Project Management 8. Managing Project Conflict

Week 8

Q Why is learning about conflict management relevant? A To help develop and facilitate leadership, team building, performance management, and conflict management skills in an IT environment

Q

Why is learning about conflict management relevant?

A

To help develop and facilitate leadership, team building, performance management, and conflict management skills in an IT environment

Required reading: Darling, J., & Walker, W. (2001). Effective conflict management. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 22 (5), 230-242. Retrieved February 10, 2006 from: http://faculty.business.utsa.edu/dwalz/Classes/S2003PhD/Articles%5CMISQ%20Barki%202001.pdf Recommended reading: Cadle & Yeates, 2004, Ch 23.

Required reading:

Darling, J., & Walker, W. (2001). Effective conflict management. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 22 (5), 230-242. Retrieved February 10, 2006 from: http://faculty.business.utsa.edu/dwalz/Classes/S2003PhD/Articles%5CMISQ%20Barki%202001.pdf

Recommended reading:

Cadle & Yeates, 2004, Ch 23.

Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress

Nature of Conflict

Responding to Conflict

Handling Grievances

Emotional Stress

Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 4 4

Nature of Conflict

Responding to Conflict

Handling Grievances

Emotional Stress

Conflict is a form of relating or interacting where we find ourselves (either as individuals or groups) under some sort of perceived threat to our personal or collective goals. These goals are usually to do with our interpersonal wants. These perceived threats may be either real or imagined (Condliffe, 1991, p3). Conflict

Conflict is a form of relating or interacting where we find ourselves (either as individuals or groups) under some sort of perceived threat to our personal or collective goals.

These goals are usually to do with our interpersonal wants. These perceived threats may be either real or imagined (Condliffe, 1991, p3).

Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Project Sources of Conflict (Thamhain & Wilemon)

Sources of Conflict

(Bisno)

Project Sources of Conflict

(Thamhain & Wilemon)

Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence

Sources of Conflict

(Bisno)

Biosocial

Personality and interactional

Structural

Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Bisno’s Sources of Conflict ( Condliffe, 1991 , p6)

Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence

Sources of Conflict

(Bisno)

Biosocial

Personality and interactional

Structural

Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence Project Sources of Conflict (Thamhain & Wilemon) Project schedules Project priorities Workforce

Sources of Conflict

(Bisno)

Biosocial

Personality and interactional

Structural

Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Project Sources of Conflict

(Thamhain & Wilemon)

Project schedules

Project priorities

Workforce

( Nicholas, 2001 , p519)

( Nicholas, 2001 , p519)

Components of Conflict

Components of Conflict

Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve) Components of Conflict

Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve)

Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests Components of Conflict

Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss Components of Conflict

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve) Components of Conflict When you have to deal with conflict tackle the emotional issues first then address values and interests

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss

Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests

Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve)

Consequences of conflict

Good Consequences of Conflict

Good Consequences of Conflict

increased creativity

increased creativity

It forces people to clarify their views

It forces people to clarify their views

It can produce constructive social change

It can produce constructive social change

It gives people the opportunity to test their capacities

It gives people the opportunity to test their capacities

development of group and organization cohesion

development of group and organization cohesion

Bad Consequences of Conflict

Bad Consequences of Conflict

Violence

breakdown of relationships

polarization of views into static positions

A breakdown of collaborative ventures

destruction of communication

Groupthink

Groupthink is a tendency for strong conformity pressures within groups to lead to the breakdown of critical thinking and encourage premature acceptance of questionable decisions Groupthink

Groupthink is a tendency for strong conformity pressures within groups to lead to the breakdown of critical thinking and encourage premature acceptance of questionable decisions

Lack of conflict is a sign of over conformity.

Lack of conflict is a sign of over conformity.

It is unhealthy when there is no conflict

It is unhealthy when there is no conflict

You need diversity of opinion

You need diversity of opinion

Consequences of conflict

Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 3 3

Nature of Conflict

Responding to Conflict

Handling Grievances

Emotional Stress

Conflict Handling Styles Avoiding Compromise Competition Accommodation Collaboration

Conflict Handling Styles

Avoiding

Compromise

Competition

Accommodation

Collaboration

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Which conflict handling style will you use? Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

Which conflict handling style will you use? Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict You should use different styles depending on the problem – and get there by using your ability to read situation

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

You should use different styles depending on the problem – and get there by using your ability to read situation

avoiding accommodation competition compromise collaboration

Characteristics ignoring conflicts and hoping they’ll go away putting problems under consideration or on hold use of secrecy to avoid confrontation appeal to bureaucratic rules Avoiding When to use Trivial, small/unimportant issue no perceived chance of resolution To allow a cool down period To allow others to resolve the situation

Characteristics

ignoring conflicts and hoping they’ll go away

putting problems under consideration or on hold

use of secrecy to avoid confrontation

appeal to bureaucratic rules

When to use

Trivial, small/unimportant issue

no perceived chance of resolution

To allow a cool down period

To allow others to resolve the situation

Characteristics negotiation looking for deals and trade-offs finding satisfactory or acceptable solutions When to use goals are important, but not worth effort opponents with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals achieve temporary settlements to issues arrive at solutions under time pressure back-up to collaboration or competition Compromise

Characteristics

negotiation

looking for deals and trade-offs

finding satisfactory or acceptable solutions

When to use

goals are important, but not worth effort

opponents with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals

achieve temporary settlements to issues

arrive at solutions under time pressure

back-up to collaboration or competition

Characteristics create win-lose situations use of power plays forcing submission When to use quick, decisive action is vital, very important unpopular actions eg. cost cutting issues are vital to company welfare against people who take advantage of non-competitive behavior Competition

