Team Effectiveness II

8/3/2019 Team Effectiveness II

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Team Effectiveness - II

Workbook and Discussion Guide

Prabha Mannar

i G A T E C E N T E R F O R O R G A N I Z A T I O N

D E V E L O P M E N T A N D L E A D E R S H I P



i C O D L

iGATE Center for Organization Development & Leadership

iGATE Global Solutions Limited.

Letsgettogether:Teamsatwork


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Team-Effectiveness - IIWorkbook and Discussion Guide

Prabha Mannar

[FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY]


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iGATE Center for Organization Development & Leadership

iGATE

Whitefield, Bangalore.





i C O D L

Published by


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Content

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2. .....................................

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6. ...................................7. .........................................

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12.

Introduction

How are we doing as a Team

Manager: Developer of a team

Your Leadership Behavior Exercise

Group Dynamics

Group Members Rating ScaleHow You Act in Conflicts

Conflict Strategies: What Are You Like?

Symptoms of Friction

Proliferating Rules

Escalating Arbitration

Viewing Conflict Negatively.....................................

13. Viewing Conflict Positively.......................................

14. Managing Conflict.....................................................

15. Creating Healthy Competition.................................

16. Conflict Situations.....................................................

17. Confronting Conflict................................................

18. Bargaining..................................................................

19. Different Views of Conflict.......................................20. Roles..........................................................................

21. Mediation versus Arbitration....................................

22. Interdependence.......................................................

23. Rooting Out Conflict................................................

24. Conflict Resolution...................................................

25. How to Reduce Interpersonal Conflict.....................

01-10

11-12

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14-20

21-25

26-2728-30

31-33

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35

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37-38

39-40

41-42

43-54

55-56

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59-7677

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80-98

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103-105


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Introduction

Lets get together: Teams at work

A team is a member or interdependent people bound together by a

collective aim. They may have finite start and end date, or be

intended as an indefinite part of an organizations structure. An

essential feature of teams is that the members co-operate to achieve

jointly agreed goal. They hold each other mutually accountable for

success or failure. The underlying philosophy is that if one of them

looks good, they all look good. Teams celebrate both personal andgroup achievement. In doing so, performance objectives are

routinely exceeded. What was one considered impossible becomes

viewed as inevitable. Given this, some leading researcher have

argued that teams should be the standard unit of performance for

most organizations, regardless of size. Indeed the research

literature identifies a number of consistent benefits from team

organization. These include,

Improved quality of work life for employees

Enhanced work satisfaction

Heightened levels of worker identification and commitment

Enhanced flexibility

Increased productivity

Improvements to products and services

Reduced staff turnover

Increased industrial harmony

A de-layered management structure

In the rush to develop highly focused, productive and motivated

teams, it is often assumed that groups are transformed into teams bya simple process of managerial decree: let there be team working.

A great deal of research has shown that the above listed benefits of

team working do not automatically occur, and that in fact

organizational performance may decline when teams are introduced.

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One study found that as many as seven out of ten US teams failed toproduce the desired results. In reality, positive change in this area

requires clear goals, time and supportive communication.

Satre once said: Hell is other people. We regularly encounter his

view in our work within organizations. Many people find that

working in group causes them more anxiety than anything else they

do in the workplace. Rather than feel enthralled or stimulated,employees sometimes feel bewitched, bothered and bewildered by

the whole business. In addition, teams, committees and groups are

often perceived as making poor decisions, while stifling innovation

and creativity, and with spawning bureaucracy and inertia. The

worlds most prolific source of aphorisms (Anonymous) puts it, A

committee is a cul-de-sac down which promising young ideas are

lured and quietly strangled.

Over 80% of US organizations with more than 100 employees have

been estimated to use teams, while a study of over 564 British

manufacturing companies found that 55 % ha made at least modes

use of teams in the previous few years. Such teams can consist of

problem-solving groups (called quality circle), self-managed or

natural work groups and cross functional teams (such as short livedproject groups). Complex business processes increasingly foster

inter-dependency, and which give rise to new forms of team

organizations. There may be well be super heroes in most

organizations, who regularly and single handedly save everyone

from catastrophe. But, in todays world, every Captain Kirk relies

on a network of supporting teams, well organized, highly motivated,

trained and committed to the goals of the organization. Thus inter-dependency inevitably leads to group development and the

formation of complex relationships. The challenge for managers is to

improve communication, transform groups into teams and free the

human factor to fulfill its potential as the chief engine of business

success.


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The human factor is crucial, Loyalty (on the part of employees,

investors and customers) have been identified as more important insecuring profitable growth than market share, scale, cost position or

other key business variables. This supports that the promotion of

trust within the workplace as well as with external customer and

publics is crucial to success. Teamwork is a powerful means by

which trust and loyalty can be used to strengthen the foundation of

organization. It is underpinned by values that encourage, listening,

supportive communication, responding positively to the input ofothers, and recognizing everyones interests and achievements.

With such values in place individuals, teams and the whole

organization perform better.

Research has long established that well managed and committed

teams achieve much more that individuals working alone or in

competition with each other. This is because workers in selfmanaged team have greater autonomy and discretion in what they

do. This in turn provides greater intrinsic rewards and job

satisfaction, informs flexibility and stimulus innovation. As a result,

more that 75% of workers surveyed on this issue who were currently

in teams said they would like to return to traditional supervision and

methods or organization. The reconfiguration of staff into self-

managed work teams has been identified as one of the corecharacteristics of what empirical studies suggest can be defined as

high-performing organizations.

Examples to illustrate the potential that team working has to offer.

When Hewlett Packard (HP) restructured its organization around

quality teams, efficiency across the company improved by 50%. A manufacturing operation in Ohio found that output increased

by 90% when production teams were created. Xerox

headquarters reported that when a supervisory position was

eliminated and the staff given more autonomy absenteeism fell by

75%


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Team work has consistently resulted in greater achievement,productivity, innovation, quality and work satisfaction than

competitively driven management environments. This has

been demonstrated in studies ranging over scientists, airline

reservation agents, business people, students and car assembly

workers.

Nissan U.K, based in Sunderland, has become one of the most

successful manufacturing plants in the UK. At one point it has anabsenteeism rate of 0.75% compared to a national average of

factor in this success. For example, at the start of every shift each

day all employees met together in their work groups to discuss

tasks for the day. People management and team building shills

were regarded as key requirements for potential supervisors.

A study of 128 claims adjusters from two insurance company

offices found that the more employees communicatedcompetently found that the more employees communicated

competently, listened skillfully and talked about the new

computer system the more productive they were in using it. In

short , the more formal and informal contact people engaged in

with colleagues when a new process was introduced, the more

quickly it was assimilated.

Characteristics of successful team

The team should be a real team, rather than a randomly assembled

assortment of individuals who barely know each other. In particular

one of the foremost authorities on teams, Hackman, proposes that

real teams have a team task, clear boundaries, clearly specified

authority to manage their own work processes, and membership

stability over some reasonable period of time. Boundaries refer to

need for clearly designated team membership.


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The team should have highly specific goals

John F.Kennedy gave one of the more cited examples of a clear

direction in early 1960s. He told the American people that he

wanted the country to commit itself to achieving the goal, before

this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him

safely to earth.

