Managing Group Conflict The Storm Is

Coming

Intro Activity: I Represent Conflict

Imagine that I represent conflict. Think about how you usually react when you experience a conflict personally or witness a conflict happening nearby. Then place yourself, in relation to me, somewhere in the room in a way that indicates your first response to conflict or disagreement. Think about your body position, the direction that you're facing, and the distance from conflict.

Tuckman’s Theory of Group Development

Five Stages of Group Development Orientation (forming): members become familiar

with each other and the group; a leader is accepted Conflict (storming): members start to disagree;

dissatisfaction and tension emerges among members Structure (norming): cohesiveness and unity begins

to grow; trust and communication improve Work (performing): high task orientation develops;

goals are worked toward as an emphasis is placed on performance and production

Dissolution (adjournment): roles are terminated as tasks are completed

Understanding Types: One Way to Overcome Conflict

One of the best ways to understand a group is to look at its individual members.

An easy way to determine what “type” of person you are is through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Benefits of the MBTI to Teams

The MBTI specifically helps team members by: reducing unproductive work. identifying areas of strength and possible areas of

weakness for team members. helping to match specific task assignments with

team members according to their MBTI preferences.

helping to improve communications among team members.

helping individuals understand how different perspectives and methods can lead to useful and effective problem solving.

Hello My Name Is: Because the MBTI looks at 4 parts of your

personality, there are 4 spaces on each nametag.

As we discuss each dimension, write the letter that you feel best describes you in the proper space on your nametag.

Yes or No:•You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances.•The more people with whom you speak, the better you feel.•You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job.•You find it easy to share space with others.•When solving a problem, you like to talk to others or look at many sources for information.

Extraversion/Introversion

Extraversion/IntroversionIf YES, then Extrovert If NO, then Introvert

Act first, think/reflect later  

Feel deprived when cutoff from interaction with the outside world  

Usually open to and motivated by outside world of people and things  

Enjoy wide variety and change in people relationships

Think/reflect first, then Act 

Regularly require an amount of "private time" to recharge batteries 

Motivated internally, mind is sometimes so active it is "closed" to outside world  

Prefer one-to-one communication and relationships 

Yes or No:•You are less interested in a general idea, than in the details of its realization.•You are more inclined to follow familiar approaches than to experiment with new ones.•You see a problems as “several hurdles”, rather than as “a mountain”.•When buying clothes, do you try them on before you buy them?•When you receive a grade, you think more about what you could have done better, than how to improve for next time.

Sensing/Intuition

Sensing/iNtuitionIf YES, then Sensing If NO, then iNtuitive Mentally live in the Now, attending

to present opportunities  

Using common sense and creating practical solutions is automatic-instinctual 

Memory recall is rich in detail of facts and past events 

Best improvise from past experience  

Like clear and concrete information; dislike guessing when facts are "fuzzy" 

Mentally live in the Future, attending to future possibilities 

Using imagination and creating/inventing new possibilities is automatic-instinctual 

Memory recall emphasizes patterns, contexts, and connections 

Best improvise from theoretical understanding  

Comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy data and with guessing its meaning. 

Yes or No:• You are almost never late to appointments, or for class.•You tend to be unbiased even if this might endanger your good relations with people.•You trust reason rather than feelings.•Strong emotions don’t really affect you.•You are consistent in your habits.

Thinking/Feeling

Thinking/FeelingIf YES, then Thinking If NO, then Feeling Instinctively search for facts

and logic in a decision situation.

Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished.

Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis.

Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people.

Instinctively employ personal feelings and impact on people in decision situations

Naturally sensitive to people needs and reactions.

Naturally seek consensus and popular opinions.

Unsettled by conflict; have almost a toxic reaction to disharmony.

Yes or No:•It is in your nature to assume responsibility.•You prefer to think about various options rather than act immediately.•You usually plan your actions in advance.•You do your best to complete a task on time.•A thirst for adventure is not something you feel very often.

Judging/Perceiving

Judging/PerceivingIf YES, then Judging If NO, then

Perceiving Plan many of the details in

advance before moving into action.

Focus on task-related action; complete meaningful segments before moving on.

Work best and avoid stress when able to keep ahead of deadlines.

Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage life.

Comfortable moving into action without a plan; plan on-the-go.

Like to multitask, have variety, mix work and play.

Naturally tolerant of time pressure; work best close to the deadlines.

Instinctively avoid commitments which interfere with flexibility, freedom and variety

Activity: Opposites Interact Pick one of the areas that you feel is

the biggest part of your personality. Find a partner who has the opposite

letter from you in that area. Discuss the following scenario, using

the questions provided. Also talk about what you need from

team members to do your best work, based on these parts of your personality.

Activity: Opposites InteractIt is September. You have a group project to work

on that is due in early November, that counts for 40% of your grade. Some people in the group want to get together as soon as possible to work out a plan to break up the project, but others think it’s way to early to worry, saying they do their best work “under pressure.” You know that the project is worth a big part of your grade, and want to make sure that you do well.

If this was your group, which side would you be on? How do you like to approach group work? How do you work with other people in a group setting?

What Would You Do Now? What kinds of problems have you

had with members of groups (sports teams, schoolwork groups, student organizations, etc.) before?

Based on what we’ve discussed, how would you approach those situations to make them go more smoothly?

Questions? Comments?

ReferencesEvans, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F.

(1998) Student development in college: theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

“Personality Test Based on Jung and Briggs Myers Typology” (2010). Retrieved 2 Oct 2010 from http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

Watson, Candace (2010). Understanding yourself and others. Tampa: USF Continuing Education.