Meyers (1999) states, “Walls prevent accountability and kill commitment. Without accountability and commitment, you don’t have a team, and you won’t have a team.”
Team development occurs in the following phases:
• Starts as collection of individuals with the leader as organizer.
• The team must seek out common goals.
• The group then has shared leadership as the leader is fine-tuning the team. (Meyers, 1999).
Successful conflict resolution processes begin with team development in your company. Team development facilitates the processes by bringing individuals together that are working for a common goal.
As identified previously, disputes come in as many forms as there are individuals. Not all conflicts can be resolved in the same manner. Let us look at some options for conflict resolution.
When disagreements arise keep these following suggestions in mind.
• Be an active listener. Ask open-ended questions, paraphrase, empathize, reframe and summarize.
• Be proactive. Make a date for a meeting in a non-threatening environment, such as going out for coffee.
• Determine the cause of the conflict by permitting each party to describe their perspective to the situation. Ask questions such as, “I feel I have angered you. Is this true?”
• Brainstorm possible solutions.
• Negotiate a solution.
• Formalize an agreement. Put it on paper if necessary.
• Implement the solution.
• Make a date for a follow-up meeting. If the negotiated solution is not working, renegotiate.
References
Anonymous. (1999 Spring). Resolving Workplace Disputes [7 pages], The Canadian Manager. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=00000004038758&Fmt=3&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=42&Sid=1&RQT=309
Booher, D. (1999). Resolving Conflicts [ pages], Executive Excellence. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=000000041232562&Fmt=4&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=27&Sid=1&RQT=309
Cook, C. (2004 May), Rules of Engagement; Tips for playing a winning marketing game. [2 pages] Network Journal. Available: http://proquest.umi.com
DeVoe, D. (1999). Don’t Let Conflict Get You Off Course [ page], InfoWorld Publications. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=0000000043775269&Fmt=1Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=2&Sid=1&RQT=309
Jain, S. (1999). Marketing: Planning and Strategy. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.
Meyers, J.R.. (1999). To Build A Team, You’ve Got To Tear Down Walls [ pages], Purchasing. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?Did=000000043827692&Fmt=3&Deli=1&MTD=1&Idx=3&Sid=3&RQT=309
Searle, L. (2002), Has talent, needs customers. [6 pages] Strategy & Leadership. Available: http://proquest.umi.comTweet
