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Teamwork Turmoil

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TEAMWORK TURMOIL: A Case Study Conflict is inevitable and at times stimulates beneficial or creative thinking. Often conflict is a signal that people are miscommunicating and making different assumptions about what has gone unspoken. The conflict in itself is not the problem. It is the team’s reactions to it that determines the impact, thus causing it to be a negative experience. Conflict or divergence can be destructive or it can be constructive. It is up to the people involved in the conflict to manage the outcome. This gives them an opportunity to articulate their assumptions and figure out a way to come to agreement. In a learning team situation, conflict can arise when the original agreement to work together does not address …show more content…

Delery avoided the conflicts among the group by remaining unusually silent through much of the class and by changing the subject when Prasad and Griffin began to argue. Avoiding or denying the existence of the conflict does not cause it to go away. However, there are times when avoidance is appropriate in the team situation. When the situation gets out of control and emotions are running high, avoidance may be the best approach. Delery gives in and accommodates the others idea to continue the takeaways. This approach is appropriate when the person accommodating does not view the matter as important, or when it is for the group harmony than for an individual perspective on the topic to prevail. Ideally the team would collaborate to find a resolution that satisfies the needs of everyone involved. It requires creative and cooperative efforts. The biggest roadblock to collaboration usually is the amount of time and energy it requires. Collaboration is generally effective when the team has sufficient time to fully explore the needs, perspectives, and preferences of all team members, and when 100% commitment from each person is needed to accomplish team goals (Wisinski 1993). Not everyone on this team is totally committed to the process. The mentor of this group has not provided them with the guidance to manage their conflicts. For this situation, it is best to reschedule the team meeting so that people can collect their thoughts, approach the

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