In the absence of a guiding sense of purpose teams become a

bureaucracy, focused on self preservation rather than the

achievement of the organizations objectives. A focus on clear goals

can be established and reinforced by ensuring that meetings

regularly address the following questions:

What did we achieve last week that contributed directly to theorganizations mission?

What do we want to achieve this week?

Who is responsible for what, when will it be done, and what will be

different when they have finished?

What specifically can we do better?

What can we change in how we work?

What can we change in the organization? What added value how we brought to this enterprise, this week?

This approach reduces emphasis on status, facilitates clear

communication, maintains focus, assists evaluation and creates

symbols of actual accomplishment. Evaluation of the teams own

workings is an essential part of its growth and development.


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Effective teams number between 2 and 25 people, with most under10 this supports constructive interaction, and enable an agreed focus

on real, achievable goals. People can snooze peacefully in a crown

on 50, but their snores will be noticed in a room of 5. The smaller the

team the harder it is to coast as a silent (or anonymous) member. By

facilitating involvement, small teams also reduce members

frustration when people cannot participate they feel

disempowered. Disempowerment ensures that, after team meetings,the main discussion point on everyones agenda is the need to

grumble about the chairperson rather than action to solve real

problems. Hackman, reviewing the research evidence, has

conducted that in general teams should not exceed six people, and

function better when they have slightly fewer numbers than the task

really reqires.

Effective team holds themselves collectively accountable peer

pressure is much more effective than pressure that is external to the

team. It promotes


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Task Oriented Behavior

CHART A Group Task Functions

This chart describes behavior needed to help a group achieve its

long or short range goals. A skilled member will assume these roles as

they are needed.


Function/Role TechniquePurpose

Initiator Give direction

and purpose to the

group

Proposing tasks, goals,

defining problems,

suggesting procedures

and solutions

Information-

seeking

Make group aware of

need for information

Requesting relevant

facts, clarificationInformation-

givingProvide group

information relevant

to its work

Offering relevant facts,

avoiding reliance on

opinion when facts are

needed

Opinion-seeking Test for consensus,

find out group

opinion

Asking for feelings or

opinions about

something

Opinion-giving Provide basis for

group decision

Stating feelings or

beliefs, evaluating a

suggestion

Clarifying Eliminate confusion Defining terms,

interpreting ideas,indicating issues and

alternatives

Elaborating Reduce ambiguity,

show consequences

of plans and positions

Giving examples,

developing meanings,

explaining

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Person Oriented Behavior

CHART B Group Maintenance Functions

This chart describes behavior needed to build and maintain the

group as a working unit. A skilled member will assume these roles /

functions as they are needed to keep the group working together

harmoniously.



Encouraging Bring out others

opinions and give

others recognition

Being friendly, warm

and responsive to

others. Accepting

others contributions.

Expressingfeelings

Call group attentionto reactions to ideas

and suggestions made

Expressing ownfeelings and restating

others feelings and

opinions

Relieving tension Reduce tension,

allow group to

express feelings

Joking, clowning,

attention expanders,

breaks, etc.

Compromising Maintain group

cohesion

Offering or accepting

compromises; yielding

status, admitting error

Facilitate

communication

Maintain open

discussion, keep

channels open

Drawing out silent

members, suggesting

procedures for

discussions

Setting standards

and goals

Make group aware

of direction and

progress

Expressing the group

concern, suggesting

tasks, stating standards

for group to achieve

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Interpreting Explain, interpretwhat someone has

already said

Paraphrasing initialspeaker

Listening,

followingProvide stimulating,

interested audience

for others

Accepting ideas of

others; going along

with the group

CHART C Task and Maintenance Functions

This chart describes behavior needed to build and maintain the

group as a working unit. A skilled member will assume these roles /

functions as they are needed to keep the group working together

harmoniously.


Harmonizing,

mediatingReconcile

disagreements,

reduce tension

Conciliating

differences, offering

compromises

Testing

agreementFind out how close

group is to agreement

Noting progress,

stating areas of

agreement, makingtentative proposals for

group reaction, asking

if agreement is

possible

Evaluating Keep group in line

with goals, providesense of progress

Measuring

accomplishmentsagainst goals, noting

progress and blocks

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Always NeverSeldomSome-

times

Usually

7. The members help

me when I need help.

8. When we need help

from other

departments, we get

it.9. When our team

works well, it is

noticed and

rewarded.

10. My group is moving

towards becoming a

self-managing team.

11. I am proud to be a

member of this

group.

12. Our group has the

skills and attitudes

required to meet ourgoals.

1.Which are the areas where the teamwork seems good?

2.Which are the areas where the teamwork is not good?

3.What can be done to keep the good areas going and improve

the areas in which teamwork seems to be weak?

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Manager: Developer of a team


The more the leader assumes responsibility for a task, the less

subordinates will see it as their responsibility. And yet, as subject, as

initiator, as social, the human person needs to participate in some

meaningful joint effort.

Below are methods for developing a shared responsibility team.

Read them and on the next page, indicate the three methods thatyou feel are most required for your team.

Building and sharing a vision : The group strives to formulate an inspiring

statement of the core purpose of its work.

Simply asking the group: How are we doing as a Team? What do we do

well? Where are we weak? Then planning accordingly.

Participation in problem solving, goal setting: Together teams set goals, and

face and work through problems.

A worthy, clear and challenging goal .

Policy of rewards go to the team as a whole

Loyalty to the team and climate of trust .

Pushing decisions towards the expertise: Leader pushes influence on

decision towards member with the relevant expertise.

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Your Leadership Behavior Exercise


Any action that helps a group complete its task is a leadership action.

Any action that helps a group maintain effective working

relationships among its members is a leadership action. When you

are a member of a group, what leadership actions do you engage in?

How do you influence other group members to complete the task

and maintain collaborative relationships? This exercise has two

purposes:

1. To make you more aware of your typical leadership actions, and

2. To make your group more aware of its patterns of leadership.

The procedure for the exercise is as follows:

1. Working by yourself, complete the following questionnaire.

2. Determine your score and place it on the task-maintenance grid in

Figure 2.1

3. In your group, place all members scores on the task-maintenance

grid. With the other members of your group, write a description

of the leadership patterns of your group. Then write a description

of how this pattern may be improved.

Understanding Your Leadership Actions

Questionnaire

Each of the following items describes a leadership action. In the

space next to each item write 5 if you always behave that way, 4 if you

frequently behave that way, 3 if you occasionally behave that way, 2 ifyou seldom behave that way, and 1 if you never behave that way.

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When I am a member of a group:

1. I offer facts and give my opinions, ideas, feelings, and information

in order to help the group discussion.

2. I warmly encourage all members of the group to participate. I am

open to their ideas. I let them know value their contributions to

the group.

3. I ask for facts, information, opinions, ideas and feelings from the

other group members in order to help the group discussion.4. I help communication among group members by using good

communication skills. I make sure that each group member

understands what the others say.

5. I give direction to the group by planning how to go on with group

work and by calling attention to the tasks that need to be done. I

assign responsibilities to different group members.

6. I tell jokes and suggest interesting ways of doing the work in orderto reduce tension in the group and increase the fun we have

working together.

