How to Solve Conflict Within a Team
Being part of a team means someone always has your back and someone always wants to stab you in it. This means, if you are part of a team, you will experience conflict at some point. Differing ideas and personalities can collaborate to create outstanding ideas, but sometimes the road to that idea is rather bumpy and argumentative.
Effective conflict resolution will improve your team as individuals and as a whole. Understanding how people view and respond to conflict is an important step in managing your team. Periodic meetings and team-building skills can be a pre-emptive strike against a disaster and foster camaraderie.
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Instructions
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1
Identify the source of the conflict. Some conflicts may be the result of differing personalities or work styles. Others could be the result of a stressful work project or feelings of unfairness.
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2
Question each team member individually. to get a sense of each person's feelings about the conflict without the pressure of a group meeting. Some team members may feel uncomfortable discussing another person or situation with others present, so meeting individually will help eliminate the stress.
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3
Keep an open mind. You may be tempted to take sides or judge, particularly if the conflict is with a problem employee or just someone you do not care for.
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4
Listen to each team member's concerns. Ask open-ended questions to clarify any points you may be uncertain of. Open-ended questions will force your team members to think about why the conflict started or bothers them. These questions also can provide a basis for discussion about solutions.
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5
Hold a team meeting with all members present.
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6
Present your understanding of the conflict. This understanding will be a generalization based on your individual interviews of each team member. Your generalization will be a starting point for discussion.
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Open the table for questions and discussion. Allow team members to add their own points of interest to your generalization. Appoint a group spokesperson and act as a mediator, intervening only if necessary. Your goal is to have your team members discuss the conflict among one another. Once your team has reached a consensus on the problem, move on to step 8.
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8
Ask the group spokesperson to present the problem as the group identified it. Brainstorm solutions, being sure to write down every idea. Allow each team member to have a voice. Consider every option, even if your belief is it will not be successful. Identify at least 10 solutions.
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9
Choose three to four solutions from the list. Vote on the solution team members would like to implement first.
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10
Implement the solution. If the solution is unsuccessful, return to step 9, choosing a new option. Do this until you have tried all solutions or achieve success.
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