Using Team Building to Resolve Conflict

Using Team Building to Resolve Conflict

BUS 610 Organizational Behavior

Karen Ivy

April 22, 2012

Using Team Building to Resolve Conflict

Conflicts exist every day in most organizations producing either positive or negative outcomes. Although there are many ways to resolve conflict, the Nominal Group Technique is a method for achieving a consensus of positive results for an organization. Conflict resolution skills in team building develop when team members receive guidance and communicate, interact, negotiate, and provide feedback effectively. While primarily a tool for problem solving, the Nominal Group Technique provides a means of collaboration in assisting with conflict. Using collaboration in this manner results in team building, which increases the relationships within the organization and in turn increases productivity.

Conflict

One definition of conflict is “mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands” ("Conflict," 2012). The positive effects of conflict include agreement between entities, stronger relationships, and learning. “Conflicts can focus attention on problems that need to be solved and can energize and motivate team members to solve them” (Johnson & Johnson, 1975/​2009, p. 370). The negative effects of conflict can include placing blame on others, unnecessary delays, or in extreme situations violence. The goal of conflict resolution is to take a conflict that can have negative results and turn it into a positive situation for the organization and those involved.

Conflict can arise from unclear boundaries within the organization, inadequate communication, unclear policies, cultural diversity and unresolved or suppressed conflicts to name a few. Managers can be proactive and reduce group conflict by basing decision making on majority approval (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009, p. 278). While not everyone within the organization will be happy with the...