Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution Strategies
Conflict and resolution are a vital part of any project. Conflict is a catalyst of change and is a necessary process though which decisions are made. Decisions made through conflict resolution or problem management have the power to alter a project for the better or worse, therefore it is essential that a team employs conflict resolution strategies throughout a project’s lifespan. By integrating a process driven system of conflict resolution, teams can ensure they are dealing with the most important issues as they arrive and stay on target of attaining the goals of the original project.
Effective problem resolution strategies exist in many forms for various projects. This paper focuses on conflict resolution in a professional corporate team environment. The strategies presented in this paper are designed to increase communication between team members in a constructive and open fashion, fostering increased conversation and thinking among members of the team. This paper also looks at the conflict of emergent problems and presents a strategy to manage this type of conflict. Finally, this paper examines why critical thinking skills are crucial to a problem or conflict resolution strategy.
Defining the Issue
Diagnosing a situation and deciding how to proceed is the heart of problem management or conflict resolution. Concise, intelligent definition of the issue at hand is imperative if a solution is to be found which will be beneficial to the team environment. According to Interact Performance Systems (1999), there are four principles to adhere to when communicating a problematic situation to a team they ar ...