No one told me that is semester at Bradley would be the semester of groups! I have 5 classes this semester, and out of those 5, 4 of those have groups. That means I have to work with 9 different people and 9 different points of view. Now this may seem like a nightmare, but in reality it is not half bad. I mean yes sometimes differences of opinion, working styles, and personalities can make things a little difficult but nothing too horrible. One class I am taking is called Leadership & Behavior and we literally just sit and talk about just that leadership and behavior. Something I've learned after being in this class for over 2 months now, is that whoever your leader is can really change the group dynamic for better or for worse. With that said, it is important to remember that a team is still a team not the leader doing everything and the other members just sitting there in the background. Everyone’s behavior can change the way the group works, thinks, and managements conflicts.
Luckily, all of my groups are pretty easy going and we can agree on almost everything even if there is conflict. Now when you first hear the word conflict, you probably think it's always bad but in truth there is such a thing a good conflict. Think about it without conflict, everyone would be the same, think the same, and do basically everything the same. How boring right? Good conflict needs to happen in groups, but it is your leader's job to make sure that good conflict management is put in place. According to my lecture from Leadership & Behavior, this is a model teams can follow to help resolve conflict:
1. Define the Situation.
a. Talk about what is going wrong and why things are the way they are
2. Share Personal Impact
a. Let each member of the team tell how this conflict is changing the way they see the group or how it is effecting them when the group is working
3. Express Overall Effects
a. Write down a list of things that have been effect by this conflict like group dynamic, work ethic, and cohesiveness.
4. Present Desired Alternatives
a. Come up with ways to resolve the conflict such as accommodating, compromise, or collaboration
This model may not work in every situation but it’s at least something to try. The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and it’s important to discuss difference. Being a leader is more than just telling people what to do, it’s about being able to influence a relationship among yourself and the team members, keeping an open mind, listening, and being understanding. Next time you have a problem even if it’s with a friend, give this a try and see what happens!
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