Conflict Identification and Resolution
In the current team I am on where I work, there is conflict between myself and another worker, mostly because he always tries to lead but I was assigned to be the team leader. The usurping of my authority and goals has been ongoing, and efforts to mitigate it have been unsuccessful. The source of this conflict would seem to be the other person, but the true source of the conflict is that he and I are both very similar in the way we approach things, and we are both natural leaders. Although I was chosen by our manager to lead the team, my coworker is used to being a leader and has a difficult time restraining himself from taking over and taking the lead in numerous situations. This current team is not the first place where he has done this, either to me or to other coworkers, and it is not anticipated that it will be the last place where he does this. It would be helpful to resolve the conflict, but when the issues that are occurring are coming from a part of a person's actual personality, it can be very difficult to find a way to resolve those issues.
In a team environment, it can be difficult to address conflict, largely because the group has to find its own way to work together (Baack, 2012). If there is conflict between only a couple members of the team, that can be less damaging than if there is conflict between all team members (Aureli & de Waal, 2000). However, even small conflicts can turn into big conflicts when it comes to people who have to work together on a daily basis (Aureli & de Waal, 2000). If one person is designated to lead, that can increase the conflict because the person who has not been designated to lead may become resentful (Wilmot & Hocker, 2007). This does not happen in every instance, but it can occur and when it does the consequences can be severe and lasting (Wilmot & Hocker, 2007). There are some conflicts that simply cannot be resolved, and the people involved in them must be moved to different teams (Aureli & de Waal, 2000; Wilmot & Hocker, 2007). While that stops the immediate conflict, it does get those people branded as not being "team players," which can be a serious problem for them in their careers (Aureli & de Waal, 2000).
Some steps have already been taken to resolve the conflict where I work, but they have not been successful. These have included team reminder emails to send all plans and work schedules, etc., through me as team leader, and a private talk with my coworker, who insisted I was attempting to make something out of nothing. Despite repeated attempts to politely assert myself as being in charge, these efforts have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to my coworker, who continues to overstep his boundaries and act as though he is the one who is leading the team. This pettiness is becoming upsetting to the rest of the team, but as of yet they have not said anything to him of which I am aware. It is important to handle the issue professionally, as we have worked together for years and he is a good worker with many ideas and talents. He simply does not know how not to lead, and how to allow someone else to take the reins for a new project or team.
One of the most significant problems with conflict resolution is that one person often does not recognize the conflict (Baack, 2012). He or she may honestly not see the problem, or he or she may see the problem but believe it to be someone else's problem (Baack, 2012). In other words, one person sees it as the other person's fault, and vice versa. This often comes...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now