CONFLICT WITHIN A TEAM

What can team leaders and team members do to handle conflicts in

the workplace?

Conflicts that escalate can make team members feel defeated or

become combative. They may lose trust in the other members. Conflicts

can be stressful, tempers flare, people loss control.

Team leaders can help the team avoid conflict by using the following skills:

The Team Leader should prepare the agenda and plan ahead.

Have a clear objective. What is the hopeful outcome, the goal the team is trying to accomplish.

Everyone should know who is involved and what his or her responsibilities are. The reason the individual was chosen to be on the team. Any needed resources should be easily available.

Everyone needs to share all pertinent information with the team and make sure information is clearly

understood by everyone. Any costing issues that could hinder the outcome, such as lack of funding, should be brought to the table right away.

Have a scheduled deadline. This helps when reminding members to stay on track.

If more work needs to be done before an agreement can be reached, the leader should assign whom and when they will meet.

What to do if a destructive conflict

arises during a team meeting:

Focus on why they are all there. What is the hopeful outcome or mission statement of these gatherings.

Have each member take 3 minutes to restate their position. Prioritize all the alternative ideas available. Break into smaller groups in order to separate alliances. Smaller group members prioritize their ideas. Top priorities brought back to table for further discussion.

Look at any areas all parties agree. It may move the rest of disagreement areas towards a solution. Take a 5-minute break. When everyone returns, have

him or her suggest approaches that might address the conflict. If disagreement continues, have a subgroup select options and then report back to the full group.

Call for a vote on a decision.

The Team Leader is the mediator and should be able to keep conflicts under control to keep them from escalating. If more work still needs to be done in

order to reach an agreement, the Team Leader should assign whom and

when that meeting will take place.

Share an experience you have had with a team conflict.

How did you handle it? How would you handle it now with

this extra knowledge?

Thanks for viewing my power point presentation on effective team conflict skills.

Works Cited

Goodall JR., H.L., Goodall, Sandra, Schiefelbein, Jill. “Business and Professional Communication in the Global Workplace”, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2010. Print.McNamara, Carter, MBA, PhD. Clarifying Confusion about Conflict. Free Management Library. Authenticity Consulting. Web. http://managementhelp.org/interpersonal/conflict.htmMcNamara, Carter, MBA, PhD. How to Manage Group Conflict. Free Management Library. Authenticity Consulting. Web. http://managementhelp.org/groups/group-conflict.htmTownsley, Carole A., RV Armstrong and Associates. The Team Building Directory. Resolving Conflict in Work Teams. 2011. Web. http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htmVarney, Glen H. (1989). Building productive teams: An Action guide and resource book. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass, Inc.