7. I pull together related ideas or suggestions made by group

members and restate and summarize the major points discussed

by the group.

8. I observe the way the group is working and use my observations

to help discuss how the group can work together better.9. I give the group energy. I encourage group members to work hard

to achieve our goals.

10.I promote the open discussion of conflicts among group

members in order to resolve disagreements and increase group

cohesiveness. I mediate conflicts among members when they

seem unable to resolve them directly.

11. I ask others to summarize what the group has been discussing inorder to ensure that they understand group decisions and

comprehend the material being discussed by the group.

12. I express support, acceptance, and liking for other members of

the group and give appropriate praise when another member has

taken a constructive action in the group.


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In order to obtain a total score for task actions and maintenanceactions, write this score for each item in the appropriate column and

then add the columns.


Maintenance ActionsTask Actions__

__

__

__

__

__

__

1. Information and

option giver

2. Information and

opinion seeker

3. Direction and role

definer

4. Summarize

5. Energizer

6. Comprehension

checker

Total for Task actions

1. Encourager of

participation

2. Communication

facilitator

3. Tension reliever

4. Process observer

5. Interpersonal problem

solver

6. Supporter and praiser

Total for Maintenance

actions

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

Description of Task-Maintenance Patterns

Only a minimum effort is given to getting the required work done.

There is general non-involvement with other group members. Theperson with this score may well be saying To hell with it all, Or he

or she may be so inactive in the group as to have no influence

whatsoever on other group members.

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Task Maintenance Grid

Frequency of

Task Actions

30

24

18

12

6

0 6 12 18 24 30

(6,30) (30,30)

(18,18)

(6,6) (30,6)

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Problem Reversal

From "What a Great Idea" by Charles Thompson.

The world is full of opposites. Of course, any attribute, concept or

idea is meaningless without its opposite.

Lao-tzu wrote Tao-te Ching which stresses the need for the successful leader to seeopposites all around:

The wise leader knows how to be creative. In order to lead, the

leader learns to follow. In order to prosper, the leader learns to live

simply. In both cases, it is the interaction that is creative.

All behaviour consists of opposites...Learn to see things backwards,inside out, and upside down.

The method

1. State your problem in reverse. Change a positive statement into a

negative one.

2. Try to define what something is not.

3. Figure out what everybody else is not doing.

4. Use the "What If" Compass

5. Change the direction or location of your perspective

6. Flip-flop results

7. Turn defeat into victory or victory into defeat

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1. Make the statement negativeFor example, if you are dealing with Customer Service issues, list all

the ways you could make customer service bad. You will be

pleasantly surprised at some of the ideas you will come up with.

2. Doing What Everybody Else Doesn't

For example, Apple Computer did what IBM didn't, Japan made

small, fuel-efficient cars.

3. The "What-If Compass"

The author has a list of pairs of opposing actions which can be

applied to the problem. Just ask yourself "What if I ........" and plug in

each one of the opposites. A small sample:-

Lao-tzu wrote Tao-te Ching which stresses the need for thesuccessful leader to see

Stretch it/Shrink It

Freeze it/Melt it

Personalise it/De-personalise it

4. Change the direction or location of your perspective

Physical change of perspective, Manage by Walking around, ordoing something different.

5. Flip-flop results

If you want to increase sales, think about decreasing them. What

would you have to do?

6. Turn defeat into victory or victory into defeatIf something turns out bad, think about the positive aspects of the

situation. If I lost all of the files off this computer, what good would

come out of it? Maybe I would spend more time with my family?!

Who knows!

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Group Dynamics


The social process by which people interact and behave in a group

environment is called group dynamics. Group dynamics involves the

influence of personality, power and behavior on the group process. Is

the relationship between individuals conducive to achieving the

group goals? Is the structure and size of the group an asset in

pursuing both the task and maintenance functions of the group?

How is formal and informal power used to build consensus or reachdecisions? Does the combination of individuals produce the right

culture? How these individuals, cultures, and internal forces interact

allows us to analyze and better understand group effectiveness.

There are two types of groups: 1) formal groups who are structured

to pursue a specific task, and 2) informal groups who emerge

naturally in response to organizational or member interests. These

interests may include anything from a research group charged with

the responsibility to develop a new product to a group of workers

who spontaneously come together to improve social or member

activities. While we can learn a lot from informal groups in terms of

leadership and motivation, we will concentrate mostly on formal

groups, characterized by member appointment and delegated

authority and responsibility.

Effective group performance depends to a large extent, on the size

and composition of the group. A group may consist of as few as two

people (giving credibility to the statement that two heads are better

than one), or as many as three or four hundred. In order to be

effective, group size should be kept to a minimum without jeopardizing workload and goal achievement. Larger groups

increase the possibility of conflict due the variety of view points, few

opportunities for the development of social relationships, a decrease

in participation levels, and lack of opportunity for individual

recognition.

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Individual skills and performance must be a consideration in forminga group. How many people will be required to ensure that all the skill

sets necessary for the performance of the task are included will the

task be slowed by a poor performer as may happen with assembly

line production? Does the group contain the combination of leaders

and followers that will lessen the potential for member rivalries and

conflicts.

Diversification is a factor in both group development and skill

requirement. A group predominately white males may develop more

quickly than an ethnically and racially diverse group of men and

women. But while the former group may be better able to

communicate, set standards and grow as a cohesive unit, it may not

be diverse enough to meet all the community or organizational

needs. A more diverse group may take longer to reach peakperformance due to the number of cultures, languages differences,

and interpretation of the task to be completed, but once they do

develop, diverse groups are equally productive and may even be

more creative in problem-solving because members have access to a

broader base of ideas for solutions.

Group functions

Three functions that influence the effectiveness and productivity of

groups are Task functions, Maintenance functions, and Self-interest

functions.

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Task Functions

This is the primary reason for the establishment of a group. To

achieve the task, they must have members that fulfill some or all of

the following roles:

Initiating : By proposing tasks or goals, defining

problems and suggesting procedures fora solution.

Information Seeking : By requesting facts, seeking relevant

information, and asking for suggestions or

ideas;

Information giving : By offering facts, providing information,

stating beliefs, and giving suggestions or

ideas;

Maintenance Behavior

Each group needs social-emotional support to be effective. Some

members of the group will take the lead in providing this support,

which consists of the following:

Encouraging : By showing regard for the other members

and providing positive response to their

contributions:

Improving group : By expressing group feelings, sensing

moods and relationships, atmosphere

sharing feelings;

Harmonizing : By reconciling differences and reducinggroup tension;

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Compromising : By admitting errors and looking foralternatives.

Gate keeping : By attempting to keep communications

flowing, facilitating the participation of

others, and suggesting procedures for

sharing discussion;

Standard setting : By reminding members of group norms,

rules and roles.

Self-interest Behavior

This third function displayed some individuals, members generally

takes away from group performance and affects task achievement at

the expense of the group. Activities that identify self-interest

behavior are as follows:

Dominating and controlling : By displaying lack of respect for

others, cutting them off, not

listening, and restating other

members suggestions with a

different meaning;

Blocking : By stifling a line of thought, andchanging the topic either away

from the point of view or back to

his or her own interest.

