Today's Leadership Practice, or essential focus area for leaders of all stripes is that of conflict. As today's opening quote from Susan Gekrke illustrates, conflict is an inherent part of teams today. In fact, for many teams what helps them thrive is this ability to work through conflict, and work across differences.  Conflict, and different ideas, and different perspectives, often allows for more creative solutions, which as we know is necessary in so many instances  today.

Conflict resolution is a skill set which many team leaders struggle with -either because they have not seen it modeled well themselves, they lack skills in this area, or it may be due to their own mindset around conflict.

In addressing any conflict at the team level it can be important to start by exploring several questions including;

What is this conflict about? What's at the core of it? Conflict is created for many reasons. It may be part of the natural "Storming stage" when teams form. As Bruce Tuckman found decades ago, teams move through a storming stage which is characterized by both overt, and subtle, conflict. This exists in virtual teams as well. As team members try to figure out how they fit in and why they exist as a team, conflict is a natural bi-product. Where conflict gets tricky is when teams don't see this as the natural part of team development, they don't have skills to move through it, or they see it as dysfunctional.
Conflict can also be created due to lack of resources, and information. This is an different scenario.
Conflict may also emerge due to different styles and approaches. this is one of the most common ones that I experience with teams that I work with. At the core of this is often creating a common framework and language to understand the differences which exist on the team, and learning to understand how to adapt our own approaches to work more effectively with others.
If you are facing conflict in your team right now, what's at the root?

What's our common ground? In most conflict models which exist today part of moving to an understanding and then resolution of the situation is understanding what your common ground is about. If the conflict is between two people, or two groups, what is the common ground? What is the one thing (or things) you both are working towards?

What's at stake? In exploring conflict, it's also important to understand more fully from all parties involved, what is at stake? If this issue is not resolved, what will happen? Usually in exploring what's at stake, some important clues, and conversation areas come to light.

What can we do to create a win-win? With many instances, it is important to find a solution which creates a win-win for the parties involved. For other issues it may be ok to accommodate to the other if the issues and outcome is more important to them, or if that relationship is more important for us to maintain. 

Helping team members understand their natural approach to conflict is an important part of the process. Do we naturally compete? Do we naturally accommodate? Against the back-drop of working with teams and their development, this is another key area for exploration between leaders and their teams. It may be an area you want to reach out for support around. I know in my work as a team coach and team developer, this is an area we often get many requests in.

What are the other questions you want to consider in exploring conflict?

Best
Jennifer

It is Friday which means that it is time for another Flashback Friday. One of the themes this week here at the blog has been around Conflict. In light of April's focus on better teamwork, teams often struggle in the area of conflict.

Today's post takes us back to a short post #Teams365 #510 where we explore some of the different ways team members may be a approaching conflict, based on how important their relationships or results may be. Take note of these:

Our ability to work through differences and conflict is a key skill for leaders and team members. What we know from research is that complimentary skill sets often make a team strong. In saying this, it may mean that we have different styles which exist, which means that what we value and how we interrelate with the world is different.

What is your natural style in navigating conflict? Different conflict models may have different names for these but we may demonstrate one of many styles including:

Accommodate  - Often when the relationship is important but the results are not we will accommodate to enable the other party to have their preferred outcome. In accommodation the other party wins, at our loss.

Compromise – Compromise may be important when the outcome is important for both of us, as is the relationship. In compromise, I win some and you win some, but neither party really win.

Avoid – There are instances where it makes sense to avoid conflict and sweep things under the rug. The challenge and danger with this over time is that the issue can fester, and the small minuscule issue can grow into an elephant. Where is may be appropriate to avoid conflict is when the issue is not important and the relationship is not important. IN avoiding I lose and you lose.

Collaboration - Collaboration takes time and may be the preferred solution when relationships and results are both important. Not every situation warrants collaboration, and as Morten Hanson writes in his books, Don’t collaborate just for collaboration’s sake. While collaboration often takes more time, it can be the best outcome. In collaboration I win and you win.

Compete – We may choose to compete to achieve an important outcome when the results are key and the relationship is not as important. When competing we need to be aware of when it becomes too aggressive. In competition I win and you lose

As you consider these five different styles, what are examples of each one and how you and others would benefit from adopting that approach? When might the approach be beneficial?

 For those interested in learning about their own style or supporting team members in this area, one interesting online resource I found was Conflict 911.com/resources

Conflict in teams is an everyday occurrence and it can be like an Achilles heel – the thing that brings a team down.
Conflict in teams can emerge for many reasons including:

• Competing demands
• Unclear roles
• Lack of clarity around where we are going – our vision, our goals

Regardless off the source of conflict, becoming more proficient and confident in navigating conflict is very important.
In navigating conflict, you will want to consider these questions:
What is more important here - the end result or the relationship? This will influence everything from our stance and approach to conflict. For example, if the end result is really , really important in the short term I may adopt a stance of competition where I do everything I can to “win” at the other’s expense. If the relationship is more important because I need to work with this person, or team, on a regular basis, then I may choose to collaborate. In collaborating, I may let the other party win or spend more time
What do I know about how I approach conflict? We each have our own unique approach to conflict which also shapes how we view conflict. Many team members may have been socialized that conflict is not a bad thing. In fact, part of the team development process is the storming stage where a team needs to figure out who they are, what is important and how they want to operate. That stage is naturally conflict ridden.
It can be important during the storming stage for team members to be aware of their natural approach. Are they more conflict avoidant – i.e. preferring to sweep it under the rug, or are they more head on with conflict – i.e. raising issues and placing them on the table to immediate exploration.
What is the common ground we share? A third essential area to consider when thinking about conflict in teams is What is the common ground we share. Helping people find that expanse where they do align is critical for conflict resolution. It may only be a small sliver, but helping people see the area in which they align is core.
Supporting teams through conflict.
There are some specific things we can do when supporting teams through the choppy waters of conflict. Consider these next time you are working with a team:
Normalize it. A natural part of the formation of groups and teams is conflict, and the recognition of differences. Helping teams understand that they are not alone can be useful in taking off some of the pressure of the thinking that “they are all alone”.
Give time for the team to work through it. It takes time and space to have these conversations. Prioritize this as something which does need time.
Consider the resources which will support you as a team around this. Having a common framework and skills you can all use in navigating conflict supports the process of resolution. If people don’t know how to have the conversation around conflict it can be challenging. Consider investing resources in some skill development for the team, and/or bringing someone in who can help you with this.
Focus on supporting enhanced self-awareness in the team – In today’s teaming environment we all benefit from enhanced self-awareness. Awareness around how we naturally approach work, our styles, as well as our approach to conflict. Many times teams may be experiencing conflict due to differences in work styles. If you have some team members who are driving for results, and working to get things done quickly, whereas others want to make sure things are done correctly, conflict is likely. Helping team members understand their natural style can be of great benefit, and may reframe differences to simply differences, rather than something which is wrong or a problem.
Consider the end result. Sometimes it is very easy to get mired in our own perspectives, and what needs to happen. Helping team members reconnect with the end result is critical for success. Connecting with the bigger picture, also helps team members find those slivers, or 2%’s, where they do align.

What is important for your team to notice about conflict? What's the issue they need to work through?

Have  wonderful start to your week,
Jennifer