Stage 3 Storming:The role of positioning, power, influence, and

conflict in teams

Agenda

• Handbook project

• Overview of storming

• Team-building & conflict styles

• Conflict dialog

• Conflict styles

• Stages, effects & interventions

• Team time on Handbook

• Team processing

Q:

• What is the storming stage?

• Why does storming usually follow Forming?

• What characterizes this stage (describe behaviors)?

• What does the team learn during this stage?

• Are there any benefits to conflict?

• What can happen if this stage is not successfully resolved?

http://store.teambuildinginc.com/items/team-profiles~assessments/team-conflict-strategies-inventory/list.htm

Beliefs about conflict…

• Conflict is generally negative and destructive• It is better to ignore small problems• Recognizing conflict can make it increase• Problems will work themselves out• Conflict is the result of bad management• There are usually single, simple causes of conflict

What are your associations to the word, “conflict ” ?

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument:5 styles of conflict

Conflict Management Plan

Low Moderate High

Conflict Level

What are the characteristics of this level of conflict?

What are the effects of this level of conflict?

What are options for dealing with it?

The Cost of Conflict

• Over 65% of performance problems result from strained relationships rather than skill or motivation problems • The amount of managerial time spent dealing with conflict was 30% in 1976 and 42% in 1996 • Amount of time wasted during conflict can be as high as 50% of gross salary, defending, avoiding & venting • Chronic unresolved conflict is a decisive factor in 50% of people leaving, and 90% of involuntary terminations • Projected costs should include estimates of wasted time, reduced decision quality, loss of skilled employees, restructuring, sabotage, lowered motivation, lost work time, and health costs, loss of innovation & initiative.

When it really gets bad…

• In 1994 18 million cases were filed in US courts at a cost of $300 billion

• 20% of Fortune 500 executives’ time is spent on litigation related activities

• Average cost is $80,ooo per case for wrongful discharge and employment related suits

• The number of employees seeking help for work related conflict went from 23% in 1999 to 30% in 2001; employees seeking help for harassment tripled

• Total value of lost worktime estimated due to conflict is $1.7 billion (Health & Wellness Research Database, 2005)

• Presenteeism— when employees who have intent to turnover do not leave the company, but remain with low morale, low productivity, and affect others; 3x higher than absenteeism

• Conflict accounts for up to 90% of involuntary departures; retraining costs 1.5x salary,

e.g., as a result of poorly managed conflict an employee leaves the company

e.g., how long will it take a new employee to be integrated productively into a conflicting team

e.g., unpleasant work environment when conflict becomes enculturated

The Effects of Unresolved Conflict

Outcomes of Conflict: The Good, Bad and Ugly

• clarify important issues & concerns• abilities and potentials surface• motivate people to do better• provide creative, constructive, innovative ideas• stimulate energy• require new decisions & rules• generate changes to prevent future disputes• facilitate understanding of people & problem• increase trust and improve relationships

The good…

• consumes time & energy• takes people away from primary tasks• promotion of self interest at expense of organization• stress induced illness• lower morale, sabotage, polarization, job dissatisfaction, loss of productivity, apathy, etc.

and the Bad & Ugly…

Teambuilding & conflict style

awareness

Types of conflict

Level of conflict

• Your style• Interaction of

styles• Implications of

styles• Plan for dealing

with conflict

• Facts (easy)• Methods• Goals• Values (difficult)

• Problem to solve• Disagreement• Contest• Fight/flight• Intractable

What you need to know

Conflict Management Skills

Effectively Managing Team Conflict

Tompkins observed that successful learning teams went through a four-stage process before they achieved collective or organizational learning. The four stages were collaborative climate, collective understanding, collective competency, and continual improvement. Successful groups cycled progressively and sequentially through each stage. However, if a critical event or factor was not achieved, teams “stalled” in the process or cycled recursively to an earlier stage.

Establish trustDifferences complementDisagree without personal attacksBe direct, not behind backs

Understands goalsConvergent purposeChamp refocus on issues not peopleGatekeeperTeam advocateWeigh pros and cons

Learn from mistakesNo blameDevil’s advocate/challengerQuestion methods/meansHigh work flow

Anticipation of strength/weaknessesConflict clarifies issuesDebate & dialogue

Methods

Conflict Analysis

• Concisely describe the conflict situation (who, what, sources of conflict, stage, symptoms, etc.)

• Describe the dynamics of the situation that enabled the conflict to emerge and prevented it from resolution (history, norms, stakeholders, crises, etc.)

• Identify what efforts toward resolution were attempted (what worked and didn’t, why?)

• What would you recommend (do what, with whom, your rationale)