Manipulating : By providing self-servicing

information, or a single point of

view designed to achieve a

decision that is consistent withtheir position.

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Belittling : Through put-downs, sneering at otherspoint of view, or making jokes about

another members contribution;

Splitting hairs : By nit-picking, searching for insignificant

details that delay a solution, or

undermining another persons point of

view.

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Group Members Rating Scale


Directions:

1. Rate your partner member, on all four questions (1 to 4)

2. To make your ratings, read the descriptions, A, B, and C for each

question.

3. Then choose and record the appropriate number from the scale.

4. Use your notebook to record your observations.

C B A1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. How clearly does he/she communicate ideas, information

and / or suggestions?

This person is often

hard to understand.

It is because he/sheoften speaks in

generalities or

rambles or assumes

too much or gives

too many confusing

details. A poor

communicator.

This person is,

generally, an

adequate andsatisfactory

communicator.

This person is

extremely easy to

understand. He/shegets to the point and

is neither too

detailed nor too

general. An

outstanding

communicator.

2. How actively does he/she try to understand the ideas and

suggestions of others?

This person makes

little effort to

understand what

others mean. Seldom

checks how well heunderstands what

another has said. It

may be because he

assumes that he

understands. He is

.

This person is,

generally, an

adequate and

satisfactory listener.

This person really

tries to find out what

others mean and

how they see a

situation whether heagrees or disagrees

with them. An active

and superior listener.

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often formulating his

own remarks rather

than listening. Apoor listener.

3. How actively and effectively does he/she participate in

the groups work?

This person seldom

offers his/her

resources to thegroup. He often

appears silent,

listless or bored.

Seldom prepares,

initiates, or helps the

group to define or

solve problems. Anineffective and

passive group

participant.

This person usually

prepares for and

participates in anadequate and

satisfactory manner.

This person actively

and enthusiastically

prepares for andparticipates in the

work of the group.

He often initiates,

and analyzes group

tasks and goals.

Excellent participant.

4. How effectively does he/she encourage and support the

participation of others?

This person makes it

difficult for others to

feel free to share;

seldom supports

others; seldom

yields; does not

seem to value others

contributions, a poor

facilitator.

Usually this person

adequately facilitates

and encourages the

participation of

other members of

the group.

This person makes it

quite easy for others

to actively

participate by

encouraging

members to speak

freely and by

supplying warm and

supporting

comments. An

excellent facilitator.

Direction 5: While giving feedback to

your partner use the format, As I

observed you, you

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How You Act in Conflicts


The proverbs listed below can be thought of as descriptions of some

of the different strategies for resolving conflicts. Proverbs state

traditional wisdom, and these proverbs reflect traditional wisdom

for resolving conflicts. Read each of the proverbs carefully. Using

the following scale, indicate how typical each proverb is of your

actions in a conflict.

5 = very typical of the way I act in a conflict

4 = frequently typical of the way I act in a conflict

3 = sometimes typical of the way I act in a conflict

2 = seldom typical of the way I act in a conflict

1 = never typical of the way I act in a conflict

---- 1. It is easier to refrain than to retreat from a quarrel.

---- 2. If you cannot make a person think as you do, make him or her

do as you think.

---- 3. Soft words win hard hearts.

---- 4. You scratch my back and Ill scratch yours.

---- 5. Come now and let us reason together.

---- 6. When two quarrel, the person who keeps silent first is the

most praiseworthy.

---- 7. Might overcomes right.

---- 8. Smooth words make smooth ways.

---- 9. Better half a loaf than no bread at all.

---- 10. Truth lies in knowledge, not in majority opinion.

---- 11. He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.

---- 12. He hath conquered well than hath made his enemies flee.---- 13. Kill your enemies with kindness.

---- 14. A fair exchange brings no quarrel.

---- 15. No person has the final answer but every person has a piece

to contribute.

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---- 17. Fields are won by those who believe in winning.---- 18. Kind words are worth much and cost little.

---- 19. Tit for tat is fair play.

---- 20. Only the person who is willing to give up his or her

monopoly on truth can ever profit from the truths that

others hold.

---- 21. Avoid quarrelsome people as they will only make your life

miserable.---- 22. A person who will not flee will make others flee.

---- 23. Soft words ensure harmony.

---- 24. One gift for another makes good friends.

---- 25. Bring your conflicts into the open and face them directly;

only then will the best solution be discovered.

---- 26. The best way of handling conflicts is to avoid them.

---- 27. Put your foot down where you mean to stand.---- 28. Gentleness will triumph over anger.

---- 29. Getting part of what you want is better than not getting

anything at all.

---- 30. Frankness, honesty and trust will move mountains.

---- 31. There is nothing so important you have to fight for it.

---- 32. There are two kinds of people in the world, the winners and

the losers.---- 33. When one hits you with a stone, hit him or her with a piece

of cotton.

---- 34. When both give in halfway, a fair settlement is achieved.

----- 35. By digging and digging, the truth is discovered.

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ScoringWithdrawing Forcing Smoothing Compromising Confronting

-------- 1

-------- 6

-------- 11

-------- 16

-------- 21

-------- 26

-------- 31

-------- Total

-------- 2

-------- 7

-------- 12

-------- 17

-------- 22

-------- 27

-------- 32

-------- Total

-------- 3

-------- 8

-------- 13

-------- 18

-------- 23

-------- 28

-------- 33

-------- Total

-------- 4

-------- 9

-------- 14

-------- 19

-------- 24

-------- 29

-------- 34

-------- Total

-------- 5

-------- 10

-------- 15

-------- 20

-------- 25

-------- 30

-------- 35

-------- Total

The higher the total score for each conflict strategy, the more

frequently you tend to use the strategy. The lower the total score for

each conflict strategy, the less frequently you tend to use that

strategy.

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Conflict Strategies: What Are You Like?


Different people use different strategies for managing conflicts.

These strategies are learned, usually in childhood, and they seem to

function automatically. Usually we are not aware of how we act in

conflict situations. We just do whatever seems to come naturally. But

we do have a personal strategy; and because it was learned, we can

always change it by learning new and more effective ways of

managing conflicts.

When you become engaged in a conflict, there are two major

concerns you have to take into account:

1. Achieving your personal goals you are in conflict because you

have a goal that conflicts with another persons goal. Your goal may

be highly important to you, or it may be of little importance.

2. Keeping a good relationship with the other person you may

need to be able to interact effectively with the other person in the

future. The relationship may be very important to you, or it may be

of little importance.

How important your personal goals are to you and how important

the relationship is to you affect how you act in a conflict. Given these

two concerns, it is possible to identify five styles of managing

conflicts.

The Turtle (Withdrawing) Turtles withdraw into their shells

to avoid conflicts. They give up their personal goals andrelationships. They stay away from the issues over which conflict is

taking place and from the persons they are in conflict with. Turtles

believe it is hopeless to try to resolve conflicts. They feel helpless.

They believe it is easier to withdraw (physically and psychologically)

from a conflict than to face it.

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The Shark (Forcing) Sharks try to overpower opponents by

forcing them to accept their solution to the conflict. Their goals arehighly important to them, and relationships are of minor

importance. They seek to achieve their goals at all costs. They are

not concerned with the needs of others. They do not care if others

like or accept them. Sharks assume that conflicts are settled by one

person winning and one person losing. They want to be the winner.

