Dealing with team conflict

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Conflict in groups is unavoidable

Individual differences in motives, goals and beliefs means some conflict will always occur

Some conflict is necessary for stimulating creativity and innovation

Too much conflict can lead to group failure or dissolution

Types of conflict– Relationship conflict– Task conflict– Process conflict

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Sources of Conflict

Differences in solutions Difference in standards Differences in values Cultural clashes Control

• Misunderstandings• Social loafing• Air-time hogs• Absences• Time Habits

Conflict is inevitable, but needn’t escalate

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Conflict often escalates

Conflict begins

Differentgoals

Argument commitment

to position

Blame: Attribution to

opponent

Shift from soft to hard negoti-ation tactics

Negative reciprocity &

emotion

Coalitionformation

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From task to person conflict in the HCII

Task disagreement about stages in updating HCII website– Update technology & then

outsource new design ($80K)– Update technology, redeploy

old design & implement student design ($10K)

Led to entrenched positions & personal attacks

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Escalation A: “I asked X to do a migration of the current site, … reimplement our current theme,

[and] implement the winning student design... I've asked him to do the second theme so that we can do A/B testing and have something credible with which to compare any new …design…. And [if the] new design takes longer than planned, we'll have a plausible site to present to the world in the meantime.”

B: “I am surprised to hear that you are proposing to bypass the HCII website committee process. ... I cannot approve the move to implement the student design ... without meeting to talk about it further.”

A: “I thought it was worth $2,600 of my discretionary money to have a fallback if a professionally designed site isn't done quickly enough or isn't good enough”

B: “I can't approve the implementation of a re-design at this time, regardless of where the funds come from”

A: “I encouraged this project and agreed to take it on because I thought it was important for the department, but I see continued foot dragging from you. .... With no disrespect, I’ll end by quoting General Patton: lead, follow or get out of the way”

B: “I also hear your frustration with me, and I wish it did not lead you to communicate with me in this manner. It's not respectful nor is it effective.”

Disciplining a Teammate

J. R. Baker

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Reviewing the Case Context: A 12-member, self-managed blue-collar

production team doing electronic assembly– Team diverse on race, gender & family composition– Working together for two years

Sharon history:– Two preschool kids (3 & 5)– History of absences for kid-problems– History of lateness (at least once per week)

Incident– Sharon calls in late to announce an absence on a day with short-

staffing & high workload– Team meeting to discipline Sharon

Recount history Threaten Sharon with firing at next offense

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Questions?

What did the team do right?

What did the team do wrong?

What else could the team have done?

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What did the team do right?

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What did the team do right?Sets up a team contract Values –

– Give best customer top priority.

– Make sacrifices to support team

– Speak candidly at group meetings

– Arrive on time

Norms– Work on important

customer’s orders first– Arrive at 7AM– Learn all the roles

Rules – Formal, clear rules for behavior– Hold 20-minute meeting

each morning, with fixed agenda

Schedule Task assignment, Coordination Problems

– Breaks at 9:30 & 1:30– Absences must be

announced by 7:15

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Group Process Agreements Work!Agree in Advance On:

– Group goals– Decision processes– Conflict contingencies– Procedure for being absent– What happens when you miss a meeting– Response time for email – phone messages– Specified Roles and Responsibilities

Secretary Client Liaison Team Leader - means? Meeting coordination - agenda creator

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What did the team do right?

Bring the conflict to the open & discuss

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What did the team do wrong?

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What did the team do wrong?

Focusing on positions & not issues Coercive talk

– Use of “You” language: – Blame: “Do you know what kind of problems you

caused us yesterday.” Use of power as mediation technique

– “We wouldn’t have to [monitor you] if you would just follow our rules”

– “You won’t be here if it happens again” Little attempt at problem solving

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Ways to reduce conflict

Charlton, R., & Dewdney, M. (2004). The Mediator’s Handbook. Melbourne AU: Thomsons LBC.

1. Identify the issues: Listen and summarize the key issues and concerns

2. Explore the issues: Explore and acknowledge the needs, wants and interests of parties

3. Generate solutions and options: Facilitate discussion toward mutual agreement and understanding

4. Make agreements: Be specific about who, what, when, where, how

Conflict resolution as problem solving

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Think of conflict as problem solving: Allwyn problem solving process

Air all the view points. – Interview everyone & find out what each person wants &

why. State the problem

– Combine everyone’s needs into a summary– Use neutral language– Focus on what should be done (not recriminations). Keep

going until everyone agrees “If X happens I’ll be satisfied” Create a solution

– Brainstorm– Go to faculty/supervisor for help

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State the Problem in Terms of Interests, Not Positions Position == solution; Interest == goal you want to achievePositions Interests

– Find out the reasons underlying positions– Keep asking why until you get to an interest

Combine Interests to form a problem statement. E.g.,– “How can we waste less time in meetings and get everyone’s

input?” (Not: Choose btw voting and discussion)

– “How can we get the work done, when one of our members has to miss work?”

– “How can we build in flexibility for team members, while still getting the work done?

– “How do we make the work fair?” Not: You must be here on-time or else

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In Website conflict Position: I’ll implement

design A with department money and design B with my discretionary money

Issues– Get short-term improvement

rather than waiting 6 to ? months for final design

– Reduce uncertainly & have fall back if a professionally designed site isn’t good

Position: You don’t have approval to implement design B

Issues– Want to make sure new site is

a committee decision.– Don’t like the aesthetics of the

design– Doesn’t want implementation

design B to get in the way of a major good overhaul of our website , technically or by draining faculty time

Resolution: Implement design B under conditions– Build design B for evaluation, but go live only after consensus from the committee

– Stop implementation if it starts to use departmental resources

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What else could they have done?

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Methods of conflict resolution

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Methods of conflict resolutions

Team (re) design: Deliberate changes in the structure of team or task or environment to reduce sources of conflict Most successful

Collaborative, interest-based responses Moderately successful

Contention, rights based Less successful

Contention, power based Less successful

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Conflict resolution as negotiation Look for integrative, mutual gain solutions (win-win) Look for trade-offs rather than dividing a fixed pie

– Reveal your interests– Understand your partner’s interests– Logroll

Benefits– Best solution for the group (Pareto optimum)– Integrative solution strengthens the relationship between parties,

because they are mutually rewarding Cooperative in expanding the pie & then, if necessary,

compete in dividing it– Suboptimal: Competition (maximizing difference), Avoidance,

Compromise & Accommodation