CONFLICT

CONFLICT

Conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests or something or someone that you or both are against. A conflict can be internal (within oneself) or external (between two or more individuals). (1)

As group tasks and activities get under way, it is almost inevitable that problems of one kind or another will confront the group. These may be internal problems (i.e. whatever impedes the group's own functioning) such as absenteeism, dominance by a few members, unresolved conflict in discussion, lack of contribution by some group members; or external problems (i.e. whatever impinges on the task) such as insufficient information and inappropriate or lack of technology.

Conflict must be effectively handled in order for it not to be a barrier to progress, a cause of destruction of the group or a source of physical or psychological damage to an individual. Conflict can occur between people (one-to-one) or between groups (one-to-many or many-to-many). Internal problems seem to be one of the main causes of many group conflicts.

Relating the topic to our group project, if we have a conflict of some sort, e.g. who is to do what by when, we intended to try and not argue about who is right and who is wrong. We look at the reasons why people feel the way they do and then go from there in trying to resolve their problem. Although we haven’t really come across many problems, I believe this is all because we resolved little things quickly & in the same way stoped it from becoming a major problem. If we go off track the leader steps in, if leader goes off track then we all step in with our opinions. We try to discover what needs and interests are at the basis of person’s demands in order to determine the real problem. Very often it is a minor problem that can be solved to mutual advantage if it is dealt with openly & quickly. The aim was not to wait for a little issue to escalate to a bigger problem/conflict when it can be resolved shortly with everyone’s cooperation.

People often assume that the problem with their team is that there is something wrong with one of the other team members. If you separate the people from the problem and then look for creative solutions to the substantive problems, win-win solutions can often be found. This will enable the person having a problem feel supported & at the end that person is likely to come up with great ideas that others couldn’t think of.

When it came to delivering our ideas, we approached it in a brainstorming session. We listened to all the wild & crazy ideas before we assessed their merits and determined if it was relevant to our project. We as a group don’t dismiss anything initially as we can do that later once a better idea comes up. It worked well for us because we have a number of options to choose from. This gave us more ideas and approaches to discuss before choosing which idea fits best into our mutual group goals.
References:
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
2) http://www.beyondintractability.org/user_guides/students/?nid=6577