Winning gives sharks a sense of pride and achievement. Losing gives

them a sense of weakness, inadequacy, and failure. They try to win byattacking, overpowering, overwhelming, and intimidating others.

The Teddy Bear (Smoothing) To teddy bears the

relationship is of great importance while their own goals are of little

importance. Teddy bears want to be accepted and liked by others.

They think that conflict should be avoided in favor of harmony and

that people cannot discuss conflicts without damaging relationships.They are afraid that if the conflict continues, someone will get hurt,

and that would ruin the relationship. They give up their goals to

preserve the relationship. Teddy bears say Ill give up my goals and

let you have what you want, in order for you to like me. Teddy bears

try to smooth over the conflict out of fear of harming the

relationship.

Low Importance HighGOALS

RE

LATI

ONSHI

PS

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The Fox (Compromising) Foxes are moderately concernedwith their own goals and their relationships with others. Foxes seek a

compromise: they give up part of their goals and persuade the other

person in a conflict to give up part of his goals. They seek a conflict

solution in which both sides gain something the middle ground

between two extreme positions. They are willing to sacrifice part of

their goals and relationships in order to find agreement for the

common good.

The Owl (Confronting) Owls highly value their own goals

and relationships. They view conflicts as problems to be solved and

seek a solution that achieves both their own goals and the goals of

the other person. Owls see conflicts as a means of improving

relationships by reducing tension between two persons. They try to

begin a discussion that identifies the conflict as a problem. Byseeking solutions that satisfy both themselves and the other person,

owls maintain the relationship. Owls are not satisfied until a solution

is found that achieves their own goals. And they are not satisfied

until the tensions and negative feelings have been fully resolved.

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Symptoms of Friction


NoCommunication problems Yes

Is there a lack of co-ordination between parts of

the workforce that result in a major duplication of

effort?

Are incorrect actions taken because information

held by one party is knowingly not given to another

part of the organization?Is information deliberately not sought so that it can

be used as an excuse for inconsistency or

avoidance?

Group hostility

Is there unfounded blaming of one group by

another?

Are unlikely temporary alliances created between

groups in order to "gang up" against another

group?

Are interdependent groups so concerned with

their own territories that they jointly fail to

perform?

Personal hostilityAre disagreements about ideas personalized?

Do disagreements include physical or verbal

intimidation?

Are individuals stereotyped and labeled?

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Proliferating Rules


NoDo rules have a negative impact upon

performance?Yes

Are your rules concerned with trivial issues?

Do the repercussions of some rules seem to be

much more significant than merited by thebehavior that the rule concerns?

Are unimportant rules used unscrupulously to

foster discord between colleagues?

Do you have unofficial rules in your

organization?

Instructions: Use this SkillEval to check whether your organization

suffers from an epidemic of proliferating rules.

Are the rules, regulations, and policies in your

organization regularly reviewed?How relevant are your rules to current

performance?

Is there a discernible rationale to all of the rules in

your organization?

Do the unofficial rules instigated by groups of staff

control individual employee behavior?Are the managers aware of these rules?

Are they rules which create unsanctioned power?

Are the unofficial rules instigated by staff of lower

status?

Does breaking these rules lead to further unofficial

sanctions?

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Escalating Arbitration


NoAre the protagonists unconcerned about the

impact of their behavior on the organization as a

whole?

Yes

Are disputes used as opportunities for game

playing?

Do people argue for argument's sake?

Do people seek unreasonable compromises from theother party?

Do people willfully and perversely change their

positions during the argument?

Do people see an argument as an opportunity for

causing mischief?

Do protagonists doubt the motives of everyone,

including possible arbiters?

Instructions: Use this SkillEval to check whether your organization

is suffering from escalating arbitration.

Is everyone assumed to be operating out of

self-interest?

They want the results of any dispute to be absolutelyand entirely in their favor.

They are willing to damage the organization to

achieve their ends.

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Viewing Conflict Negatively


Many managers think conflict is simply a headache. They do not

consider it to have any productive qualities.

People with this negative feeling of conflict often use extreme

language when talking about it, describing conflict as:

Destructive by using words such as warfare, battles, and

casualties

Uncontrolled or irrational by talking about rage, or saying that

someone has lost it

Violentby highlighting the pain, suffering, and wounds

experienced by those involved in it.

People who hold a negative view of conflict interpret even minor

disputes as dysfunctional. They may even be opposed to teamwork

because they think it inevitably leads to disputes and problems.

They believe that conflict is a negative force in the workplace. In this

view, conflict involves the following characteristics:

Time-wastingwhen conflict is viewed negatively, it is seen to beinefficient. Time spent having an argument is really a devious way

to avoid work.

Detrimental effect on peoplein this negative view, conflict is

seen to cause stress. If people cannot say anything without having

to justify it, then they are often tense and fearful of each other.

A bunker mentalityif people feel obliged to avoid challenges,

they become reluctant to discuss their opinions. They close upand operate in a defensive mode.

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The traditional view of conflict in many organizations is that it is bad,and that it must be avoided and suppressed because it is

unproductive. Companies also fear the effect that conflict will have

on relationships between employees.

But when this negative view takes hold, employees fear conflict so

much that they end up in either fight or flight mode. They are

primed to be overly defensive, which makes them incapable ofworking together efficiently.

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Viewing Conflict Positively


While some people do everything they can to avoid conflict, others

believe that conflict is always a positive influence in the workplace.

This view is based on the idea that conflict is the natural human

condition, and that everyone is dominated by survival instincts. The

strong survive, but the weak do not, and so conflict is one of the

most effective ways to sort the weak from the strong. This approach

is often referred to as Social Darwinism, after Charles Darwin's

writings about the way that species evolved on Earth.

When this point of view is applied to business, it results in the

following assumptions being adopted:

Only the strong surviveconflict encourages strong employees

to prevail over weak ones, meaning that to get an idea adopted, an

employee must reject all challenges to it by proving it is the best

one.

Workers need to be pushedmanagers must keep on top of a

naturally lazy workforce because workers want to do as little work

as possibleso they must be continually prodded by managers. Teams do not workconflict demands competition between

people, not collaboration competition is considered the

natural state of being for people; working together is unnatural

and ineffective.

This perception of conflict is considered too extreme by many

people who argue that good ideas can be suppressed under this sortof regime.

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Drawbacks of excessive conflict

Constructive compromises and the benefits of pooled ideas will not

be encouraged in such a competitive atmosphere. Employees who

are less assertive, but who have a valuable contribution to make, will

be run off by the aggressors.

The view according to which conflict is always good is based on thebelief that through struggle and competition, the strongest survive.

In the workplace strong employees win by defeating weaker ones;

managers rigidly rule their staff. People who hold this view do not

believe in comparing and contrasting ideasthey believe in beating

other people.

The drawback of this is that it fails to recognize the benefits ofsynergy and compromise. Most people would like to work for an

organization where they are valued, rather than where they have to

fight for survival.

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Managing Conflict


Some people take the view that conflict is neither inherently good

nor inherently bad. They believe that if it is managed properly,

conflict can produce positive outcomes.

