This paper examines conflict in team settings and demonstrates that while often perceived negatively, conflict can be beneficial when managed effectively. The author explores the definition and inevitability of conflict in diverse workgroups, distinguishes between positive and negative conflict, and identifies common sources including limited resources, differing goals, and miscommunication. The paper emphasizes that team charters should include conflict resolution guidelines, and that early intervention prevents relationship damage and goal obstruction. Key benefits of managed conflict include increased innovation, enhanced cohesion, and improved individual growth, while unmanaged conflict leads to stress, disengagement, and team dysfunction.
Conflict has long been viewed as negative and disastrous, typically associated with arguments or even war, and is seldom recognized as beneficial. However, in team environments, conflict can be very beneficial when recognized early and handled properly. When managed effectively, conflict can enhance team performance and strengthen relationships between team members.
Conflict is virtually inevitable as humans interact, because individuals do not all share the same beliefs, values, opinions, thoughts, or knowledge in a given area, nor do they share identical social or economic backgrounds. These differences combine to make each person unique. Most people try to avoid conflict whenever possible because it creates discomfort. This is a natural human reaction when we recognize the potential for conflicting ideas, thoughts, or opinions. To become comfortable managing conflict—or at minimum, to handle it effectively when it arises—we need to understand it.
Conflict is generally defined as "a competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or action (opposing ideas, interests, or thoughts)" or "mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands." Conflict can arise when someone feels that their intellect, values, credibility, or beliefs are being challenged.
To be an effective member of a team, it is essential to understand that conflict will arise and that team members must manage it as part of their responsibility to both the team and themselves. Managing conflict early can be very beneficial to the team in attaining its goals and can greatly enhance relationships among team members. Some teams choose to ignore conflict when it occurs, viewing it as only negative and fearing direct confrontation. This avoidance typically results from a lack of training or knowledge on how to handle conflict effectively.
Most companies today are team-based at least to some extent. Whether management teams or project teams, they exist almost everywhere in an organization. Typically, organizations provide training for conflict resolution so that team members can address situations where conflict arises and manage it internally when possible.
Ignoring conflict in any situation does not make the issue disappear; in most cases, it makes things worse and can ultimately destroy a team or relationship and prevent them from obtaining their goals. Ignoring conflict is not managing it and should only occur when there is no way to resolve the issue without outside help. When creating a team charter, guidelines for conflict resolution should be included and agreed upon by all team members (McNamara, 2003).
Some types of conflict can be positive and lead to outstanding results toward reaching the team's goal. Managing conflict correctly can increase involvement from team members who may have been reluctant to share thoughts or ideas due to lack of knowledge or feelings of inferiority. Increased cohesion can also be realized when each team member feels that other members value their views and opinions.
Conflict within a team can bring about increased innovation and creativity. When team members are not afraid to think outside conventional boundaries, they are more likely to use creative thinking when seeking solutions to problems or identifying improvements. Positive personal growth is also a benefit of conflict, as individuals may discover their own strengths and weaknesses. This awareness can motivate them to strengthen areas of understanding about particular processes or practices with which they are unfamiliar.
Negative conflict hinders team performance. Conflict becomes negative when it leads to stress, prevents the team from moving forward, or diverts focus from team goals or purpose. Unleashed anger represents a form of negative conflict and can occur when team members feel that their views, concerns, or ideas have not been taken seriously or given proper consideration. This type of negative conflict can undermine and destroy the team and relationships among its members.
Differences in personality types can also lead to negative conflict simply because people have different ideas and beliefs and may not get along with everyone they meet. This can be addressed in the team charter by including sections on open communication, listening, and responding with respect. Low self-esteem is another danger of negative conflict. Team members who are continually challenged for their views or ideas may stop participating and feel that they add no value to the team. The cumulative effect is a breakdown in trust and collective efficacy.
Common sources of conflict in team environments include limited resources, differences in goals and objectives, and miscommunication. Limited resources are increasingly common today due to organizational downsizing. Team members typically have enough work outside the team to keep them busy full-time; when they are added to a team, they are asked to do even more, creating resource strain.
Differences in goals and objectives are another cause of conflict. Team members may come from different areas of a facility or even completely different facilities. They may have personal goals and focus on them rather than team goals. Miscommunication in teams can happen honestly and unintentionally through the use of technical terms or language not commonly understood by all team members. This is particularly common in cross-functional teams where specialized vocabularies differ by discipline or department.
When deciding whether to address a specific conflict, consider two key things: First, the team goal—will the conflict prevent the team from reaching its goal? Second, consider relationships with other team members and whether they could be damaged by the conflict. Research on conflict management suggests that there are five strategies to employ based on the intersection of relationship importance and goal importance (DeJanasz, Dowd, and Schneider, 2001).
"Framework for evaluating conflict interventions"
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