Displays communication and conflict management in a meeting setting

1. Presenters:
Amanda Morrison
Jennifer Guerra
Communication and
Managing Conflict

2.  Communication is key to a teams ability to function
 Strong communication leads to improved team function
 Creates an atmosphere of trust
 Develop collaborative environment
 Creative problem solving
 Poor communication leads to team dysfunction
 Reduced team cohesion
 Poor Decisions
Flow of a Team’s Communications
(Levi, 2015, p.108)

3.  Can be positive or negative in terms of creating defensiveness
 The way a message is delivered will determine whether the focus
is on what was said or how it was said
 Defensive climates shift focus from the task
 Team members focus on defending themselves
 Information becomes distorted
Communication Climates
(Levi, 2015, p.114)

4.  Superiority vs Equality
 The presenter in the clip belittles Josh when he talks down to him
after he asked a question.
 This attitude could be why most of the individuals in the room
seemed afraid to speak up
 His demeanor could have very easily caused the meeting to end with
a bad decision being made
 The leader in the room saves the situation by recreating a feeling of
safety among the team
Communication Climates- Connection
(Levi, 2015, p.114)

5.  Leaders play a key role in creating psychological safety
 Invite feedback
 Show openness
 Encourage members to speak-up
 Leader in the movie clip
 Asks Josh to explain what he does not understand
 Demonstrates he is willing to opposing view
 Expresses that he is pleased with the development of the new ideas
Psychological Safety- Connection

6.  Trust both relies on communication and improves
communication
 Lack of trust can breakdown positive relationships
 Increased trust encourages cooperation
 Trust develops psychological safety
 Climate where members feel free to give feedback, raise issues, admit
mistakes and ask for help without facing negative consequences
(Levi, 2015, p.112).
Communication and Trust

7.  Ask questions
 Open ended questions inspire conversation
 Give time for others to respond
 Listen Actively
 Paraphrase what you have heard- ask if this is correct
 Demonstrate the you want to understand what is being said
Communication Skills in Meetings
(Levi, 2015, p.122)

8.  Give Constructive Feedback
 Both positive and negative can be beneficial
 Don’t be judgmental
 Manage Feelings
 Stay neutral
 Try to understand feelings
 Process feeling is the group
Communication Skills in Meetings
(Levi, 2015, p.123)

9.  Josh asks the initial question to start the discussion
 He listens actively but the presenter does not fully answer his question
 He again asks for clarification
 The leader in the room also opens up dialog by asking an inquiring
question.
 Josh is constructive in his criticism, and also offers an alternative.
 Josh does not get his feelings hurt or hurt others in the process
Communication Skills- Connection

10.  Conflict can be either negative or positive
 Negative conflict creates barriers that impede a groups ability to
accomplish its task
 Positive conflict is productive and inspires creativity and innovation
 How conflict is managed will determine if the conflict is negative
or positive for the group
Conflict Management
(Levi, 2015, p.141)

11.  Cooperative style
 Focuses on solution
 Solutions are good for both the individuals and the team
 Encourages communication
 Looks for new approaches for creative solutions
 Competitive Style
 Focuses on the individual
 Discourages communication
Conflict Management
(Levi, 2015, p.141)

12.  There is a cooperative approach used to resolve the conflict
 The focus is on how the toy could be made more entertaining
 Communication is encouraged as new ideas are presented and
feedback is provided
 In a short period of time creative solutions are presented
 Example: Transformers for girls using lady bugs
Conflict Management- Connection

13.  Communication both verbal and non-verbal creates the environment
for the group
 Failure to communicate effectively and professionally can stifle
creativity
 Positive communication builds trust that will encourage participation
from all of the team members
 Conflict can be either positive or negative
 The leaders ability to manage the conflict will determine if the
conflict improves productivity or weakens the group
Conclusion

14.  Levi, D. (2015). Group Dynamics for Teams, 5th Edition. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
 Marshall, P. (Director). (1988). Big [Motion Picture].
References