Helping Teams Work 4 of 12

Team Based Conflict Management Approaches

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Hello – I’m Mike Cardus of Create-Learning Team

Building & Leadership. An expert in creating &

sustaining high performance teams.

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Do’s and Don’ts For Dealing With Resistance To Your Project

Identifying Reasons People May Resist Your Project

Recognizing Resistance To Your Project

Is Your Data Persuasive?

Influence Strategies

Dealing With Team Problems

Dealing With Difficult Team Members

Handling Team Conflict Through Compromising vs. Consensus-Seeking

Conflict Management Approaches

Making Team Decision Through Consensus

Running the Team Meeting

Team Leaders’ Biggest Team Meeting Mistake

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Three ways to handle project team conflict, and when each works best

Following good conflict-management procedures can have a highly positive effect on your project:

You’ll be able to reduce the disruptive effects of interpersonal conflict, making members willing to participate on the team.

At the same time, you’ll allow the task-related conflict that comes from productive differences of opinion – differences that can help you come up with better solutions.

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www.create-learning.com

All teams have conflict.

(+) Team conflict can be a positive thing if:

o It is able to move the team forward and create a better approach.

o Positive Team Conflict requires teams to have a shared Purpose (Goal) – sufficient Trust in each other the team leader, and the organization - plus known and clear individual goals, roles and accountability plus authority.

(-) Team conflict can be a negative thing if:

o It holds the team back from achieving its purpose

o It iss disruptive to the team members getting their work done.

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As a Manager / Team Leader / Team Member when conflict happens, deciding whether to Not Deal With It; Give In; or Hold Out; is a choice that you must make.

Next is a checklist with some indicators based upon Team Conflict Approaches. The idea is for you to:

o slow downo decide if the conflict is something that you need to Deal With, Give In,

or Hold Outo then make the best plan and choices to keep the team moving

forward

As a Manager or Team Leader not every issue needs to be dealt with, and you don’t have to win every battle…

The individuals on the team are important and you need them more than they need you.

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Don’t deal with it:Knowing that not all issues are worth arguing, either ignore the conflict, postpone dealing with if, or simply agree to disagree.

It’s a non-issue: the conflict topic is not important or central enough to be worth the time.

Tempers are too high to allow for a reasonable discussion. You’re reasonably certain it will blow over with no adverse effects. Acknowledging the issue or trying to resolve it will cause more harm than

good. There is little or no chance of coming to a satisfactory agreement. There is a better chance of reaching a resolution if you wait for time to

pass, more info to be available, or another event to occur.

Checklist:Conflict Management Approaches

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Give in:Let the other person have his/her way:

The issue means a lot more to the other person than it does to you. Team solidarity is more important than the issue itself. An interpersonal relationship is more important than the issue itself. You have no chance of prevailing. You want to show goodwill. You’re willing to concede on this so that the other person will later return

the favor on an issue that means more to you. It occurs to you that you could be wrong, so perhaps it’s better not to

push the issue.

Checklist:Conflict Management Approaches

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Hold out:Explore issues, exchange perspectives, and strive for a solution that gives everyone some of what they want (compromise) or that fully satisfies all parties’ concerns (consensus).

The issue is important Commitment to the resolution is highly important Different perspectives are likely to lead to a higher-quality solution The process of working through the conflict will enhance the team’s

understanding and performance The need to resolve the issue outweighs any potential difficulties the

process resolution might cause

Checklist:Conflict Management Approaches

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TO-DO

1. Determine the area(s) of conflict.

2. Ask and Respond to the following question: If this conflict was not happening, what would be happening in its place? What would the team/person/I be doing instead?

3. Go through the ‘Checklist: Conflict Management Approaches’ and determine whether to not deal with it; give in; hold out.

4. Create an experiment to see what happens (begin your Plan: Do: Check: Act Cycle)

5. Test your experiment – and document What Worked; What did not Work; and exactly what you did and how you did it.

6. Repeat as needed

www.create-learning.com

Do’s and Don’ts For Dealing With Resistance To Your Project

Identifying Reasons People May Resist Your Project

Recognizing Resistance To Your Project

Is Your Data Persuasive?

Influence Strategies

Dealing With Team Problems

Dealing With Difficult Team Members

Handling Team Conflict Through Compromising vs. Consensus-Seeking

Conflict Management Approaches

Making Team Decision Through Consensus

Running the Team Meeting

Team Leaders’ Biggest Team Meeting Mistake

www.create-learning.com

Helping Teams Work 4 of 12

Team Based Conflict Management Approaches

www.create-learning.com