Thomas Capozzoli wrote, in Conflict Resolution - A Key Ingredient in Successful Teams, ".

Winters

Article Summary

Thomas Capozzoli wrote, in Conflict Resolution – A Key Ingredient in Successful Teams, “although many people and organizations view conflict as an activity that is usually negative and should be avoided, conflict is a natural result of people working together” (Capozzoli 14). Capozzoli agrees with many other writers concerning the team concept, in which people tend to disagree from time to time. Conflict disrupts situations when the members of the group are unable to manage the situation correctly. When members of a group are unable to communicate, then the possibility of a productive outcome will drastically decline. Capozzoli attempts to educate team members with the knowledge of conflict resolution. The ability to understand the nature of a conflict, its causes, and resolution strategies will allow individuals to handle their situations in a positive manner.

In its simplicity, conflict is not visible until people make it so by arguing or fighting. The ability of people to manage and resolve the conflict determines whether the conflict is destined to be destructive or constructive. How, considering the management of the conflict, does the team or team members react regarding the effects of the conflict, whether positively or negatively? If effectively managed, conflict affects the team positively by means of individual and group gains. Conflict allows room for people to change and grow personally by allowing the individual to accept and resolve a situation without negativity. As pertaining to the group, conflict builds cohesiveness amongst the members and those affected by the conflict in general. On the other hand, conflict can emphasize negativity to everyone involved. Examples of what can go wrong if teams improperly handle conflict are the eradication of individual or team morale, unclear assignments, missed schedules, or an overall lack of focus within the team.

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There are several factors that can manipulate a team's effectiveness, ranging from individual values to resources available to the team. Unfortunately, an individual is at fault more often than any external reason. Individuals within a group may intensify certain conflicting issues due to their differing cultural values, attitudes, needs, or personalities. “Conflict often results when we fail to check our perceptions and assumptions about the other party’s attitudes and motives” (Thompson, Aranda, and Robbins 238). Each member’s perception and expectation of a conflicting issue may also result in negative teamwork. People, in general, do not see eye to eye and can cause friction within a group setting. Do not forget that when any kinds of resources are scarce, conflict will eventually happen within the group. Let us not focus all the blame for conflicts on an individual, without realizing that external factors can influence a group also. The availability of resources can have an effect on the team’s ability to function at a productive pace.

How does one reach conflict resolution and is the process useful with all conflicts? According to Capozzoli, there are six processes that “will help team members to engage in productive conflict resolution” (Capozzoli 15). First, the team needs to explore the reasons for the disagreement, which involves identifying specific factors that caused the conflict. Secondly, alternative solutions need to surface. Team members should present their solutions to the problems at hand and spend an appropriate amount of time on each response. The application of negotiating techniques allows the team to agree on the most appropriate solution to the issue at hand. Once the best solution is identified, then the team must implement the plan. In order for the implementation of the plan, the team members need to understand their responsibilities within the group solution. The last two processes of Capozzoli’s conflict resolution entertain the notion of evaluation and practice. For the success of the resolution, the group needs to formulate a set of guidelines to evaluate the solution. If the solution fails the evaluation, then the group should prepare a second solution to resolve the conflict. Last, but not least, practice makes perfect. The only way to handle such a situation in the future appropriately is to recognize what works and what does not.

This article stressed the concerns of team members entering a group setting. I recognize many of the causes of conflict from experiences from my past. In the past, many teams that I was involved in argued not over the assignment, but over how the assignment was completed. Each individual expected the task to follow a certain guideline, but no two individuals were on the same page. Reality sets in when the group is too busy arguing over protocol, rather than agreeing to a compromised set of guidelines that will allow the team to complete the assigned tasks. Unfortunately, the team was unaware of any type of resolution strategies and continued bickering, which resulted in a failed project. More often than not, individuals are confined in spaces that they are unwilling to be in, such as teams. Individuals do not realize that they are there to engineer a product for future success, not taking the team concept and turning into a dictatorship. Everyone in the group has knowledge needed for the success of the team, but conflicts strain relationships, which hinder any success within the group. In the future, I am taking this knowledge conflict resolution into my working environment in order to alleviate any difficult situation within a group.

It is important for an individual to realize that the team, if properly managed, can make exceptional progress towards a constructive goal. Understanding the nature of conflict, the causes, and resolutions allow teams the ability to trust in each other to reach a common goal. After all, that what educators and businesses want from their assembled teams, a creative and productive refined product.

WORKS CITED

Capozzoli, Thomas K. “Conflict Resolution – A Key Ingredient in Successful Teams.”

Supervision v60 n11 (1999): 15.

Thompson, L., Aranda, E., & Robbins, S. Tools for Teams: Building Effective Teams in

the Workplace. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2000.