COM325 - Communication and Conflict

All teams go through developmental stages when they first begin working together. Leaders must understand the potential conflicts that may occur in each stage of team building and strategies that can help resolve those conflicts. The following is a post from my COM325 - Communication and Conflict course at Ashford University explaining my thoughts on conflict management in teams.

* * *

Conflict Management in Teams

 

When new groups are pulled together, they go through developmental phases as they get to know each other. These phases are forming, storming, norming, performing, and finally the termination phase (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). 

Conflicts can arise in each of these phases and a good team leader will be prepared to manage these conflicts. 

Forming

In the forming phase, the team begins to build relationships and roles. Each person has to figure out where they fit in the group, what the goals are and whether they agree with them. Conflicts can arise if there are competing personalities or if someone disagrees with the team goals. The leader must manage these differences effectively by encouraging participation from everyone and not allowing someone else to take control. 

If the leader is successful, the team members will develop a sense of loyalty, want to stay in the group, and be willing to work hard to make the team successful. To help everyone through this stage, the leader can have everyone introduce themselves, explain what they do, and what strengths they feel they bring to the team. The leader can explain that all opinions are important, set rules and guidelines that everyone agrees to, and maintain control of the meetings. 

Storming

Once the team members begin to identify with the group, the storming phase begins (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). The team members still may not feel a sense of unity around its purpose at this time. 

Group members need to feel a greater sense of trust, interdependence and purpose in order to make it through this stage. If they do not, conflict can arise because they may feel they lack the ability or desire to perform the tasks. 

If the team does not trust each other, feel like they can count on their peers, or do not understand the purpose during this phase, the leadership will fail. The team leader can use strategies in this phase to build a sense of unity by pairing up individuals to work on specific tasks together. This will help the individuals become interdependent and encourage teamwork.

Norming

If the team is successful, they can then move on to the norming phase. This is the phase where things start to run smoothly. 

The team falls into a pattern of behavior which allows the group to figure out how it can function more effectively (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). The team is able to work individually on certain tasks and united in other tasks. The team members learn each others strengths and weaknesses. 

When conflicts arise during this phase, the team members are able to solidify their roles and responsibilities which prepare them for a higher level of productivity in the next phase (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). The leadership strategy needed during this phase is to let the team continue to work and be there to help them when things start to stall or reverse.

Performing

The next phase is when the team is performing like a well oiled machine. They are focusing on tasks, solving problems and issues and accomplishing goals.

There is still conflict during this stage but it serves to enhance team performance by allowing them to problem-solve, address potential solutions, and attain consensus much quicker (Cahn & Abigail, 2014). 

A good leader during this phase will be there to encourage continued communication and help remove any roadblocks that may occur. 

Termination

Lastly, there is the termination phase when either the group effort ends because the project is over, or some members leave and get replaced by new members. 

The conflicts that can occur during this phase include group members not wanting to move on, newcomers beginning back at the forming phase, and the newcomer encountering uncertainty from senior members (Cahn & Abigail, 2014).

The team leader can use previous strategies from the forming stage to welcome the newcomers to the group. He or she can give a gift or hold a celebration lunch for those leaving the group. A lunch can also be held if the whole team is being disbanded to say thank you and let them know how much they are appreciated. 

This brings closure and helps individuals move on.

Reference

Cahn, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2014). Managing conflict through communication (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.