Conflict Resulution Strategies

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Working in a team environment will bring about its challenges. The main challenge to over come is conflict within the team. Conflicts will happen in a team environment, whether a team is an academic learning team or a business team. However, how the team members handle the conflict, will determine whether the result is either a positive outcome, or a negative outcome and nothing gets accomplished.

Challenges of Conflict Resolutions

When a conflict arises in a team environment, and the odds are it, will how the team handles the conflict, will either result in a positive or negative outcome.

Conflict in itself is not the problem. It is rather, our reactions to it that determines the impact, and thus cause us to characterize it as a negative experience. Conflict or divergence can be destructive or it can be constructive. (Porter, 2003, 1)

Most of the time a conflict occurs when a member of the team disagrees with the other members. If this conflict of interest is not solved, it can bring distractions within the team. The team will lose its focus of what needs to be accomplished. The conflict will eventually cause the team to break apart, and team members will no longer be able to function as a whole. Many companies do not have conflict resolution strategies. Without strategies, not only will the members of the team be affected, but the organization will be affected as well. "Conflict distracts as organization from focusing on solving problems and causes it to perform inefficiently" (Huber, 2007)

Many times the manager and or team leader does not have conflict resolution skills. This brings about many challenges for team as a whole unit.

Too often, managers treat such disputes as distinct from other aspects of business deal making. Some behave as if resolving a dispute requires a distinct choice: you get your way, or I get mine. (Bordone & Moffitt, 2006)

This way of thinking will not solve the conflict at hand. It does not solve the employee's needs, and or solve the difference of opinion. The reason for working in a team environment is to develop brainstorming, like the saying goes, "two heads are better than one." If the leader only believes that their way of thinking is the only solution to the goal of the team, then that will bring the team down, and there will be no creative productivity from the other members. (Krivis, 2006)

Benefits of Conflict resolutions

Since conflicts are bound to happen in a team environment, what possibly can be the benefits of working in team? Out of conflicts, comes creative, new ides. If there are no conflicts, then the organization would never change. It takes one person to speak out and say, "what if ..." and challenge the way things have always been done. Understanding the different approaches of conflict resolutions, will not only better the team, but also teaches you, how to handle all types of conflict, whether at work, academic studies, or at home. "Even though you can't control another person, you can control your own behavior, and your behavior has a great deal to do with the response you get back from others." (Adkens, 2006)

How to enhance your team with conflict resolution

Dealing with team conflicts, will enhance the teams performance, to complete the task on hand effectively, in a timely manor. There are many different techniques a team member/manager can learn to deal with team conflicts. Using the NORMS which were introduced by Bill Huber author of Maintenance and Operations Conflict, will help the members remain objective.

N not a biased interpretation and not personal

O observable, it can be seen can touched

R reliable, two or more people can agree on what took place

M measurable, the parameters can be measured

S specific, it is not subjective.

By staying objective, it leaves all emotions out of the conflict resolution. Without emotions, the team can discuss the conflict at hand and come up with an agreeable solution.

Another conflict resolution process is the A-E-I-O-U model. This model can be found "in the book, Resolving Conflicts on the job, authored by Wisinski (1993) the author developed the A-E-I-O-U model for individual use before engaging in discussions to resolve conflict.: (Porter, 2003, 13 )

A assume other people involved in the conflict mean well

E express your own feelings