Team Conflict At WORK:- “It Is Good Or Bad?”

In today workforce team building is a very important skill. It is what helps everyone work conjointly and perform at their peak for a common goal. 

But, building a good team and making everyone work at par with each other is never easy. Different employees- particularly millennials who have just set foot into a new work environment want satisfying jobs. They seek work comfort where they can have a say in different matters. And more importantly, where the management and the seniors appreciate their efforts and commend them for their active participation. 

While it may seem perfectly rational, such situations are rarely under control. With every employee having a different thought process and ways to carry out their obligations, conflicts will always arise. This is where the role of a good and diligent team leader comes into the picture. 

Despite the challenges presented with working with team members having a difference in opinions, the key here is to keep every one on the same page. And, get the most out of everyone of them for the company’s scalability and profit procurement. 

This Brings To The Important Question:- “Is Conflict A Good Thing Or a Bad One?”

When conflicts happen in the right way, it can bring out the best and most productive results, not only for your team performance but for the company as a whole. Positive conflicts are where different ideas are put forward. And although the way of conveying the information may be rude, or in the form of a rowdy debacle, a good team builder should take this opportune time to listen to everyone and decide what’s the best foot forward. 

But for this to work like a charm, the role of the team builder should be to establish a culture of trust and congenial bonding (and not mutual loathing). With that, she/he should inculcate confidence in every team member to discuss their thoughts without fear of being abused, dominated or even shut out by seniors (or other members) suffering from a superiority complex. 

But there is a fine line between positive conflicts as to a negative one. And to keep the rivalry healthy, the team builder should ensure the individuals themselves confront the other party and look to sort out the conflict resulting due to their deferential views.  

Steps To Sort Out A GOOD Conflict From A BAD One:

Those who have learned from quality team building programs suggest checking these to differentiate a good conflict from a bad one.

1. Those conflicts that are irrelevant or doesn’t involve the real issue at hand can prove to be unproductive, meaningless and also harmful for your team. So, the first thing to check is whether the present conflict is solving any particular issue or not.

2. Next check if the employees are reacting properly and professionally to each other or not. If not, then it is a sign of a bad conflict. In such situations, the team builder should step in and control the entire thing.

3. Is the conflict giving rise to any new and productive ideas or not? This is another aspect that needs inspection from the concerned team builder. There are times when the same conflict is presented over and over again. And if not intervened by the team leader, the situation can potentially get ugly and even get out of hand. 

Example an employee resigning due to lack of support from her/his people around. 

Jason Rhyers:- a team building faculty member serving an institution in Gold Coast opines clearly:-

“The job of the team builder is to ensure that once a particular issue has been discussed amongst all and sundry, it should not be brought up again. 

Instead, she/he should instruct the involved party to keep those past in-differences aside so that those current issues can be discussed.”

Next aspect to check is - exactly how competitive and appreciative are the employees to each other? This is a common scene in most workplaces. And these conflicts never seem good for anyone.

Senior members (who are also considered to be top performers) get more competitive towards their average employees. And though, a little bit of harsh treatment is never bad, it is the gesture that matters. 

To control this and mould it into something positive, the team builder should set professional rules that involve:-

• No harsh behaviour towards another employee.
• No interpersonal politics or personal attacks on a particular worker.
• Restricting debates to only office ideas and concepts.

4. Finally; a team builder needs to check if the employees come to an agreement at the be-all-and-end-all-of-it. It comes as no surprise that after a conflict; the concerned employees may never see each other with respectful eyes. If they still haven’t come to a full resolution to work peacefully as professionals, then the problem at hand is bad.

What the team leader should do is speak to each of those employees separately, and try to figure out a way in which both parties feel satiated and content.

Learn To Promote Health Conflicts Within Team Members:

Every top-grade team building program in Gold Coast will state the importance of keeping conflicts at bay as much as possible. Even the smallest of ruckus between employees may take the form of something serious if left unchecked.

A true team builder- for the betterment of the company, should aim to instil trust, adaptability, flexibility in mind-set, openness and acceptance in everyone. And once achieved successfully, then, and only then will they be able to usher in positive discussions and healthy conflicts.