Team Building and Conflict Management

Conflict in a team can offer a team building opportunity.

Part of team building is conflict management. Conflict is a natural aspect of team dynamics that can be seen in families, organizations and other team environments. Conflict management is intended to be used for team growth, not team discord. If a team leader isn't properly trained, the team conflict can lead to destructive behavior and belief systems among team members.

Definitions

Team building is the process in which a team collectively grows in unity through training, shared experiences and conflict resolution. Conflict management is the process where a leader is able to effectively resolve conflict so that all the parties involved in the disagreement come to a common understanding and resolution.

Purpose

The purpose of team building and conflict management is to minimize the amount of friction and discord between the team members. Its objective is not to ignore issues causing conflict but instead address conflict in a proactive manner that produces a peaceful resolution.

Benefits

If conflict management is implemented effectively, it can be used as a team building opportunity. Through conflict, different ideas, thoughts and beliefs are exposed and, when respected, can produce more effective team communication, policies and unified understanding. When conflict is addressed in its beginning stages, it can be minimized with openness and clarification.

Drawbacks

If conflict management is not executed appropriately, it can be destructive to the team dynamics. Conflict handled improperly can make the issue at hand worse or create discord among the team members. Poorly handled conflict can ruin team morale, focus and the desire for unity.

Ways to Improve

Using team building games that focus on conflict resolution is a helpful way to teach and practice how to handle conflict. Role playing is another way to demonstrate effective ways to approach conflict. Ask two people on the team to roleplay a scenario demonstrating ineffective ways to handle conflict. Have the rest of the team provide feedback on the role playing activity and suggest ways to improve the scenario. Ask the two actors to implement the team's suggestions and demonstrate an effective way to deal with conflict.

Considerations

Every team is different and will require time and effort to properly assess the needs and expectations of each team member. Conflict arises from a difference in belief or desire. The more a team leader understands the inner workings of each member's thoughts, the more effective he will be in addressing the cause of the conflict.

References

• The Center for Human Systems: Managing Team Conflict
• Mind Tools: Resolving Team Conflict
• Penn State University: Building Blocks for Teams