Conflict Resolution
...strong cooperation, and lots of helping behavior.” (Tuckman. 1977) Conflicts are handled constructively, and the group is able to achieve their goals. During this stage expertise and special skills are cause for shifts in the team member’s responsibilities, and the team is able to pull together and complete successfully the task assigned. The last and final stage is referred to as the “adjourning” stage. In this stage the team members may feel a sense of loss having put so much energy in getting something done. Tuckman suggests that “the return to independence can be eased by rituals celebrating ‘the end’ and ‘new beginnings.’ Parties, award ceremonies, and graduations” (Tuckman. 1977) are just a few ways in which the team members can resolve their sense of loss. The majority of teams that find they are unable to complete the assigned tasks are teams that are unable to successfully resolve conflict. In Tuckman’s writings he suggests that all teams will experience the pressures of conflict in stage two. The teams that are able to handle the conflicts effectively are the teams that will move forward to the final stages of development and produce the completed assignment with success. Therefore it seems to reason that the most important aspect of any team is their ability to handle and resolve conflict. According to an article in the Team Toolkit for the University of Phoenix, “conflict itself is neither good nor bad. However, the way in which the group deals with conflict can be constructive or destructive.” (DeWine. 1994) Constructive conflict focuses on issues, respects the ideas of others, offers flexibility, and shows cooperation within the team. It is beneficial to the team for it allows the team to present different points of views and opens up the communication within the group. However, destructive conflict is detrimental to the team and is presented with insults, inflexibility, personal attacks, competition, and defensiveness. Destructive conflict can also be the result of avoiding conflict all together. When a team experiences this type of conflict the team begins to fall apart without the appropriate approach to dealing with it. The first step in handling conflict in a manner that favorable to the team is the analysis of the conflict to determine if it is healthy or harmful. A helpful approach to analyzing conflict is found in the Team Toolkit for the University of Phoenix and is referred to as the 4R’s method; Reasons, Reactions, Results, and Resolution. Resolving conflict constructively is the most critical aspect of team skills. Without this ability, the team is unable to build the trust and bonding they need in order to move forward from the “Storming” stage into to their peak performance. However, before a team can become skilled at resolving conflict in a manner that is beneficial to the team they must know what kind of conflict is present. The 4R’s method is a helpful set of questions that the team can use for analysis. Reasons. What are the reasons for or causes of the conflict? Are the causes associated with expressed differences about issues, methods, and/or members? Do other concerned members agree with your assessment of the reasons for conflict? Reactions. How are group members reacting to one another? Are the reactions constructive or destructive in nature? Can member reactions be modified into more constructive behavior? Results. What are the consequences of the group’s current approach to the conflict? Is the conflict serious enough to jeopardize the group’s goal and member morale? Resolution. What are the available methods for resolving the conflict? Which method best matches the nature of the group and its conflict? Once the conflict is identified the team can move forward to the resolution. As we said before resolving the conflict can either be constructive or destructive to the team. Once again we turn to the Team Toolkit for the University of Phoenix for advice on how to handle the resolution. The Team Toolkit suggests using Wisinski’s A-E-I-O-U Model for effective conflict resolution. In order for a team to successfully resolve conflict they must understand the apprehension the team members are experiences. The A-E-I-O-U Model is a tool that provides the team with a way to communicate concerns efficiently and provides helpful alternative actions. The steps and explanation of the A-E-I-O-U Model are as follows: A—Assume the other members mean well. E—Express your feelings. I—Identify what you would like to happen. O—Outcomes you expect are made clear. U—Understanding on a mutual basis is achieved. The first step, A, requires a belief that other group members are willing to cooperate. Such a belief could be expressed as follows: “I know that all of us want this project ...