Looking at team working, the impact on colleagues and conflicts within the work place.

Team working and integration (security digital transformation and cloud based tools)

Most personal work independently but within a team, group or department
A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, committed to a common purpose
Payroll, Accounts department and the Production team

or

DevOps, networking,  software developer and web team

Advantages of team working

Additional resources
Provides extra skills, time, information and ideas
Inspiration 
Help generate ideas, problem solving
Compare individual’s ideas and viewpoints to influence others 
Motivation 
Help and support given can give additional motivation and team satisfaction
Communication 
By talking, allows others to identify how their tasks can be dependent on others and vice-versa
Help to solve issues /problems
Synergy (process of working together)
People working together can result in accomplishing more

Disadvantages of working together

Can cause friction and conflict 
Different skills and personalities 
Different working styles 
Conflict can result in poor efficiency
Decision making can take longer due to the number of people involved in the team

Working as a team

Effective team working requires: 
Mix and balance of people in the team 
Required skills, knowledge and experience that can contribute to the tasks 
Strengths and weaknesses within the team
Identify the individuals role within the team
The importance of each contribution, from the very small to major roles within the team
Clear shared objectives and performance feedback 
Team must have well defined purposes and objectives
Well understood purpose and objectives which apply to all team members

Ensure members are working together to same goal or individual targets to achieve main goal
Each member has clear set responsibilities (as agreed)
Team receive regular feedback
Information on progress/ result
Correction or adjustment to performance
Celebrate successes
Co-ordination, collaboration and communication
Ensure members are working together or their work fits in with others work – IMPACT ON OTHERS
Information that is provided by one individual will be used by another 
Schedules and working patterns may have to be implemented (set by team leader)
Important deadlines are met, the impact if not achieved
Communication where deadlines can not be achieved, how to resolve?
How to reduce risk of conflict due to failure of communication

Impact of your work on colleagues

Members in an accounting department are generally interdependent 
Their work is linked to others 
One members output activity becomes another’s input activity 
Listing the banking receipts leas to cashier banking and posting to personal accounts 
Failure to complete will impact on other members work
Deadlines – is a set/ agreed time when a task must be completed, failure will have a knock on effect

Assistance and support
Occasions where a task can not be completed by the deadline, additional support will be required 
Support and assistance can contribute to a good working relationship and team performance unless: 
Has negative impact on other members work 
Becomes a recurring issue/pattern
Support can be personal and practical
Empathetic listening
Collaborative problem solving
Encouragement 
Constructive feedback

Being appropriately assertive
You may be required to decline a request or require support yourself. This may have to be presented in an assertive form 
There are different factors that need to be assessed before demonstrating assertiveness 
The authority of the requester making the demands
Nature of the request – is it appropriate , reasonable, best interest of the department – can a better course of action be presented 
Impact on other people and tasks – does it prevent you from meeting your deadlines
Which of the requesters has the most authority, if equal negotiate a compromise or refer to higher authority
Which is the most courteous, respectful, professional and assertive way to resolve the problem

Assertive communication
Standing up for your rights, needs and opinions without dismissing the rights, needs and opinions of others 
You have the right to say NO
State clearly and directly 
what the problem is
What you do or do not want to happen
Explain why you can not comply with the demand – impact on work or others work 
Propose alternative solutions where possible 
Invite them to make alternative suggestions

Conflict and dissatisfaction at work

Conflict means ‘the clash of opposing forces’
This includes personalities, interests and attitudes
In a working relationship or team there are likely to be disagreements  and conflicts
Dissatisfaction of work – 
unresolved issues, 
Frustrations 
Poor working conditions 
Unfair treatment
Within a workplace you should be able to handle disagreements and conflicts thus maintaining a good working relationship

Types and causes of conflict

Differences in people 
Differences in working styles 
Difference in status 
Interdependency of work
Competition between groups or departments for limited resources 
Unfair treatment
Hurtful treatment 
Differences, frustrations and competition may not lead to conflict but they can escalate or deteriorate into harmful conflict

Disagreement – you can disagree with a superior and still maintain a good working relationship 
You can try and give an opinion but if the superior does not agree, accept their authority and forget the argument
More serious conflict
Disobeying agreed rule/ procedures
Behaving in an unacceptable or illegal way
Maybe required to take the issue to higher authority known as Escalation

Effects of unresolved conflict and dissatisfaction

If conflict and dissatisfaction are not resolved can get worse and have negative impact on the team 
Individuals may become resentful, de-motivated and uncooperative – may withdraw their contribution
Cause of dissatisfaction may be barrier to effectiveness 
Unresolved conflict between individuals can result in reduction in communication, co-ordination and co-operation 
Conflict between team con cause split in team causing more hostility 
Can polarise differing viewpoints (hold extreme views) dig in heels (refuse to budge on view/opinion)
There are laws and policy frameworks for positive working relationships

Resolving conflict and dissatisfaction

Some dissatisfaction may be within your competence and authority to resolve yourself
Or resolve with colleagues and superior through informal negotiation 
Some dissatisfaction may be beyond your competence and authority- take to line manager or supervisor who maybe able to resolve issue
May have to approach other appropriate persons – upwards in chain of command

Conflicts you can resolve yourself 

Can be managed informally 
Problem with someone
Attempt informal discussion 
Clear up miss-understanding 
Incompatible working styles 
Take to supervisor 
Excess work demands 
Take to supervisor 
Conflict with person in higher authority 
Discuss with someone in higher position in organisation 
Use formal channel (grievance procedures)

Where issues are incompatible, parties may need to work together to explore a range of options that would partially satisfy parties
Called Negotiation 
Give/ concede something that other party wants in return you get something you want 
Process of bargaining commonly called ‘win win’ solution 
Win win model -3 basic ways to work out conflict
One party gets at the expense of the other party ‘win lose’
Compromise solution is found, so neither parties get what they wanted ‘lose lose’
Both parties work together to understand each others needs & concerns, create options to get both parties to what they really want
If personality clash arrange way to limit the persons working together 

Referring conflict upwards

Conflicts and dissatisfaction can be resolved with the individuals involved 
Others may be beyond your authority or ability 
Report incident/ conflict to senior person
They may be able to resolve /make decision 
Be in position to enforce rules and procedures 
Be more persuasive (job position)
If issue with own line manager/ supervisor problem has to be taken up the line to immediate manager – think wisely!
The effect on working relationship 
Have strong reasonable case, supported evidence

Formal Grievance procedures

Where matter is more serious, more formal approach is required 
Grievance is formal complaint by individual who feels they are being unfairly treated 
Involves 
Harassment & bullying 
Unfair or discriminatory treatment by manager
Sex
Race
Disability 
Unfair work load being given to employee 
Employee being unfairly blocked for promotion  
Organisation should have written Grievance Procedure communicating the method required 
Some grievances have to be sorted externally – Employment Tribunal