ME3101 / ME3102

Mechanical Systems Design

Chapter 4
Conflict Resolution Techniques
What is conflict?
Characteristics of conflict

Conflict occurs when people disagree on
something
Conflict is inevitable when people work in
groups
Conflict can result in advances, or set the
team back

Learn how to manage conflicts!!
Team conflicts
Managing team conflicts
can be hard due to the
following:

1. The sheer number of people
2. Lack of ground rules
3. Personal bias
4. Poor communication
5. Digressions
Conflict Resolution Styles
There are 5 primary styles of
conflict resolution:

1. The Turtle: Avoidance
2. The Teddy Bear: Accomodating
3. The Shark: Competition
4. The Fox: Compromise
5. The Owl: Collaboration
The turtle
Characteristics:

Manages conflicts by avoiding it.

In times of stress, a turtle withdraws
from it, or retreats.

Believes that it is impossible to resolve
a conflict
Advantages:

It is better to let trivial matters slide
than magnify it

When resolution achieves little

When others can resolve the conflict
better than you can
Disdvantages:

Inability to achieve self
satisfaction
Conflicts remains unresolved
Sense of helplessness
The Teddy Bear
Characteristics:

Values the interpersonal relationship
more than the issue at hand

Wants to be well liked by others


Advantages:
Minimal loss of social credits

Lesser loss of time when faced with
time constraints

More well received by other people
Disdvantages:
May not be the style to achieve
the best results

Very difficult to achieve
personal goals

Might result in unsatisfactory
working relationships
The Shark
Characteristics:

Strong wish to achieve personal goals

Values goals more than personal
relationships

Tends to be highly aggressive
Advantages:

Best used in situations where
unpopular but critical
decisions have to be made

Cuts down on time losses,
thus ideal in situations when
faced with time constraints
Disdvantages:

Builds resentment

Others members might feel
undervalued

Loss of social credits

The Fox
Characteristics:
Meets the other party halfway to end
in a win some, lose some situation

Goals and social relationships are
equally important

Time consuming style

Willingness to give up on less
important points
Advantages:

Both parties attain strategic
goals while forgoing the less
important ones


Disdvantages:

Often is a time-consuming
process to achieve a decision
whereby both parties can meet
half-way

Loss of lesser concerns might
build some resentment.


The Owl
Characteristics:

Believes that collaboration is the best
way to achieve goals, together

Solutions are agreeable to all

All perspectives and grounds are
covered
Advantages:

Little or no build up of
resentment

Very comprehensive
solutions can be arrived at

True learning can be
achieved through sharing

Disadvantages:

Extremely time consuming
style

Almost impossible when faced
with a time constraint



Avoid committing these!
Contempt
Symptoms:

Verbal attacks on a person aimed to
devalue self worth

Sarcasm

Facial expressions such as eye rolling
Solutions:

Do not make snap judgments about a persons character; Address the
behavior instead.

Think positive! Most often, if you think a person is bad, you will
perceive his actions negatively.



Unhealthy Criticism
Symptoms:

Unconstructive statements such as You
never think about others!

Statements designed to make another
person feel bad without offering
resolution
Solutions:

Deliver statements with tact

Used I statements rather than You statements. (Eg. I feel ignored when
you do that)

Never deliver criticisms in public

Be constructive! After-all, youre trying to help your team mates become
better
not all criticisms are bad. Only unhealthy
ones are
Defensiveness
Symptoms:

A tendency believing that he/she is a
victim , and making excuses for own
behavior

A reluctance to accept blame and
responds to criticisms negatively
Solutions:

Take it easy! Try to understand from the other partys perspective, and
respond accordingly.

Understand that the other person is trying to help, and make an effort
to reach and understanding with each other.

Recognize that the project is as equally important to your team as it is
to you, and that he/she has a right to partake in the decision making
Stonewalling
Symptoms:

A behavior whereby the person
retreats/becomes absent from the
conversation

Actions such as breaking eye contact, not
responding verbally or even physically leaving
Solutions:

Most people stonewall when they are
emotionally overwhelmed. Take a break to let
the negativity tide over.

Re-approach the issue again differently with
more tact. As you do not expect different results
using the same method.
In conclusion
Establish:
Ground rules of engagement
with each other and to the
project
Realistic expectations of each
other

Practice:
Respect for team members
Good conversational techniques
Good body language