Characteristics

create win-lose situations

use of power plays

forcing submission

When to use

quick, decisive action is vital, very important

unpopular actions eg. cost cutting

issues are vital to company welfare

against people who take advantage of non-competitive behavior

Characteristics giving way submission and fulfillment When to use find you are wrong issues more important to others than yourself maintain cooperation build social credits for later on minimize loss harmony and stability are important allow team members to learn from their mistakes Accommodation

Characteristics

giving way

submission and fulfillment

When to use

find you are wrong

issues more important to others than yourself

maintain cooperation

build social credits for later on

minimize loss

harmony and stability are important

allow team members to learn from their mistakes

Characteristics problem-solving carriage tackle differences sharing ideas and information seeing problems and conflicts as challenges When to use find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are important objective is to learn Collaboration

Characteristics

problem-solving carriage

tackle differences

sharing ideas and information

seeing problems and conflicts as challenges

When to use

find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are important

objective is to learn

2 Methods for Resolving Conflict in a team Role Clarification Technique (RAT) Intergroup Conflict Resolution

2 Methods for Resolving Conflict in a team

Role Clarification Technique (RAT)

Intergroup Conflict Resolution

Role Clarification Technique (RAT) This is a systematic procedure which involves all team members understanding the requirements of their of own and everyone else's position, duties and expectations You’ll need to clarify roles for team and individuals; for example via questionnaires (or for project teams - RAM matrices!)

Role Clarification Technique (RAT)

This is a systematic procedure which involves all team members understanding the requirements of their of own and everyone else's position, duties and expectations

You’ll need to clarify roles for team and individuals; for example via questionnaires (or for project teams - RAM matrices!)

Intergroup Conflict Resolution Each group should prepare list of what they would like the other groups to start doing, stop doing, and continue to do. This list narrows he scope of the dispute and makes it easier to work on the core problems.

Intergroup Conflict Resolution

Each group should prepare list of what they would like the other groups to start doing, stop doing, and continue to do.

This list narrows he scope of the dispute and makes it easier to work on the core problems.

Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 2 2

Nature of Conflict

Responding to Conflict

Handling Grievances

Emotional Stress

What is a Grievance?

What is a Grievance?

A grievance is any behaviour or action of another member or members of a team, which has or is likely to have an unreasonable negative impact on the ability of a team member to undertake their duties

A grievance is any behaviour or action of another member or members of a team, which has or is likely to have an unreasonable negative impact on the ability of a team member to undertake their duties

Most grievances are never raised with management Why?

Most grievances are never raised with management

Why?

Lack of trust Our complaints are trivialized No action gets taken! They only take defensive action

What you should do?

What you should do?

Listen Discuss Plan

Listen

Discuss

Plan

Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 1 1

Nature of Conflict

Responding to Conflict

Handling Grievances

Emotional Stress

Stress

Stress

What is Stress? A pattern of emotional states and physiological reactions occurring in situations where individuals perceive threats to their important goals that they feel unable to meet (Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p257).

What is Stress?

A pattern of emotional states and physiological reactions occurring in situations where individuals perceive threats to their important goals that they feel unable to meet

(Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p257).

Effects of Stress Physical illness Lack of sleep Reduction in task performance Poor quality decision making

Effects of Stress

Physical illness

Lack of sleep

Reduction in task performance

Poor quality decision making

Causes of Stress in Projects Long hours Tight schedules Transient work force High risks Work overload Role uncertainty Social relations

Causes of Stress in Projects

A Stress Survey How many of these for you in the last year?

How many of these for you

in the last year?

( Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p238 )

Stress Management 1. Organizational Level 2. Individual Level

Stress Management

Stress Management at the Organizational Level setting reasonable work plans and schedules delegating responsibility and increasing independence clarifying responsibilities, authority, and performance criteria clarifying goals, procedures, and decision criteria giving consideration and support in leadership

Stress Management at the Organizational Level

setting reasonable work plans and schedules

delegating responsibility and increasing independence

clarifying responsibilities, authority, and performance criteria

clarifying goals, procedures, and decision criteria

giving consideration and support in leadership

Stress Management for the Individual stress management program relaxation training diversions from work-related problems

Stress Management for the Individual

stress management program

relaxation training

diversions from work-related problems

Review Conflict is the opposition of people or forces that develops into an aggressive state or action. Sources of IT project conflict includes; schedules, priorities and workforce issues. Conflict can be good and bad. Conflict handling styles include; avoiding, compromise, competition, accommodation, and collaboration. Grievance handling strategies include; listen, discuss, and plan. Not dealing with grievances can be harmful to projects. Work environment improvements and reducing stress is essential to a team’s health and the success of the project.

Conflict is the opposition of people or forces that develops into an aggressive state or action.

Sources of IT project conflict includes; schedules, priorities and workforce issues.

Conflict can be good and bad.

Conflict handling styles include; avoiding, compromise, competition, accommodation, and collaboration.

Grievance handling strategies include; listen, discuss, and plan. Not dealing with grievances can be harmful to projects.

Work environment improvements and reducing stress is essential to a team’s health and the success of the project.

References Condliffe, P. (1991). Conflict management – A practical guide . Collingwood, Vic.: RMIT. Greenberg, J. & Baron, R. (1993). Behavior in organizations (4 th ed.). Syd., NSW: Allyn and Bacon. Nicholas, J. (2001). Project management for business technology – Principles and practice (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Condliffe, P. (1991). Conflict management – A practical guide . Collingwood, Vic.: RMIT.

Greenberg, J. & Baron, R. (1993). Behavior in organizations (4 th ed.). Syd., NSW: Allyn and Bacon.

Nicholas, J. (2001). Project management for business technology – Principles and practice (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

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BetterProjects.net Title page pic care of Helico & CC @ Flickr

Title page pic care of Helico & CC @ Flickr