Leading & Team Conflict

Ever been part of a team in a situation that turns ugly because of conflict? Wherever people work or live together there is going to be some conflict. Bringing conflicts into the open and resolving them is one of the most important roles and responsibilities of a leader. Conflict is an antagonistic interaction within and outside the team where one party attempts to interfere and disrupt the plans and goals of another. When a leader is able to address conflict effectively the positive impact on team cohesiveness and success is significant.

Conflicts centered around disagreements among people about the goals to be achieved or how to approach the tasks to be performed to meet the goals is referred to as task conflict. Conflicts that arise due to a personal incompatibility referred to as relationship conflict creates tension between people and feeling of personal animosity. Making conflicts personal tends to create an environment where common ground for resolution of the disagreement becomes more challenging. Task conflict on the other hand can be beneficial by forcing the team to resolve the conflict in a logical manner by evaluating the alternatives often coming up with a third better solution not previously considered.

Positivity and building on strengths is an excellent approach to find common ground in task conflict with the parties building a solution on the foundation of shared stories of success and the strengths of the team. Appreciative Inquiry leverages this approach by asking powerful open ended questions, This common ground supported by the value of the organization often finds a 'best' solution for the task in conflict. The tension created promotes creativity and a dialogue between the team members on the preferred future statement called Dream in the 4D AI process.

Leadership and teams overseeing conflict resolution exhibit different styles, Each has advantages and challenges:

• dominating style (my way)
• appropriate in high crisis / disenfranchising people
• avoiding style (no way)
• appropriate over trivial matters / minor conflicts can fester
• compromising style (half-way)
• appropriate when opposing goals equally important / not an optimum solution
• accommodating style (your way)
• appropriate when one sides is wrong or seeks harmony / resentment may accumulate
• collaborating style (our way)
• appropriate when both opinions are important / consensus is hard work

Remember, wherever and whenever people work or live together there is going to be some conflict. Bringing conflicts into the open and resolving them is one of the most important roles and responsibilities of a leader.