This view is sometimes called the interactionist perspective and is

the generally accepted current view of conflict in the workplace.

The Interactionist view of conflict

The interactionist perspective is based on the assumption that too

much conflict is a bad thing, but an organization needs a certain level

of conflict to function effectively. This is founded on the following

beliefs:

Conflict is neither inherently good nor badthe value of conflict

is not fixed, but depends on the circumstances in which it

happens. In different contexts, the same form of conflict could

have a beneficial or adverse effect. It depends on how it is

managed.

Conflict is inevitable in organizationshuman nature dictatesthat people will always have differences of opinion. Differences

can be suppressed, but they will still exist. If conflict is inevitable,

it is better to harness it than suppress it, and so conflict needs to

be managed.

Conflict can be beneficial for allthe process of conflict

management can stimulate creativity and boost the morale of

everybody, rather than just that of the winners.

Conflict can be viewed on a continuum, from being a positive

influence in an organization to a negative influence. Therefore, there

can be an optimum level of conflict, so long as it is managed

effectively.

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Achieving optimum conflict

Managers who follow the interactionist perspective do not blame

people for expressing their differences in healthy and constructive

ways. In fact, they will try to encourage these differences.

This encouragement is based on a belief about the true nature of

conflict in the workplace. The interactionist perspective arguesfirstly that conflict cannot be avoided, and secondly that it is neither

inherently good nor inherently bad. When managers aim for an

optimum level of conflict, they need to be very clear about the

benefits that it will bring. The advantages include:

Freedom of expression boosts morale the processing of

emotion is essential for human well-being. Healthy conflictallows this, whereas hidden grudges give rise to irrational acts.

Conflict helps group development conflict advances group

development by enabling discussion about roles and norms.

Individuals in the group who might have been reluctant to

disagree can be encouraged to participate more.

Conflict stimulates creativity creativity is enhanced when

people must justify their ideas, hear other points of view, and

rethink their propositions. The results of such challenges can be

synergistic. Challenge also exposes previously unrecognized

issues.

Conflict, at the right level, is a healthy and energizing force in an

organization. But it must be managed carefully to ensure that it

works creatively, and not destructively.

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Creating Healthy Competition


Healthy differences in the workplace energize without distracting

from productivity. They challenge the mentality that is satisfied with

good enough, and prompt workers to strive to perform better and

better.

Promoting healthy competition

You cannot just develop healthy competition by chance. You must

identify and implement some specific ways of behaving that will

stimulate the right sort of competition. To create healthy

competition, you should:

Make opportunities available to everyone

Distribute rewards evenly

Use objective performance measures.

Explore these three factors below :

Opportunities

Opportunities must be open to everyone. The chance to be

promoted, to bid for work, or to implement ideas must not be

restricted to a favored few. You must let it be known that challenges

can come from anywhere and anyone in the organization, and

opportunities are not fenced off.

If staff members just think that they only have to wait it out to get the

next job, it breeds complacency. Making opportunities available to

everyone creates a positive working environment because everyone

is encouraged to progress, and discouraged from stagnating.

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Rewards

Do not restrict rewards to winners. Let everyone know that if they

are unsuccessful in some endeavor, that you will help them to be

successful next time. For those who do not succeed, the recognition

may encourage them to make more effort next time.

Objective performance criteria

Use objective criteria to define success. Reputation and status

should not be significant. Objective criteria need to be fair and

transparent. That way, everyone can be measured against the

criteria, and all who meet those criteria will succeed.

In recruitment matters, for example, the reasons for an appointmentshould be clear to everyone so that no one can make accusations of

favoritism or unfair practices. Such accusations could damage staff

morale, and discourage people from applying for vacant positions in

the future

Encouraging competition is a difficult balancing act. By opening up

opportunities and making the criteria for success visible, you canreward more staff members. Then staff members do not have to fight

to succeed.

Rules of Effective Arguments

Democracy is one of the greatest forces for good in Western society.

An integral part of this democratic tradition is debate, which isformalized argument and challenge.

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Democracy is based on the notion that when people argue, theylearn from each other. Arguing your case and being challenged to

justify your opinion is a positive force in business, as much as in any

other part of life. Of course, too much can mean argument for

argument's sake. But not enough can result in the failure to express

feelings, which often leads to a sudden overreaction.

Effective arguments

Effective arguments are energizing, and make both parties think,

rethink, and justify their positions. If an argument is to be effective,

then it needs to follow certain rules to ensure that it is rational. To be

effective, arguments must be:

Justifiablethis means using facts which can be verified, and notsubjective opinions. Cigarettes cause cancer is a fact-based

argument. John Wayne was a good actor is just opinion.

Arguments based on opinions rather than fact can easily turn into

personal disputespersonality clashes are usually very damaging

forms of conflict and are difficult to resolve.

On the same terms one person might argue that oranges are the

best fruit, but your favorite vegetable might be peas. Thisargument will never be effective, because each person is arguing

about something different. To be effective, an argument needs to

be on the same terms.

Open-endedeffective arguments do not necessarily have to

end in agreement; sometimes people cannot, or do not, agree

with each other. Good arguments can end with both sides

agreeing to differ, and accepting and honoring their differences.

Although people will not always agree with each other, if arguments

are based on facts and equal terms, then the outcomes can be

positive because debate can clear the air and help individuals to

move forward from a disagreement.

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Remember that arguments work best when people are rational. Anargument must have a purposeengaging in a dispute just for the

sake of it wastes time, energy, and resources.

Similarly, if an argument is to be effective, parties must be flexible

and reasonable it is useless to hold on to an untenable position out

of stubbornness.

Argument and challenge can often be disruptive and upset the status

quo. But you can handle them effectively if you choose, so that the

arguments will be productive and energizing for your organization.

Making Everyone a Winner

When you think about conflict in the workplace, as in sport, theusual assumption is that if there is a winner, then there must also be a

loser. But you can reconfigure conflict situations in a way that makes

everyone involved a winner.

Creating the right climate

Operating a win-win approach entails cultivating the right climate in

your workplace. The following are guidelines for creating this

climate:

Express a spirit of cooperation.

Exercise a high degree of trust between other parties.

Anticipate synergy (that the shared solution will be better than an

individual win).

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A win-win approach signals that the intention in the conflict is not todefeat the other side, but to collaborate to achieve a shared victory.

Win-win solutions often come about because both parties realize

that if they work together, they will gain. The parties also recognize

that if they work against each other, often both sides lose.

Once you have created this favorable climate, you are ready to tackle

any issues that need to be resolved without fearing that the processwill degenerate into destructive conflict.

Handling conflict

To promote win-win solutions to resolving conflict in the workplace,

you need to apply three principles.

Avoid the zero-sum approachthe zero-sum approach is one in

which the rewards of any negotiation are entirely given to one

party. You must aim for a better allocation of rewards, so that all

sides can gain from the solution. This may not result in actual

equality, but it must be more equitable than the zero-sum idea.

Achieving a degree of equality prevents resentment from creeping

inresentment tends to grow and can generate harmful conflict.

Advocate flexible compromises you need to be creative and

flexible in identifying what you are trying to gain from the

solution and where you can compromise. A vital starting point is

knowing what your bottom line is, the point below which you

will not go.

