Group work can spark new ideas and improve efficiency and productivity, but to be successful, you have to cooperate and exhibit patience. Collaborative efforts are successful when individuals interact in a positive manner, but not when conflicts arise due to differences in personalities or perspectives. Learn how to reduce group conflict to generate the highest level of success.
Step 1
Assign a leader who is able to maintain balance and control of the group. The leader will have the responsibility of initiating meetings, assigning specific tasks and setting up guidelines for the group to follow.
Step 2
Establish the facts in a conflict. The Mind Tools website recommends gathering all the objective information regarding a problem in order for a resolution to take place.
Step 3
Deal with conflicts quickly and fairly. This lets everyone in the group know that issues will be taken care of; it instills trust in the group. Address one issue at a time so focus is not lost.
Step 4
Give each member a specified role within the group. This will acknowledge the value and talents of every member and help them to work together as a team. For example, someone who is quick with math may be chosen for the position of accountant. If a conflict arises in that area, there will be someone to handle it.
Step 5
Encourage everyone to speak up during conflicts. Ask for individual opinions on how to resolve a specific issue. This will help reduce problems that often develop in environments that are not open. Begin conversations with reluctant or shy members by addressing them personally and asking for their opinions. Praise everyone's participation and ideas.
Step 6
Change pairings to resolve conflict. Avoid forming subgroups that always consist of the same members. Cliques are likely to develop if the same people work together all the time. This familiarity can result in gossip and jealousy between factions.
Step 7
Provide specific directives for what must be accomplished. Workers need to know exactly what is expected of them, especially when there are problems. Be careful to portion the tasks as evenly as possible among the group participants so conflict about workload is reduced.
Step 8
Brainstorm possible solutions as a group. Mary Holz-Clause of Iowa State University recommends coming up with a variety of options prior to making a final decision. Consider the conflict from a variety of perspectives provided by the group members.
Tips and Warnings
- Set up a protocol for handling conflicts. This will tell group members what to expect when there is a disagreement within the group. It will also decrease the incidence of arguments.
Member Comments