Project Team Development: Constructive Conflict Resolution
Project Team Development: Constructive Conflict Resolution
Project Team Development: Constructive Conflict Resolution
Characteristics (continued)
Honest communications Active listening Shared leadership Good external relations Diversity - style and technical capability Self assessment Appreciation of individual and team efforts
Sources of Conflict
Conflicts arise from differences in goals, facts, values, and methods Major sources of conflict in teams include Schedules Priorities Resources Personalities
Competing (Forcing)
Assertive and uncooperative - pursuing your own concerns at anothers expense Power oriented Useful when
unpopular actions needed on important issues pressing on issues when you know you are right decisive action required (emergencies) needing to protect yourself and others
Avoiding (Withdrawing)
Unassertive and uncooperative - neither pursuing you own nor anothers concerns Uses behaviors such as sidestepping, postponing, or withdrawing Is useful when
Issue is trivial or symptomatic of another larger issue or there is no chance of winning Others can resolve issue more effectively, more data are needed, or people need to calm down
Unassertive and cooperative - pursuing anothers concerns and sacrificing your own Is useful
When you are wrong or when the issue is more important to others than to yourself When used to demonstrate open-mindedness, preserve harmony, or accumulate social credits When competing would damage your own cause
Accommodating (Smoothing)
Collaborating (Confronting)
Assertive and cooperative - pursuing your own and anothers concerns Is likely to lead to the most lasting solutions Is useful in
Determining an integrative solution when both parties concerns are equally important Gaining commitment from others Resolving interpersonal hostilities Merging insights from people with different perspectives
Compromising
Partially assertive and cooperative pursuing a solution that satisfies some concerns of both people Is useful
When used to achieve temporary solutions or arrive at agreement quickly When both parties are strongly committed to mutually exclusive positions When goals are moderately important
Compromising (continued)
Can be harmful if you
Are seen as an easy touch Are seen as too gullible Give up something that you will later regret Lead the conflict to a mediocre outcome Trade off a more valuable concession for a less valuable one End up not getting what you really want
Key Messages
Successful teams should be committed to a common purpose and performance goals, committed to a common approach, and have mutual accountability Conflicts will occur in projects and arise from differences in goals, opinions, facts, values, and methods