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Compromise can be applied in most situations. For example, if youfind yourself in a position where you are contemplating laying some

staff off, it may be worth consulting them to see if you can identify

alternativesit may turn out that several of them would like to

switch to working part-time, meaning that you could avoid making

full-time layoffs and thereby preserve high staff morale.

Take a long-term perspectiveone of the key principles of win-win approaches is that although in the short term you might not

achieve all that you wanted to, in the long run you will gain more

by being cooperative. You always gain something, whereas with

an all-or-nothing approach, you might get nothing.

By suggesting sensible compromises, all parties can find a measure of

satisfaction. They can all see that, over time, they will benefitequally.

When you promote win-win solutions, you will find that people

enjoy the benefits of this flexible and reasonable approach to

conflict. After a while, everyone will recognize it as the most

effective way to operate.

Recognizing Friction in the Workplace

Friction occurs when objects rub together and results in a slowing

down of their movement.

Friction in the workplace results from destructive conflict. It leads to

the slowing down and seizing up of the interactions between people.

It is therefore highlighted by some clear signs that you need to be

able to recognize. These are:

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Ineffective communication Hostility between individuals

Hostility between groups.

Ineffective communication

Poor communication leads to poor coordination between parts of

the workforce, and duplication of effort. Information may be held byone party and deliberately not given to others, or not sought, so that

a lack of information can be used as an excuse for ignoring rules and

regulations.

Group hostility

Groups may blame other groups, without justification, for their ownproblems. They may form temporary alliances to work against each

other, or become so concerned with preserving their territories that

they would rather fail than cooperate.

Group hostility is described as institutional hostility if everyone

occupying one function in a company is at odds with everyone from

another function for example, if all the accountants refuse tocooperate with anyone on the sales team.

Personal hostility

Personal hostility makes all arguments personal, so that the focus is

no longer on the real issues involved. Disagreements may escalate to

include physical and verbal intimidation, often based onstereotyping and labeling.

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Personal conflict can be very damaging to a company. If one orseveral employees are more interested in undermining or

embarrassing one of their colleaguespossibly through

deliberately communicating badly (withholding information,

providing false information, etc.) there is little chance of them

working productively on anything together.

If productivity is suffering, look for the symptoms ofcommunication issues, and group and personal hostility. They are

the signs that you must watch for, because they signal conflict

working destructively in your company.

Rule Overload Creates and Consolidates Conflict

One way to recognize destructive conflict in the workplace is tolook at the extent of the rules and regulations that exist in an

organization.

Rules and regulations are a necessary part of any organization, but in

organizations which are suffering a lot of conflict, rules and

regulations open or hidden will proliferate.

Disadvantages of rule overload

Having excessive rules in the workplace is not just a sign of conflict;

it is also a factor that fuels conflict. The disadvantages of having too

many rules are:

Paralysisan organization can easily get clogged up with rules.

The daily life of work becomes a process of weaving between

rules andregulations that generally impede performance ratherthan assist it.

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Frustrationemployees get frustrated by the imposition of rules.They dislike being constantly thwarted, patronized, or confused

by rules. As a result, they may decide to challenge the "rule

minders", and thereby create more conflict.

Indisciplinesometimes the rules being upheld are so restrictive

that employees must break them just to get their job done.

Too many policies and regulations are a sign of a conflicted company.But there are also hidden rules and regulations. These are the norms,

expectations, and even myths that exist in the workplace that

control behavior.

Hidden Rules

Hidden norms are unofficialthey tend to have taken root overtime and often have no reason for being other than the fact that they

seem to always have been. Frequently, the person or people who

benefit from these rules exert pressure to ensure they remain in

effect.

For example, it may have become the norm in a company for the

receptionist to leave one hour early on Friday afternoons, eventhough this is not part of his contract and means that one of the sales

team has to answer phones for the last hour. This hinders the work of

the sales team, and they may be unhappy about this. But their

complaints are met with anger by the receptionist, who insists he will

continue this practice because it has always been part of the

companys culture. To the company's detriment, he is upholding an

unofficial rule.

Bad rules

You can recognize rules that could be scrapped because they tend to

be:

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Illogicalsome rules exist in a company due to habit. They havelittle or no relevance to current practices, but are maintained out

of a misplaced sense of caution. With no logical foundation, they

impede performance.

Trivialtrivial rules are concerned with aspects of behavior that

are irrelevant to performance (strict dress codes can be a prime

example in some workplaces). Perversely, ignoring these

unimportant rules tends to result in major repercussions. Theycan be very annoying and are easily used as weapons in workplace

conflict.

UnofficialUnofficial rules may force the staff to behave in ways

that they are unhappy about. Breaking these rules challenges the

power of the group. Often they stem from patterns that some staff

members liked, but that management has since discarded.

You will be able to decide whether your organization suffers from

proliferating rules, which are indicative of conflict, by asking the

following simple questions:

Are there practices which have no official status (such as allowing

the receptionist to leave early on Fridays), but have become rules

about the way you operate? Do your rules focus on trivial matters, to the detriment of more

significant concerns?

Do certain employees actively maintain their unsanctioned power

through unofficial rules?

Proliferating rules are a significant indicator of negative conflict.

Now that you have identified the signs of them in the workplace, youwill be able to eliminate them in your own organization.

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How Conflict Resists Resolution

In many organizations, disputes between employees are managed

easily, usually between the staff members themselves. But in

organizations plagued by destructive conflict, the resolution of

differences is contentious, and seems to need the involvement of

more and more people. This is described as escalating arbitration.

Arbitration is when individuals or groups at work seek out a third

party to listen to their respective positions and make a decision on

the situation. Escalation of arbitration is when conflict cannot be

resolved and must go higher and higher up the chain of command for

resolution.

Reasons for escalation

No company can settle all disputes easily and amicably. Sometimes,

people disagree and cannot reach a resolution. Sometimes, not even

their immediate managers can resolve the situation. And so the

arbitration escalates. But in organizations characterized by

destructive conflict, the attitudes of people disagreeing with each

other is different from that in organizations where conflict is ahealthy force.

In organizations in which there is destructive conflict, arbitration

escalates almost inevitably. This escalation is caused by:

Ignoring the greater good the protagonists are unwilling to

change for the greater good. They are self-centered, and will notbend for the good of the work community. They want the results

to be entirely in their favor, and if they cannot achieve this, they

are willing to block or harm everybodys work.

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Game playingdisagreements provide opportunities for gameplaying. The games played are things like arguing just for the

sake of it, seeking unreasonable compromises from others, and

willful contradictions made to annoy others. Arguments

become opportunities to make mischief or settle personal

scores.

Self-interest Arbitration escalates when no one believes

anyone else. All parties are assumed to be operating out of pureself-interest, and anything that arbitrators suggest is seen as

being for their own benefit. Arbitrators are often disparaged,

and their recommendations ignored.

Destructive conflict, especially that caused by personal rivalries, is

sure to thrive for as long as a significant number of employees

neglect the common good and exclusively pursue self-interest ormischief. And company spirit and efficiency is sure to suffer more

and more the longer it goes on. A major change in attitude is

required.

