While working in a group it is impossible for team members to have conflicts, this is brought about by the different ideas people have and want to enforce them. How you handle these conflicts is the determiner of if it will harm the team or destroy it. As a team leader or member, it?s good to find the right solution for the team. T6his article will give you guidelines in which you should follow to achieve the organizations? objectives.
Because the conflict has occurred, it will not be wise to run away from it or ignore it. You ought to confront it head on without fear. Preparations should be done to resolve the problem.
- You should agree there is a conflict in the , share and discuss it with the team members and listen to their views on the same. Discuss with them the effects the conflict will have to them and the team. Convince everyone involved in it to agree to cooperate to solve it, which means preceding their egos and placing the interests of the team first.
- Ensure also that everyone in the conflict is allowed to speak his or her mind fully. Listen to them very attentively as it will help, you find solutions to the problem. This step will contribute to starting the negotiation process. It?s very essential that people involved in the conflict agree to seek solutions to their problem at all costs.
Once people have decided to start the negotiations and have stated their stand on the issue, it?s important for them to have exhaustive knowledge of the problem. This will help them to understand the cause of the problem, thus solving it with all the information they need. To achieve this:
- Clarify the different positions team members have on the issue. This will involve explaining the opinions people have to the entire team and seeking clarifications to where you are not sure about. This helps team members to see the facts on the table about the issue of contention with their emotions withheld.
- Give a list of events, the assumptions, and the beliefs about the issue objectively. Do not worry whether the facts support a view of a certain topic, educate the members they may be arguing because of lack of knowledge.
- Divide the team into small groups making sure that the fact that were in support do not go to one group. Mix the different members with different viewpoints so that they can analyze the facts, beliefs, and assumptions.
- Call back the teams and discuss what they have agreed on. At this point, they will have agreed on certain issues list them and tackle the issues, which they still, do not agree with you will need to take a stand in some of them as a team leader.
Once you have exhaustively discussed the issues which are of contention and the team members have understood each other?s viewpoints and reasons for their stand. The team should decide the action, which should be taken while considering all the facts and the assumptions. The team members ought to pledge their loyalty to the decision of the team even if they do not agree with it.