Dealing with Conflict and Tension in Teams

Ineffective Meetings
In order to be an effective leader, it is important to recognize the communication styles of one’s team members. One also has to know how to respond to these styles in order to keep a team meeting focused and on task. For Kerry, the problem is that there are many conflicting styles and not enough guidance from him in terms of maintaining attention to the problem at hand. This paper will describe the communication styles of the team members, show exactly where the meeting’s order was subverted, and discuss what Kerry might have done better in terms of using leadership skills and negotiation and conflict resolution strategies to get the meeting back on track.
The communication style for the various characters consisted of the following: Kerry uses a facilitative style in that he opens the meeting by identifying the problem and then allows others to talk. He also uses agency style in that at one point he stands and wave his arm as he tries to get control of the meeting back so that he can guide the discussion towards specific objectives. Aaron uses an agency style as well as passive-aggressive style. His body language is passive and submissive but his words are direct and signal that he wants to solve the issue. Stephanie uses a communal style and a passive-aggressive or hostile style. Her body language is passive-aggressive: she pushes her chair back from the table in a manner that is hostile and crosses her arms—but her langue is communal: she says she wants to work with Aaron on the press release.
Barbara uses a hostile/divisive style that may also be characterized as submissive: her tone is worried and anxious which demonstrates that she wants someone to solve the issue for her, and her words express urgency as though her issues are the only ones that matter—and this is a divisive way of communicating as clearly there are many people affected by this. Jerry uses a commanding style: his body language expresses a desire to take charge and he tries to pacify Barbara by motioning his hands and arms to calm down. His words are supportive but the way in which he conveys this information seems out of place and unreassuring. Clio uses a submissive style by saying nothing but deferring to her own boss Jerry with a glance. Seeli uses a passive-aggressive style and her eyes popping indicates that she wants to be both relaxed and have the right to be shocked and offended; Julio uses passive-aggressive style in that he patiently waits his turn and then sighs to let everyone know that he is patiently waiting; and Dr. Schmidt uses commanding style by standing up to get everyone’s attention and posing a question to try to get to see his point of view.
Progress on the goal of the meeting was subverted the moment Barbara started in with her complaints and worries. She was expressing an anxiety about an issue that was being worked out at the moment. She should have kept her emotions in check. By letting them loose, she set precedent for the next team member to unload, which was Seeli: her complaint was totally off topic and was about not being notified sooner. Kerry should have intervened at this point to address the first two speakers, Aaron and Stephanie, who would work on the PR. This then could have allowed Kerry to address Barbara. Seeli should have been told by Kerry that they could speak about that matter privately. Had he done this, the meeting could have gotten back on track.
Instead, Kerry waited too long to get the meeting back under control and his attempt to return it was poor because by that time he had a clear sense of how to direct it and should have employed agency style. Instead, he still attempted to be facilitative. The team was anxious and wanted both answers and direction. Action was clearly needed and all Kerry had to do was allow action to be taken while ordering the other team members to provide only productive solutions.
Negotiation and conflict management strategies might have been successfully applied by first using social and emotional intelligence, which allows a leader to read the verbal and non-verbal cues of people and better understand the issues that they are wanting addressed and how they should be addressed (Sanchez-Nunez, Patti & Holzer, 2015). Kerry should also apply indirect negotiation and conflict management strategies so that he could delegate responsibility among the various team members. This would allow him to demonstrate supportive leadership as well by getting other team members to help direct the meeting and coordinate amongst themselves, which is initially where Aaron and Stephanie try to take it. However, since everyone has a complaint, Kerry should also use the face saving strategy of face work and let everyone have a turn at voicing their complaints so that the grievances can be aired and everyone can be heard. Kerry should show that he has heard them and appreciated what they have said, as this would allow he to be seen as a compassionate leader (Schyns & Schilling, 2013).
For the employees who were not pacified no matter what happened in the meeting, Kerry should have tried to use the friendly persuasion strategy to help them come around to the purpose that Kerry had in mind for the meeting (Lumsden, Lumsden & Weithoff, 2010). By using these strategies, Kerry could have reduced the extent to which conflict derailed the meeting and he could have better intercepted the negative feelings that quickly ran rampant and mitigated the risk of chaos breaking out. He also could have shown that he was an effective leader by starting off with the facilitative communicative style then moving towards an agency style and shutting down complaints that could easily have waited till after the meeting instead of allowing them to prolong the meeting and waste members’ time.

References
Lumsden, G., Lumsden, D., & Weithoff, C. (2010). Communicating in groups and teams:
Sharing leadership (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Sanchez-Nunez, M., Patti, J. & Holzer, A. (2015). Effectiveness of a leadership development program that incorporates social and emotional intelligence for aspiring school leaders. Journal of Educational Issues, 1(1), 5-9.
Schyns, B., Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-
analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 138-158.