Traditionally Accustomed to Associating Conflicts With Negative

¶ … traditionally accustomed to associating conflicts with negative feelings, conflicts can actually have positive effects on individuals and on groups as a whole in particular circumstances. Some groups experience trouble in progressing in certain directions that they express interest in. Simply sticking to the same thinking that they had when the group was formed can reflect negatively on a group's accomplishments. By focusing on strategies that it is accustomed to adopting in some situations, the group is unlikely to experience success in every mission that it is interested to complete. Even with the fact that conflict is in many cases bad for a group's functionality, it can also influence individuals in becoming more creative as a result of experiencing intense feelings.

It would be wrong to adopt a criticizing attitude in regard to any member of a particular group simply because he or she is unable to keep up with the rest. However, as long as one uses constructive criticism with the purpose of demonstrating that others are wrong, the respective individual is probable to assist the group in experiencing progress. Criticism does not necessarily need to be associated with the idea of a fight or with the concept of insult. Instead, it is more effective when the person being criticizes acknowledges the fact that he or she is wrong and gets actively involved in putting across more effective thinking. He or she can also take on contradiction as a method to motivate his or her thinking and can be successful in influencing others to become a part of a debate, as this is probable to eventually solve differences between the group's members (The Liberating Role of Conflict in Group Creativity: A Cross Cultural Study).

A group's bonds can also be strengthened as a result of a conflict, taking into account that members develop more intimate relationships as they become a part of an intense argument. A conflict also has costs, but the fact that these costs are sometimes less important in comparison to the gains that it generates makes it possible for one to understand why a conflict can be beneficial for a group.

A group's leader needs to focus on the conflict in order to gain a better understanding of its effects. If he or she determines that a conflict is likely to reflect negatively on a group he or she has to focus on the argument's incipient phases and on trying to use diverse strategies with the purpose of ending the fight. Leaders always need to be in control of conflicts and they need to influence individuals who are fighting to restrain their emotions and to focus on solving the situation maturely. It would be wrong for a group's leader to encourage lack of communication or excessive communication within a group that is predisposed to arguments. Instead, the leader would need to try and create balance within a group, as this would most likely assist its members in progressing as a whole.