Team Dynamics as a Strategy for Conflict Resolution

Team Dynamics as a Strategy for Conflict Resolution

  • Submitted By: mckinneydt
  • Date Submitted: 02/14/2009 10:17 AM
  • Category: Business
  • Words: 1244
  • Page: 5
  • Views: 666

Team Dynamics: Conflict Resolution Strategies

heavyd

University of Phoenix

Team Dynamics: Conflict Resolution Strategies
Conflict resolution is a vital part to the success of a team or group project. One must take into account that each team member will more than likely come from differing experience, skills, background, and education. These differences will almost always lead to varying opinions about the task at hand. Conflict isn’t always detrimental to a team, since change and decisions are often a byproduct of a successfully resolved conflict. Conflict management is essential for a team to develop strategies for dealing with conflict throughout the life of the project. This paper will focus on how to recognize the different types of conflict, understanding the conflict, the effects of unresolved conflict, and different strategies to successfully manage and resolve conflict. Once a team understands that conflict is inevitable, and they have a system in place to manage these problems as they arise, then will the team be able to perform and remain productive. Effective conflict resolution is imperative to the overall success of a team.
Conflict is defined as the disagreement and disharmony that occurs in groups when differences are expressed regarding ideas, methods, or members (Engleberg, 2003). Conflict can be either constructive or destructive to the team. Constructive conflict is occurs when members disagree on a problem yet are able to look at that problem with an open mind and work together to achieve a common goal. Destructive conflict often can be extremely detrimental to the group. It happens when a disagreement occurs and the team falls into a more hostile and closed minded frame.
Often the personalities, emotions, and preferences of the team members overshadow the common goal. When this happens, the team will possibly become paralyzed, morale and performance will both begin to suffer, and the team will become unable...

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