| Chapter 20. Team conflict management | ||
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 | Part III. Teamwork |  |
| Chapter 20. Team conflict management | ||
|---|---|---|
| | Part III. Teamwork | |
Table of Contents
As it has been explained in a previous document, team work may go through a conflict phase. These conflicts may have a low intensity and are solved within the team, or quite the opposite, the are so big that some special measures are required.
The two most effective means to solve a conflict in a team are: early detection and fluid communication among team members. That is, talk with no limit about the potential problems in the team to be able to anticipate them, and talk to all the members at once. Although the project is short and just putting up with the problem until the end seems a reasonable strategy, a timely conversation may improve significantly the teamwork.
The “hitchhiker”. This situation has been described in an article that you read in the previous activities. There is a person in the group that despite saying the he/she has a full commitment with the group, there is always an excuse and the performance is systematically low. There always multiple things that are before the team work.
Recommended actions:
Read carefully all the available information about the “hitchhiker”
You need to arrive to an agreement with the group members about the next objective.Also, define which are the tasks associated to each of the group members. Stablish realistic dates to finish these tasks.
Write down all the agreement in an e-mail and send it to all the group members including the teacher.
If the “hitchhiker” does not accomplish the assigned task, send an e-mail to the teacher explaining the situation.
Lack of integration. A team member is not fully integrated in the team. It could be because there are other members that are friends, or this person is difficult to talk to. It is a conflict easy to solve improving the communication within the team. Nobody is to blame, a more fluid communication among team members is required.
Recommended actions:
Read carefully all the available information about the “lack of integration”
Describe the facts in an objective way, avoiding the personal interpretations. Theoretically, if the facts are presented in an objective way, they cannot be discussed and they set the basis for the next phases of the process.
Express, in a direct way, your feelings about these facts. Since the feelings are subjective, they cannot be discussed.
Try to express clearly what you expect from the rest of the group members.
Describe the positive consequences of your proposal.
The “machine”. There is a team member that has a more advance knowledge than the rest. He/she is upset because the rest of the team is not following him. The rest of the team is upset because he/she is too independent. This conflict has also an easy solution. The more advanced person has to refrain from doing more than his/her job, and focus on helping the teammates to understand the entire project, but never going beyond his/her duty. The rest of the team must help guarantee that this is true.
Recommended actions:
Read carefully all the available information about the “machine”
At the begining of each group meeting, every group members should explain what s/he has done. Be sure that everybody understands.
Avoid, as much as possible, to use knowledge (for example, functions) that have not been seen in class. I you are using them, make an special effort to be sure that everybody understands.
No one have to do the work assigned to another group member.
Different objectives. This is one of the most common anomalies. In a team there are persons that are happy if the project has enough quality to pass the grade, together with persons that want to achieve the highest possible grade. After a few weeks these differences translate into a bad atmosphere in the team. Those members that want a better project are upset because they are not reaching the objectives, and the rest are also upset because of this attitude. The solution is to sit down and exchange opinions to find the middle ground for these different objectives.
Recommended actions:
Read carefully all the available information about “different objectives”
Decide with all the group membersthe level that you expect to achieve. Take as the basis the minimum requirements asked in the porject/practice.
Distinguish between the minimum group requirements and the minimum individual requirements.
You should arrive to a consensus about the objectives and requirements.
If you cannot arrive to a consensus, contact the teacher.
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| 19.9. Activities |  | 20.2. When everything else fails |