Original Question - By now, your team will be showing signs of success or conflict. Which approach in Chapter 7 in Figure 7.1 do you think is the best approach to resolving conflict? Do you think it depends on the personalities involved?

Initial Post - People generally have misconceptions on conflict believing that it must be avoided and that it is a sign of bad relationships. Conflict is necessary for a team to be successful. It is through conflict that a team truly changes and adapts towards the problems they are facing. And it is through differences of opinions that a team can construct ideas and resolve problems. My team needs to feel free to express ideas and contradict people when necessary. We must focus on the problem itself and on not making arguments in a personal fight where there are winners and losers. The reason why focusing on winning and losing is detrimental is because in that competitive process the wellbeing of the group and their members is ignored. Therefore, the team must focus on the wellbeing of the team, to do so problems must be solved by getting into an agreement that best works for the team.

To effectively resolve the wellbeing of the team we must understand that through a conflict we will hear someone's perspective which may add up to our thinking. If people in a team are stubborn and are not willing to change their minds or to listen to other members then the discussion will turn into a win-lose situation where the teams wellbeing is ignored. I think the basics of good communication within a conflict are the same independently of the personalities of team members. However, we must take note of individual personalities because these differences can get communication misinterpreted. We must remember that people do not see the world through our eyes therefore we must clarify ourselves when we feel we have been misinterpreted. Discussions also are an excellent tool to clarify misunderstanding if conducted well.

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