No organization is free of disputes which need resolving. But the

escalating arbitration that occurs in organizations suffering from

destructive conflict involves certain warning signsand now youcan recognize them.

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Conflict Situations


Source: Handling Conflict with Others

Instructions: Use this SkillEval to determine how you act in conflict

situations.

How true is this of your attitude to conflict?

1 = never true

5 = always true

I hate to argue.

When I argue I aim to win.

No one ever forgets losing an argument.

You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.

Nothing is ever resolved without a dialog.

Arguments solve nothing.

I know when I'm right.

It's better to agree with each other than

stick to your point.Win-win is my motto.

Everybody is right in their own eyes.

Nothing is so important that you have to

fight for it.

Powerful people win arguments.

I don't like to upset people by arguing.

Give and take works best.

People solve problems by discussing them.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

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Now write the rating that you gave each question next to it in thegrid below. Finally, add up each vertical column and write the score

next to each category.

Withdrawing Overpowering Fearful Compromising Problem

-solving

Q.1

Q.6

Q.11

Q.2

Q.7

Q.12

Q.3

Q.8

Q.13

Q.4

Q.9

Q.14

Q.5

Q.10

Q.15

The category with the highest score indicates your attitude towards

conflict.

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Confronting Conflict



Instructions: Use this SkillGuide to confront conflict effectively

when you encounter it in the workplace.

Context

Choose an appropriate time and place by:

Avoiding confrontation in public places

where people will be more defensive

Choosing neutral territory so that no one has

an advantage

Allowing enough time to discuss the matter

fully

Attitude

Be firm but not threatening by:

Describing what the problem is

Saying what you feel about the problem

Stating what change or resolution you want

Assumptions

Avoid making assumptions by:

Not acting in relation to your belief about

how the other party feels

Not acting on your belief about the

resolution that the person wants

Avoiding judgments

Dialog

Encourage a dialog by:

Listening to the other party

Responding to and discussing what he or she

says

Asking the person to suggest a compromise

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Bargaining



Bargaining

Issue

Distributive

Bargaining

Integrative

Bargaining

Attitudes to

resources availableA fixed amount is

available. The target

is to gain thecomplete resource.

A variable

amount which

should be dividedbetween the

parties

Attitude toward the

other partyI must win, so you

must lose

We can both win

Likelihood of

conflict

High Low

Relationship with

the other partyCompetitive Compromising

Assumed duration

of relationshipShort term Long term

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Different Views of Conflict


Everyone has a slightly different view on conflict. Some people

believe conflict should be avoided at all costs, while others relish

conflict and do everything they can to foster it. Most peoples view

lies somewhere in between these two extremes.

Shaping views of conflict

Two forces govern a persons attitude to conflict:

1. Upbringing

2. National culture

These two forces are explored over the coming paragraphs.

Upbringing

As you experience conflict throughout your life, you may moderate

and perhaps control your instinctive childhood responses. But the

power of instinct should not be underestimated. At times of stress,

most people will still react without thinking. This is when your

ingrained responses will emerge most powerfully.

Experiences before the age of seven are particularly influential on

attitudes later in life. People experience a huge range of conflict in

childhood, from disagreements about television to acrimonious

divorce. Young children soak all this up, and this may have profound

impacts on how they deal with conflict as adults.

For example, a man who as a child witnessed his parents constantly

argue before they eventually divorced, may now, in adult life, want to

avoid all types of conflict because he feels it always results in

unhappiness.

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On the other hand, a man who grew up with several feisty brothersmay have become accustomed to intense competition and so, as an

adult, may be quite eager to engage in conflict.

National culture

Researcher Geert Hofstede investigated the way that national

culture influences behavior. One aspect of his analysis, which isrelevant to conflict in the workplace, is the extent to which cultures

are collectivist or individualistic.

Collectivist culturesthese are cultures in which the interests

of the group prevail over the interests of the individual. These

cultures believe that harmony should always be maintained, and

direct confrontations should always be avoided. The word no isseldom used, because it is confrontational. Instead, they say: You

may be right.

Individualismin these cultures, speaking your mind is a virtue.

People believe that a clash of opinions leads to a higher truth.

Telling the truth, even if it hurts other people, is considered to be

the right thing to do.

According to Hofstede, the US epitomizes the individualistic type

of culture, and Far East countries are examples of collectivist

cultures.

If you want to be effective in handling conflict, then you have to be

able to move beyond your instinctive responses. That means you

need to pinpoint where they come fromyour childhood or yournational cultureand establish how powerful a factor they are.

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Understanding Instincts in Conflict

It is a basic rule of psychology that if you want to change your

behavior, you have to understand what you are doing now. This

applies in many situations, but never more so than when dealing with

conflict.

Understand your instinct

People handle conflict instinctively. In other words, they act without

thinking. So to change that behavior, they must think carefully,

openly, and honestly about their responses.

When two people are in a dispute, how they react depends upon

their attitudes towards two main elements: goals and relationships.

Goals

Your goals are the results that you want from the dispute. You must

decide how important these goals are to you and how far you are

ready to go to achieve them.

Relationships

When caught in a conflict, you must determine for yourself how

important your relationships with the other parties are. Do you need

to remain on good terms with them after the dispute?

The goal and relationship elements are in a constant state of tension

during conflicts. How you manage one will affect the other. But it ispossible to manage both and strike the balance that suits you best.

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But it is important that your calculations of your goals andrelationships are not clouded by your instinctive reactions to

conflict. Therefore, the first step towards balancing your goals and

relationships is to clearly identify your instinctive reactions to

conflict. Your instincts could lead you to:

Dislike conflict, value relationshipsyou do not like conflict

because you think it means that people will not like you, and youwant to be liked. So when you are in a conflict situation, the other

person's view of you is more important than winning the

argument.

Relish conflict, seek goals, promote relationshipsyou see

conflict as a problem to be solved, with both sides equally

involved. You will not be satisfied with a half-hearted solution,

but will push for a decision that is synergistic. You see conflicts asopportunities.

Dilute goals to nurture relationshipsyou believe in a shared

approach to conflictthat if both sides give and take, then

everybody will be happy.

Believe you cannot handle conflictyou may withdraw from

conflict situations, and give in rather than argue. During conflicts,

you feel anxious and unhappy, because you feel that the outcomeis always bad for you.

Value goals more than relationshipsyou have to have your way.

If this means damaging the relationship with the other person,

then so be it. Your tactics involve overpowering the opposition

and sometimes even intimidation.

Once you identify your instinctive approach to conflict, you canbegin to develop better ways of handling it when it occurs.

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It is important to be aware of the different approaches people maytake to a conflict. It is also, of course, important to know when it is

appropriate for you to use each approach.

Avoidance

Use an avoidance approach when there is no need for an immediate

decision and when more information is required to make thedecision. Avoidance is useful when emotions are running too high

and a more competitive approach would result in loss for all.

Accommodation

Accommodation is a suitable approach when you are in the wrong,

and when the impact upon the other party is more important thanthe impact upon you.

Acceptance

Use an acceptance approach when the parties involved are equal and

a stalemate is likely. This approach works well when a temporary

settlement is needed and collaboration and competition would notwork.

Collaboration

Use a collaborative approach when you need to gai

Team Effectiveness II

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