CONFLICT: RESOLVING DISPUTES IN YOUR GROUP

CHAPTER SIXJocelyn, Rachael, Steve, Todd, Sarah, Jordan and Paul

AGENDA 1. Welcome and introduction 2. Goals+objectives of this lesson plan 3. Desirable forms of conflict 4. Dangerous forms of conflict 5. Class Activity (seated) 6. Conflict Styles/Handout 7. Group skit activity 8. Assertive Communication (handout) 9. Mediation (handout) 10. Group Knot and Discussion 11. Quiz+Treats 12. Conclusion

Goals + Objectives•To demonstrate and explain different conflict

styles that can take place in a group setting.

•To demonstrate withdrawing, forcing, smoothing, compromising and confronting (5 conflict styles)

•To demonstrate and explain effective conflict resolution skills in group setting

•To explain six effective resolutions /rules for managing conflicts in groups.

Conceptual Conflict

Necessary Group members critically challenge

one another’s thoughts and ideas Beneficial to a groups success Should be promoted and encouraged Leads to great ideas and productivity

Desirable Form of Conflict

Examining their ideas, NOT attacking the person

Important…

Successful teams should strive to create an atmosphere in which members feel comfortable challenging the ideas of others.

You should also feel comfortable with group members challenging your own ideas

Some people might take criticism of their ideas to heart

Might be viewed as a personal attack May be unable to make the separation from our

ideas and our personality This could turn into a personality conflict Conceptual conflict requires us to be mature

and confidant – detach yourself from your ideas The person doing the criticism must also be

mature enough to do it in a constructive manner

Negatives To Conceptual Conflict

Productive vs. Unproductive

Conflict in Groups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ggykHMpEhE

Dangerous Forms of Conflict

Personality Conflict

• Conflict that is rooted in differing personality traits of group members.

• Someone might want to enjoy the social aspects of the group while the other likes to be productive rather than just social

• This can negatively affect a groups performance

• Solution: Effective conflict management

Resource Conflict

• When a group lacks the necessary resources to do the work and

disagreements arise as a result

•Group members forced to compete with one another for available

resources

How would you resolve this kind of conflict?

Status Conflict

•Occurs when members of the group compete for recognition

•Can be confused with power conflict as it usually happens together

•All about recognition and being known

Activity #1: Conflict Questionnaire

CONFLICT STYLES

The manner in which a group member

typically engages in disputes with others

THE TURTLE

•Doesn’t like to engage in conflict.

•“Withdrawing”

•Low value on personal goals and maintenance on relationships.

•In conflicts turtles care little for self goals or the group.

•Extreme case: Would be 0.0 on the grid.

•Just like a turtle, these people pull their heads in to avoid conflict by removing oneself from the situation completely.

•Regular turtle like behaviour is unhealthy.

•A passive approach to group work rarely works.

•Turtles lack assertiveness that is important to maintain mature relationships

•A group of turtles is not likely to be very productive and will never become an effective team

THE SHARK

•“Forcing”

•Like a shark they apply force to come out on top

•Will do anything to accomplish personal goals

•Cares little for relationships

•Extreme case: 10 on horizontal axis, 0 on vertical

•Intimidation

•Threatening behaviour

•Detrimental to the group

•Would be the dominator or Aggressor (negative group roles)

•A group full of sharks would destroy one another and never become a full team.

Don’t Be A Shark!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjgO3D8lwS4

The Teddy Bear

“Smoothing” – to maintain harmony

Might do anything to maintain a relationship – even giving up their own goals.

Preserve the relationship at all costs Extreme case: 0, 10 position on grid Unhealthy if typical behaviour A group of teddy bears may not be

able to develop mature relationships that result in team productivity.

The Fox

•“Compromising”

•Gives up something to get something in return

•In conflicts, the fox has concern for his/her own goals as well as concern for the relationships

•Both parties usually gain something – win/win situation

•Compromising is essential in group work – reasonable way to deal with conflict.

•They usually take a 5.5 position on the grid

•Neither aggressive nor passive

•Rationally self interested

•Calculate possible gains and losses and act in self interest

•Group of foxes could be an effective team but would most likely fall short on team spirit and group cohesion

•The fox and compromising is a better option than the previously mentioned – but not the best!

The Owl

•“Confronts”

•Confrontational behaviour leads to ideal solutions to conflict

•To confront: Face up to and deal directly with a problem or situation

•Achieves win-win solutions

•Owls try to achieve their own goals while trying to strengthen relationships

•Owls take 10.10 position on grid

•Ideally we should be owls all of the time!

•Owls are assertive rather than aggressive

•Altruistic

•Seeks their own self interest as well as the groups

•A group of owls become a true team, practising constructive confrontation and collaboration

•Gets the job done while having a mutual respect for one another

•Get into groups of 7-8

•Each group will have 10 minutes to work out a 2-3 minute skit that they will perform

•You have to portray whichever animal(s)/conflict behaviour the teaching team gives you – without saying the actual term to the other groups. You may get more than one animal!

•You will act the skit out for classmates and classmates will have to guess which behaviour(s) your group is trying to portray

GROUP SKITS!

ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

Refer to Handout

MEDIATION

Refer to Handout

Group ActivityApply What You Have Learned!

Conflicts and resolution (mutual respect) Healthy conflict (conceptual) Dangerous conflict 5 conflict styles/behaviours (animals) Confronting: Best way of the “owl” to

resolve disputes Respect and Assertive communication 6 rules for managing conflicts effectively Mediation Process

SUMMARY

REFERENCES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTs5H7b5K9I&feature=related

TEAM RAMROD JEOPARDY