Conflick Resolution

Running head: DECISIONS/CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Decisions/Conflict Resolution

Team 1

University Of Phoenix

Decision/Conflict Resolution

"Conflict is any situation in which there are incompatible goals, cognitions, or emotions within or between individuals or groups that lead to opposition or antagonistic interaction." (p. 243, Conflict: Sources and Solutions)

Effective decision making and resolving conflicts are both essential elements to having a successful team. Without making decisions a team cannot properly perform, it is inevitable. Decisions have to be made in order for each member to perform productively. When effective decisions are not made it leaves room for conflict. Once a team lets conflict arise at the surface it is important to deal with it promptly with adequate resolution.

In order to resolve conflict one must first understand it. The rEsource chapter on Managing Conflict in Learning Teams tells how Engleberg et al (2003) used 4Rs Method to analyze conflict resolution. This is when team members would:

-Reasons. The reasons for the conflict are explored openly.

-Reactions. Each team member looks at their own reaction.

-Results. Team members work on how to resolve constructively.

-Resolution. Finally, find an approach that could be used to effectively resolve. (p. 3)

Once a team has identified a conflict there are several approaches that can be taken. The five approaches noted in the chapter are avoidance, accommodations, competition, compromise, and collaboration. In using the avoidance approach one simply ignores the conflict by setting it aside until the work is established. Avoidance is a good approach when emotions are running high and the conflict itself is not central. One way avoidance can be administered is by rescheduling so that everyone has the opportunity to calm down and collect their thoughts. During the accommodation approach one gives in to the other for the sake of getting along. Be aware that a group member who always uses accommodation could easily be looked at as passive and powerless. This approach is appropriate to use when the conflict is important to others in the group but not to you. In the competition approach the best man wins. A team member pushes their idea until the others give in. This approach is pushed when a member is more concerned with their own ideas opposed to the entire groups. A sound reason to approach conflict competitively is when the group must act immediately in an emergency situation. The compromise approach allows the team members to meet somewhere in the middle. In this approach each member agrees to suffer a loss so that the whole team benefits. This is a fair method because everyone involved loses equally. Collaboration requires creative and cooperative thinking. The goal is to satisfy everyone involved. Collaboration is effective because it promotes synergy and consensus.

Because conflict resolution is situational, there is no right or wrong approach. One approach may work for one conflict. On the other hand, it may take two or three to resolve another. Most conflicts can be resolved by common sense alone. It is important to think rationally and consider others feelings. Though, conflict is uncomfortable for all it is a normal part of organizational life. Once a team truly understands conflict, it can choose the appropriate approach to resolve conflict. Although the approaches noted here are proven to work, never be afraid to come up with new innovative ideas to tackling conflict.

Wisinski's A-E-I-O-U Model is a clear guide that helps us to understand and resolve conflict. It teaches that in order to resolve conflict a group must fully understand each member's concern. It is pertinent that members of a group lucidly understand a problem, if not it is impossible to resolve. The steps in Winsinski's A-E-I-O-U Model are as follows:

A- Assume the other members mean well.

E- Express your feelings.

I- Identify what you want to happen.

O- Outcomes you expect are made clear.

U- Understanding on a mutual basis is achieved.

Using the A-E-I-O-U Model correctly can become an essential ingredient in creating a constructive approach to conflict management. (p. 156)

Once a team identifies conflict and has an idea to the solution, the next step would be to decide on what process to use to resolve the conflict. Three general processes to consider would be negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Most groups resolve their conflicts using negotiation. This is an informal approach that doesn't require assistance from outside