How to Handle Conflict on a Team

¶ … communicator, dedicated to getting the job done, and I try to minimize personal conflicts. All of these are assets that I can bring to a group and which create a positive, task-focused work environment. My weaknesses are that I try to avoid conflict and I can also take on too much, preferring to handle conflicts on my own versus delegating authority. I need to learn better how to engage in proactive relationships with other team members and to manage conflict in a manner so that it is focused on the issue, not upon the person.

Using my communication skills to deal with conflict is the best way to become better at managing it. Making a list of things I have in common with the other person as well as what we disagree upon helps me clarify the issue and also to understand how to talk about things in a non- confrontational but open manner. I also need to be willing to take a decisive role in leadership and to not be afraid to tell people to take on additional responsibilities. Often it is easier to do things myself initially but I have to learn that I cannot accomplish everything and quite often people have expertise and insight I do not possess.

UNI 2 JOURNAL

The role I took on in my team was that of a facilitator, or bridge-builder. Whenever the team seemed to be headed in two opposing directions, I sought to find common ground. I tried to work well with all members of the team and to create connections between the different tasks performed by each member. I believe I assumed this role because I was well-liked by all members of my team, had a strong base of knowledge, and a healthy respect for all group members. I was also seen as hard-working and not unduly striving for power and control for the sake of power itself. For my workplace, this taught me that if I am honest and forthcoming and try to get along with everyone, people will often be more open to accepting direction. People are more willing to follow if they see a potential leader as genuinely concerned about furthering organizational goals.

UNIT 3 JOURNAL

Good leaders are both knowledgeable and committed. For the leadership team of as major an undertaking as Habitat for Humanity, finding leaders with experience in community service as well as in the construction industry would be ideal. Some of the leaders should have knowledge about the logistics of building and ideally how to solicit the right type of donations needed to build shelters. Leaders should also have a proven track record of being able to engage in effective fundraising and to engage the community. They should be able to work well with a diverse range of individuals, including the people the organization is striving to serve. Connections with the community are obviously extremely valuable and are another critical component of this position. Leaders should be able to prioritize specific goals and multitask. Even if leaders also have other jobs, they should be able to allocate a specific time commitment to the work of the organization on a weekly basis.

UNIT 4 JOURNAL

When a problem arises between two people on a team, it is absolutely critical that it is dealt with in an open fashion. The worst thing possible is for a problem to be allowed to fester, given that if it is ignored, it inevitably seems larger in the eyes of the participants. Having a facilitator can be useful to discuss the problem in a rational manner and to outline the specific and significant differences between the participants. The issue should be defined based upon the specific issues involved, not upon personal accusations. Taking time to discuss the issue is important. The specific area of disagreement should be pinpointed, versus a vague discussion about how things are not working out.

It may also be necessary to collectively discuss an issue that affects everyone as a team, such as when project components are consistently being turned in late or people are failing to attend meetings. Once again, it is essential to be solution-focused rather than point fingers. Regarding the issue of lateness, if people get diverted by making excuses about why they were late, the leader must instead generate a list of how the team can move forward and avoid such obstacles in the future.

UNIT 5 JOURNAL

Because families lack standard operating procedures (for the most part) to generate meetings, many of the most negative aspects of problem-solving and team leadership come to the forefront. Finger-pointing and blaming others for problems which took place in the past is very common. It is also very common to have a disagreement over a minor issue of little importance that really is more of a displacement of a personal conflict. For example, when I was younger, one of my siblings and I used to constantly fight about the fact that sometimes I would go into her room without her permission. In retrospect, the main reason I did this was to be annoying and that was also the main reason this generated so much anger. It was not due to any real need to go in there, nor from my sibling's perspective did I do anything damaging in the room. However, because personal conflict was displaced onto the issue, it was very difficult to achieve a resolution.

Similarly, family conflicts highlight the ways in which things can go wrong on professional teams. My mother and father continually fought about the fact that she did the majority of the housework when I was growing up, even though it was technically the responsibility of both of my parents. My mother was the more conscientious of my two parents, however, which meant she had higher standards and would often step in when no one else was lending a hand. In a family environment there is ultimately no enforcement mechanism. Of course, this demonstrates why it can be very problematic having no one to appeal to in a work environment if things go wrong, such as a team leader or, if necessary, a facilitator at HR. Ultimately, no one has been able to reach a final 'decision' about allocating housework at my home and this will likely continue until my mother sets up a series of demands with clear specifics about who should perform these tasks beside herself.

UNIT 6 JOURNAL