Constructive Management of Team Conflict
Team B: Becky Bailey, Candi Donaldson, Yolanda Fogg, Robin Hull and Robert White
Kaplan College

Constructive Management of Team Conflict

Team B’s initiative is not to focus on personalities or personal opinions but to focus on the facts presented for discussion. Many times debates occur and last longer than needed because the facts are not fully presented or the focus is not clear. If facts are presented this will give individuals an opportunity to analyze the information and move towards better decision making. The team can cut down on interpersonal conflict if the team develops a culture of emphasizing discussion of facts. In an article by Eisenhardt, Kahwajy and Bourgeois III, describes six tactics for managing interpersonal conflict: work with more information and focus on the facts, developed multiple alternatives, share commonly agreed-upon goals, use humor in the decision process, maintain a balanced power structure, resolve issues without forcing consensus (Eisenhardt, Kahwajy, & Bourgeois III, 1997, p. 403). We will discuss all six of these tactics. Focus, the more information you have, the less likely you are to focus on personalities. This information will keep you on track with up to date issues and not give you enough time to attack your team mates. Facts depersonalizes the discussion because they are not someone fantasies, guesses, or self-serving desires. Building decisions on facts creates a culture that emphasizes issues instead of personalities. Multiply the alternatives, teams with low incidences of interpersonal conflict develop multiple alternatives. Working together to sort through the alternatives enhances teamwork. They deliberately develop multiple alternatives, often considering four or five options at once. There are several reasons why multiple