Friendly competition between subordinates can be a spur to effort and development if it is open competition, i.e. everyone has a chance to win in return for the required effort, and the target is realistic. It can add spice to work but like any other spice must be used sparingly and with care or conflict could be the result and the goal will become personal one upmanship rather than consistent achievement for the whole team.
Too much competition can exacerbate situations which have a potential for conflict. There are many, but the following are common. Do they exist in your department?
1. Unclear or overlapping functional boundaries, which may lead to power struggles and conflict over work territory.
2. Unclear goals, which can lead to disputes over direction, as well as the means of getting there.
3. Insufficient resources, lack of understanding of their means of allocation, or unfair distribution may result in wasteful wrangles over who gets what.
4. If values are not made clear and are not shared and regularly reinforced, conflict may arise over determining standards and priorities.
5. Ambiguity in performance measurement may lead to disputes over levels of reward and comparability of workloads.
6. Incompatible personalities, which can create havoc and also bring out latent conflict in any of the situations above. But personality clashes are more often the symptom of other underlying of conflict than the only cause. Problem may unexpectedly recur after the departure of the trouble maker.
7. Poor communications, resulting in uncertainty, gossip and misinformation.
It is not possible to eliminate conflict, it seems to be part of the human condition. Managed effectively it can even have advantages, such as bringing chronic problems into the open, creating the energy to work through difficult issues, clearing the air to make way for better understanding, and stimulating articulate debate on a point of disagreement.
But these advantages only accrue if the conflict is managed in the early stages. Potential conflict that is not recognized and handled positively when the symptoms first appear can be destructive and completely displace the objectives of the workplace.
Staff development is particularly vulnerable to the destructive effects of conflict, because it depends on good working relationships and an atmosphere of trust and sharing between subordinates as well as between subordinates and their boss. Once uncertainty, suspicion and taking sides intervene in relationships, everyone is too preoccupied watching the space between their shoulder blades to seek out opportunities for developing their own skills and those of other around them.
To maintain a mutually supportive atmosphere which encourages development and makes destructive conflict less likely, manage conflict for positive results as early as s possible. Create a working environment in which mutual support is openly valued.
Managing conflict positively required a detailed understanding of your team and the work they do so that you can be aware of latent conflict and recognize its expression at the earliest opportunity. It also requires good communication and interpersonal skills, whatever the cause.
But don't attempt to rush in and solve every dispute that erupts between your employees. You may have to begin the process by counseling the disputants, but they will learn better how to resolve their own differences and achieve greater mutual understanding if you suggest ways in which they could handle the situation, rather than give a summary arbitration. Imposed solutions invariably leave at least one loser, who will be a latent source of conflict for the future.
Too much competition can exacerbate situations which have a potential for conflict. There are many, but the following are common. Do they exist in your department?
1. Unclear or overlapping functional boundaries, which may lead to power struggles and conflict over work territory.
2. Unclear goals, which can lead to disputes over direction, as well as the means of getting there.
3. Insufficient resources, lack of understanding of their means of allocation, or unfair distribution may result in wasteful wrangles over who gets what.
4. If values are not made clear and are not shared and regularly reinforced, conflict may arise over determining standards and priorities.
5. Ambiguity in performance measurement may lead to disputes over levels of reward and comparability of workloads.
6. Incompatible personalities, which can create havoc and also bring out latent conflict in any of the situations above. But personality clashes are more often the symptom of other underlying of conflict than the only cause. Problem may unexpectedly recur after the departure of the trouble maker.
7. Poor communications, resulting in uncertainty, gossip and misinformation.
It is not possible to eliminate conflict, it seems to be part of the human condition. Managed effectively it can even have advantages, such as bringing chronic problems into the open, creating the energy to work through difficult issues, clearing the air to make way for better understanding, and stimulating articulate debate on a point of disagreement.
But these advantages only accrue if the conflict is managed in the early stages. Potential conflict that is not recognized and handled positively when the symptoms first appear can be destructive and completely displace the objectives of the workplace.
Staff development is particularly vulnerable to the destructive effects of conflict, because it depends on good working relationships and an atmosphere of trust and sharing between subordinates as well as between subordinates and their boss. Once uncertainty, suspicion and taking sides intervene in relationships, everyone is too preoccupied watching the space between their shoulder blades to seek out opportunities for developing their own skills and those of other around them.
To maintain a mutually supportive atmosphere which encourages development and makes destructive conflict less likely, manage conflict for positive results as early as s possible. Create a working environment in which mutual support is openly valued.
Managing conflict positively required a detailed understanding of your team and the work they do so that you can be aware of latent conflict and recognize its expression at the earliest opportunity. It also requires good communication and interpersonal skills, whatever the cause.
But don't attempt to rush in and solve every dispute that erupts between your employees. You may have to begin the process by counseling the disputants, but they will learn better how to resolve their own differences and achieve greater mutual understanding if you suggest ways in which they could handle the situation, rather than give a summary arbitration. Imposed solutions invariably leave at least one loser, who will be a latent source of conflict for the future.
