Team conflict x 2 - Essay Example

Team conflicts Team Conflicts Question Conflicts are natural to any situation in which a group of individuals work as a team and handle different assignments. The task of the team leader is to ensure that conflicts are foreseen and avoided in a manner that fosters team spirit and goal realization. This essay discusses issue of conflicts, contributing factors and signs that help to foresee conflicts.In order to be able to foresee potential conflicts it is important to understand the contributing situations/causes that lead to conflicts.

These are: ‘peer to peer’ and ‘boss to subordinate’ situations at personal level, and differences due to conflicting interpretation of the team goals. Personal level conflicts arise due to temperamental differences, competitive attitude, egocentric bias etc. While in the case of peer to peer relations, personal interests get involved, in the case of boss to subordinate relations, conflicts would lead to underperformance and disobedience. Relational conflicts are easy to foresee as individual attitudes get easily noted as potential threats; failure to meet milestones in a time-bound manner is a sure sign of team conflict, arising mainly out of differences in goal interpretation and ways to achieve same.

Conflicts play an important role in generating new ideas and hence all conflicts are not necessarily undesirable. A task may be performed in different ways and if a team member believes that there is scope for improvement in the way it is being done at present and hence voices his/her opinion, even though it may lead to conflict with colleagues or the team leader, such conflicts are to be assessed for the overall benefit to an organization, setting aside individual ego problems. Thus it is not appropriate to create an entirely sterile atmosphere that Team conflicts 2might lead to choking of new ideas.

Team spirit arises out of accepting the value of contribution of each individual to the common goal.Question 2 myThe issue here is the insecurity and jealousy of the team mates vis-à-vis Vladimir and his superlative achievements. A reading of the case history clearly points to the fact that Vladimir is not averse to adjust himself to his work situation, his colleagues are not unappreciative of his talents and that given a helping hand, the situation can be brought under control. As the team leader, first task would be to settle the dispute before it escalates any further.

I would call for a group meeting of my team in which Vladimir and his distracters take part. In the meeting, I will unequivocally condemn the incident and elaborate on the dire consequences that would follow if the issue is taken to its logical conclusion through a police complaint etc. Following this reality check, I would ask Vladimir’s colleagues to spell out their grievances openly and cite any instances when Vladimir really ill-treated or insulted them. This would force unburdening of real and imaginary grievances on one hand, and help Vladimir to know the depth of antagonism that his superior attitude (however justified) is generating among his colleagues.

That he displays such an attitude is clear from the message left on his car or at least that is the perception among his colleagues. Vladimir has been ready to adjust himself, we are told, and this means that there is an element of misunderstanding on both sides for which there was no opportunity for resolution through bringing the conflict into open. Hence, the suggested group meeting and open exchanges from both sides are the right solution to resolve the conflict and foster team spirit.