Collaboration within and between teams is an essential facet of organisational life in general and change management in particular. So as a change leader it is helpful to have a basic framework for resolving conflicts within work place teams.
Conflict within teams is natural
Conflict of opinions is inevitable and healthy and necessary to the overall effectiveness and productivity of the team. Team members will have strong opinions with each proponent of a particular perspective having their own carefully considered logic and business case. But team members will also have strong feelings and emotions - especially in the context of a change initiative. It is important to allow the expression of strong opinions and feelings but in a way that minimises destructive conflict arising from polarised positions and escalating tension and disagreement.
Clarify the terms of reference of the team
It may sound obvious but clear terms of reference for the team will go a long way to mitigating destructive conflict. This should include a clear statement of: the purpose of the team; methodologies, tools processes that will be used; time scales; clearly defined individual roles and responsibilities; ground rules and guidelines for participation and behavioural expectations; and defined processes for conflict resolution. Underlying all of this is the understanding and agreement that whilst conflict is inevitable it will be depersonalised.
Depersonalising conflict within teams
The key to depersonalising conflict within teams is focus. Focus on issues and ideas not personalities. When conflict arises acknowledge that it exists. Broad principles for depersonalising conflict within teams are:
# To encourage team members to seek to keep focused on the issues
# To criticise and question the ideas and not the person in discussion
# To understand all angles of the other person's perspective
# To try to see it from the perspective of the other person,
# To identify areas of common ground
Arriving at a shared perspective
Here is an approach that I recommend to building a shared perspective. It is based around 3 core concepts and a process comprising a series of structured steps.
The 3 concepts are:
(1) Our aspirations: What crying need does this idea satisfy? What's vitally important about this? Does this connect with the bigger picture beyond this immediate task or situation?
(2) The "necessary and sufficient" actions that are needed to achieve those aspirations. These "necessary and sufficient" actions can be defined as actions that focus on all aspects of what's required to achieve anything - and in a way that is very clear and operationally effective.
(3) The limitations, constraints and externally imposed conditions over which we have no control. These limitations are circumstance, factors and issues - that may be arbitrary, unfair, unrealistic - that we may not like, that we may fundamentally disagree with - that are immovable - that are non-negotiable - that we cannot change and have no control over - that determine the environment in which we (a) either accept and work within to fulfil the "necessary and sufficient" actions to deliver our aspirations, or (b) reject, remove ourselves from the environment and work elsewhere
The process is a facilitated process where each team member presents to the group their aspirations and the rest of the group listen quietly and without interruption. In preparation, each person prepares a short informal presentation of their idea, including their view of the impact on their idea of working within the limitations and conditions imposed on the group, and on a scale of 1 -10 (with 10 being highest) what is their realistic "wish list" of "10 rated" "necessary and sufficient" actions to achieve their aspiration. Whilst each person is presenting their idea, the rest of the group make notes and ask themselves the following questions:
# What negative reactions am I feeling to each of my other team members' aspirations?
# How would I edit or change their aspirations so that I am comfortable with them?
# How will my other team members feel about my edited version of their aspirations?
# How can I edit or change my edited version of their aspirations so that they will be comfortable with it (and so that I am still comfortable with it)?
# What is the impact and effect on my aspirations (especially the bigger picture aspects that transcend me) of working within the limitations, constraints and externally imposed conditions over which we have no control?
# What is the impact and effect on my aspirations (especially the bigger picture aspects that transcend me) of not working within the limitations, constraints and externally imposed conditions over which we have no control?
# Am I prepared to accept and work within these limitations or not?
# On a scale of 1 -10 (with 10 being highest) what is my realistic "wish list" of "10 rated" "necessary and sufficient" actions to achieve my aspirations?
# What negative reactions am I feeling to each of my other team members' "wish lists"?
# How would I edit or change their "wish lists" so that I am comfortable with them?
# How will my other team members feel about my edited version of their "wish lists"?
# How can I edit or change my edited version of their "wish lists" so that they will be comfortable with it (and so that I am still comfortable with it)?
After an agreed interval the facilitator asks each group member to re-represent their amended ideas and wish lists of necessary and sufficient actions. All agreed aspirations and actions are brought together as combined team aspirations and actions All points where there are still negative reactions are submitted to the above process until there is agreement. There is sharing of views re impacts of working within limitations or not.
All team members are identified who are prepared to work within the limitations. Individual "offline" discussions are held with any team members who feel they are not prepared to work within the limitations and if agreement cannot be reached they are asked to leave the team.
Find out more about: Conflict Resolution Tips.
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