Conflict Management

Conflict Management in Teams

Ideally in our work and personal lives there would be no conflict and everyone would get along harmoniously. We all know this is not the case therefore, we must know why conflict arises and what strategies we can use to resolve it. When bringing together different people into a team environment there are no guarantees that everyone will get along 100% of the time. Understanding how conflict manifests itself and strategies to resolve it are useful skills for anyone in the world today.

Sources of Conflict

Wayne Turk states his favorite definition of conflict "is when two or more people perceive that they have incompatible or opposing ideas, interests or needs, or external or internal demands" (Turk, 2007, p.1). According to Julie Gatlin, Allen Wysocki and Karl Kepni in "Understanding Conflict in the Workplace" (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Website) there are eight common causes of conflict.

Conflicting Needs- Often when teammates have to share limited resources conflict arises when other team members are getting more than their fair share. This can be real or perceived either way conflict can arise from this mix. I know in my profession favoritism real or perceived can be a major morale killer and it also feeds the gossip mill which often causes more conflict.

Conflicting Styles- Oscar and Felix from "The Odd Couple" are a prime example. Two very different styles come together and, for 5 seasons a sitcom was based on their "team" conflict (Marshall, 1970). Whether it's neat or organized, assertive or passive different styles can cause roadblocks for many teams.

Conflicting Perceptions- Everyone has his or her own specific way of viewing things, this can cause a difference in perception. For instance if a manager came into a meeting and screamed that the quarterly profits were low he would be perceived differently by each employee. Someone who grew up in a quiet household that was not used to yelling would perceive his actions as being harsher than someone who grew up accustomed to raised voices.

Conflicting Goals- When different priorities come into play on the same objective there can be a conflict of goals. For example: The University of Phoenix states that it is important that all documents be formatted in the APA format; however, an Instructor states the formatting is less important and the focus should be on grammar instead.

Conflicting Pressures- "Conflicting pressures can occur when two or more workers or teams are responsible for separate actions with the same deadline. This can be especially true when the same resources are required by each. The extent to which people must depend on each other to complete work can contribute greatly to conflict." (Turk 2007 p.3)

Conflicting Roles- "How many times have you worked for a boss who gave the same task to more than one person? Or gave one person two tasks that were mutually exclusive? The first situation can contribute to a power struggle for resources and may cause intentional or unintentional sabotage behavior. The second may create internal conflict which leads to neither task getting done" (Turk, 2007, p.3)

Different Personal Values- Each person's core values and beliefs can bring conflict to a team. When I worked for Fleet Bank a team member of mine was leaving early every Friday. This caused a disruption as the whole team noticed this was a regular routine. When it was brought up to our manager, we found out that Gilda was of the Jewish religion and thus could not work past sundown on Fridays.

Unpredictable Policies-"Whenever Policies are changed, inconsistently applied, or nonexistent, misunderstandings are likely to occur" (Turk 2007 p.3). This is the most common reason for conflict where I work. All our managers are frequently not on the same page, which could be due to the ambiguous language of our policies and procedures. Employees are held to different standards by different managers causing confusion and disorganization.

Methods of Resolving Conflict

Now that we have an idea of what causes conflict we can look at ways we can resolve it. We do need to remember while some conflict can be beneficial for a team that if is left unresolved it can spread out of control. Whether in a learning team or in an office environment be aware of the eight sources for conflict. Being able to recognize and resolve a conflict in its early stages will be beneficial to everyone involved.

When parties come together with the goal of conflict resolution they need to remember that "It takes willing Participants..., Not all conflict can be resolved..., and Conflict is good..." (McNamara, 2003 p. 1). Peggy McNamara suggested the following strategies for preventing and resolving conflict situations.

1. Have clear job descriptions and expectations. It is crucial that each person in the office or organization