authority- take to line manager or supervisor who maybe able to resolve issue

• May have to approach other appropriate persons – upwards in chain of command

Conflicts you can resolve yourself • Can be managed informally – Problem with someone• Attempt informal discussion • Clear up miss-understanding

– Incompatible working styles • Take to supervisor

– Excess work demands • Take to supervisor

– Conflict with person in higher authority • Discuss with someone in higher position in organisation • Use formal channel (grievance procedures)

• Where issues are incompatible, parties may need to work together to explore a range of options that would partially satisfy parties

• Called Negotiation – Give/ concede something that other party wants in return you get

something you want – Process of bargaining commonly called ‘win win’ solution

• Win win model -3 basic ways to work out conflict1. One party gets at the expense of the other party ‘win lose’2. Compromise solution is found, so neither parties get what they

wanted ‘lose lose’3. Both parties work together to understand each others needs &

concerns, create options to get both parties to what they really want

If personality clash arrange way to limit the persons working together

Referring conflict upwards • Conflicts and dissatisfaction can be resolved with the

individuals involved • Others may be beyond your authority or ability – Report incident/ conflict to senior person– They may be able to resolve /make decision – Be in position to enforce rules and procedures – Be more persuasive (job position)

• If issue with own line manager/ supervisor problem has to be taken up the line to immediate manager – think wisely!– The effect on working relationship – Have strong reasonable case, supported evidence

Formal Grievance procedures • Where matter is more serious, more formal approach is

required • Grievance is formal complaint by individual who feels they are

being unfairly treated • Involves

– Harassment & bullying – Unfair or discriminatory treatment by manager

• Sex• Race• Disability

– Unfair work load being given to employee – Employee being unfairly blocked for promotion Organisation should have written Grievance Procedure communicating

the method required Some grievances have to be sorted externally – Employment Tribunal