Humans are both naturally social and independent creatures all at once.
These attributes make it possible to accelerate and improve work in teams, but they also lead to inevitable conflict. Independent mindsets are still present in a team atmosphere. There are sure to be times when team members do not understand or agree with each other’s decisions and ideas.
Not understanding others’ reasoning and not being understood by team members are frustrating experiences. This is especially true when a common goal is being delayed or otherwise negatively impacted by the conflict.
The longer disagreements continue the more complications will arise. Even if the original conflict was small, leaving it unresolved could lead to an entire team coming to a screeching halt on their progress as frustrations mount.
Despite conflict having a negative connotation, it can be a positive experience in team settings if it is properly managed. The key to conflict is early acknowledgment and constructive mediation.
These factors can be managed by members within the team that are not included in the conflict or by an outside influence, such as a manager or executive consultant. For this reason, it is of great importance that each individual involved in a team’s creation and function is conscious of how to identify conflict and properly mitigate conflict.
Types Of Conflict
All unresolved conflict is negative, but it is important to know the origin of conflicts within a team. By identifying the source of the conflict at hand, team members and leaders will be better able to make changes to prevent a relapse of the same problem.
– Deciding On Tasks
Teams are most commonly given a goal and then left to discuss how they plan to accomplish that goal.
This is one of the first tasks a team must complete and it helps set the tone for the rest of their work together. A slight conflict between ideas is normal here, however, if any disagreement is not discussed and a mutual agreement is not found problems will be perpetuated.
For smoother goal setting be sure to introduce S.M.A.R.T goals. This will provide a sequential structure to the goal-setting process. Team members will know exactly where to focus their attention and points that are brought up will be related. This prevents a cacophony of valid, but unrelated points from causing confusion and making anyone feel unheard.
Once the team has decided on their path and all members agree, they will likely be eager to assign tasks and rush into the next step. As long as all members are comfortable with the tasks they are assigned, things should start to move smoothly as a team rhythm is formed. It is important to note that an individual’s agreement on tasks can change at any time, especially if others have commentary about their work.
Changes in opinion, as well as criticism, can lead to conflict around tasks. To catch these complications early, open discussion and regular check-ins are critical.
Tip: In the early stages of team building the members do not yet have an emotional bond and may not constructively offer criticism. This can be improved by making members conscious of the power of positive commentary or by having members report concerns to a mentor for review before discussing them with the individual of interest.
– Personality Types
During the creation of a team, it is essential to consider the personality traits that will be represented within the group. Each individual has traits that make them a valued member of the team, but some of those can clash with the traits of other team members.
There are personality tests that can be used to identify the compatibility of individuals within a team, but some contrasting personalities may arise regardless of preventative measures.
During such an event, recognizing personality traits that could clash and finding ways to support understanding between the different individuals is key.
Personality traits that commonly repel are;
– Dominant vs. Reserved
Dominant individuals commonly push groups forward with verve. This leaves room for reserved individuals to feel undervalued or left behind. The result could be a sense of contempt from the reserved individual and incomplete utilization of each member’s potential from the dominant personality.
– Hasty vs. Analytical
Hasty personalities are in a rush to complete milestones as they reach the team’s goal, and they may push the team to match their pace. This rushed sensation speeds up progress, but for analytical individuals, it is seen as a recipe for mistakes. They would prefer to take the time to make sure each accomplishment is perfected before reaching for the next challenge.
– Task-Oriented vs. People-Oriented
Task-oriented individuals see teams as a means to achieve a goal. Accomplishing the task at hand is prioritized above all else and they expect the same devotion from the rest of the team. However, people-oriented individuals place their focus on making sure the team environment is conducive to the work at hand. If that means time must be taken to discuss roles and create positive team culture they are happy to do so, while task-oriented individuals may see this as a waste of time.
There is no need to pick one personality over the other in each of these groupings. Instead, a balanced combination is likely to yield the best results. Team members can be chosen because they fall in the middle on scales of conflicting personality traits, or because they act as a foil to another member who ranks strongly in a conflicting trait.
As long as forms of communication are established and likeness takes priority over the disparity of personality traits, every team member should be able to work together. By recognizing these traits early and inciting communication all conflicts should be manageable. In the rare cases where conflict mounts to a volatile point, consider altering the team dynamic. It is always possible that there are individuals that could be more useful on other projects or other teams.
Tip: During conflict mediation, it is best to set ground rules. Some personalities are quieter than others, so having a mediator who ensures all sides are heard makes for a balanced conversation. The ground rules are specific to the argument at hand and the addition of outside opinions should be considered based on the scenario. Helpful ground rules for all conflicts include no speaking over each other and no aggressive or disrespectful language.
– Beliefs
Conflicts based on personal beliefs are considered to be less common in the workplace. However, they can arise and quickly become some of the most intense disagreements.
In a professional setting that is not based around these topics, it is best not to start a conversation about;
– Political views
– Religious beliefs
– Personal beliefs about other’s lifestyle choices
These are all topics that individuals can feel deeply connected to and when others on their team express opposing points of view the results can be polarizing for the entire team. If a team is deeply accepting of all members and their personal beliefs there should not be a problem. However, this is not always the case, especially early in team development.
If conflict over beliefs arises it should be mediated, but the difference here is that opposing individuals do not have to agree on their beliefs. Instead, they need to find a sense of respect for each other’s opinions and refocus on the goal at hand.
Conflict mediation is not always easy, but it is worth the time and effort. Teams that overcome differences in personality and opinions continue to develop. When properly managed, each event of a conflict can be turned into a positive experience that creates personal bonds and strengthens workflows within teams.
Citations:
- Witt, D. (2015, July 16). 4 Types of Team Conflict-And How to Deal With Each Effectively. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://leaderchat.org/2015/07/16/4-types-of-team-conflict-and-how-to-deal-with-each-effectively/
- Lebowitz, S. (2015, May 28). A psychologist says these personality types are most likely to clash at work. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/personality-types-that-clash-at-work-2015-5
- Shonk, K. (2020, October 01). 3 Types of Conflict and How to Address Them. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/types-conflict/