Introduction
In our final project for the course of High Performance Collaboration, we explored the conflict management styles for intra-organization conflict. In particular, this individual part elaborates the conflict caused by individual difference in professional and educational background.
Difference in Professional and Educational Background in Our Team
Although three of us are in the same master degree programme, we are from different professional and educational background.
Terry's first degree was in risk and insurance management. He has been working in woven fabric business and in educational sector, and now he is working in wholesales fish market.
Mary's major in politics and administration, with secondary studies in international trade. She is proficient in languages. She has been worked in fabric and garment industry and as international trade merchandiser and export manager.
For me, Damon, my first degree was in computer science and I have been worked as IT project manager in a local financial institution.
Conflicts in Team
Let's illustrate the team conflict with how we work out the assignment two.
As Terry and Mary are working in front line business area, they tended to work in a quick way to complete the work.
For me, as I work for information technology, my style on problem solving is different, I always want to explore the details before start working on it. In addition, I will breakdown problems into sub-problems to work it out.
And I want to control the way on how we complete the assignment. I think the most important is to discuss on the ideas, however, Terry and Mary always want to jump to conclusion and finish the assignment as quickly as possible.
To resolve the conflict of controlling the completion of the assignments, I have persuaded my team to breakdown the tasks as the assignment and ask them to complete parts by parts. Therefore, I went on the discussion as below.
For me, as I work for information technology, my style on problem solving is different, I always want to explore the details before start working on it. In addition, I will breakdown problems into sub-problems to work it out.
And I want to control the way on how we complete the assignment. I think the most important is to discuss on the ideas, however, Terry and Mary always want to jump to conclusion and finish the assignment as quickly as possible.
Conflict Resolution
To resolve the conflict of controlling the completion of the assignments, I have persuaded my team to breakdown the tasks as the assignment and ask them to complete parts by parts. Therefore, I went on the discussion as below.
As a result, our discussion went on with the right track and we worked out the assignment in an organized manner.
Persuasion is a way to resolve conflict by influencing others to think or act differently. There are 3 modes of persuasion, known as Three Persuasion Clusters, ethos, logos and pathos. In our team, we mainly use logical arguments (i.e. Logos) to influence each other.
Persuasion
Persuasion is a way to resolve conflict by influencing others to think or act differently. There are 3 modes of persuasion, known as Three Persuasion Clusters, ethos, logos and pathos. In our team, we mainly use logical arguments (i.e. Logos) to influence each other.
Ethos emphasizes the image and characteristics of the messenger, as we all worked in different industry over 10 years, there is not much difference in our experience, we do not have much power over others in this aspect. While pathos emphasizes the emotions of the audience, this is not too useful in a team of academic study.
Just like the conflict resolution in the previous section, I started the discussion of assignment two with explanation of how I want the work to proceed. With my previous experience in project management, my explanation is logical to influence Terry and Mary that the assignment should be proceed in this way. Therefore, I successfully influence them.
Conflict in Real Life
Conflicts caused by individual differences in professional and educational background also appear in real life. Let me explain it through an example of IT projects in a financial institution.
In a project to implement a new financial product to the market. A team of staff from different departments were engaged for this project. The team includes staff from information technology (computer science or information system background), product development (finance background), legal (law background), marketing (marketing background) and back office operations (operation management background). All of them come from different educational backgrounds. They contribute their strength in different areas for the company. Below is the conversation of meeting.
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Product development manager: We plan to launch a new financial product to the market, please have everything ready in 3 weeks so that we can start selling the product.
IT project manager: Your idea is good, but a new system definitely cannot be launched in 3 weeks’ time.
Marketing manager: We have no idea of this product yet and how we can promote it in the market?
Legal adviser: Please make sure the product fulfill all legal and compliance requirements before you sell to customers.
Back office operations manager: What kind of support the back office should support this product? We cannot hire enough personnel in 3 weeks for this!
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In this case, most parties in the meeting could not agree to launch a new product in 3 weeks. Below are some ways of persuasion to resolve the conflict.
Resolving Conflict by Authority (Ethos)
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Product development manager: We plan to launch a new financial product to the market, please have everything ready in 3 weeks so that we can start selling the product.
IT project manager: Your idea is good, but a new system definitely cannot be launched in 3 weeks’ time.
Product development manager: Come on Damon, we must do this in 3 weeks.
IT project manager: We have a lot to do to make the system ready, 3-week is not enough. Please allow 6 weeks' time.
Product development manager: I do not agree with this.
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As Damon thinks he cannot convince the product development manager, he brings in his department head to join the meeting.
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Product development manager: Come on Damon, we must do this in 3 weeks.
Head of IT Department: We have a lot to do to make the system ready, 3-week is not enough. Please allow 6 weeks' time.
Product development manager: Ok, so let's do it in 6 weeks.
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In this case, Damon's power of expertise is not enough to persuade the product development manager. With the legitimate power of Head of IT department, the product development manager is being persuaded to lengthen the project schedule, despite he used the same speech as his subordinate.
In another perspective, Damon used his past experience logically to persuade the project team to lengthen the project schedule.
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Product development manager: We plan to launch a new financial product to the market, please have everything ready in 3 weeks so that we can start selling the product.
IT project manager: Your idea is good, but a new system definitely cannot be launched in 3 weeks’ time.
IT project manager: According to our previous project experience, we need to collect system requirement, define the system functional design, develop the system, perform user acceptance test and then launch the system. This will take at least 6 weeks' time. So we propose a six-week project schedule.
Product development manager: Ok, we concur. Let's do it in 6 weeks.
Pathos emphasizes the emotions of the audience. Here is an example of how the product development manager persuades the project team to complete the project in 3 weeks.
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Product development manager: It seems that every party cannot make the product ready in 3 weeks' time. However, bringing revenue to the Bank is our common goal. And I know that our competitors also planned to launch similar product in 3 weeks' time. Let's do our best to make it done in 3 weeks to beat our competitors.
All others: Okay, let's try our best to complete it in 3 weeks.
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IT project manager: Your idea is good, but a new system definitely cannot be launched in 3 weeks’ time.
Product development manager: Come on Damon, we must do this in 3 weeks.
IT project manager: We have a lot to do to make the system ready, 3-week is not enough. Please allow 6 weeks' time.
Product development manager: I do not agree with this.
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As Damon thinks he cannot convince the product development manager, he brings in his department head to join the meeting.
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Product development manager: Come on Damon, we must do this in 3 weeks.
Head of IT Department: We have a lot to do to make the system ready, 3-week is not enough. Please allow 6 weeks' time.
Product development manager: Ok, so let's do it in 6 weeks.
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In this case, Damon's power of expertise is not enough to persuade the product development manager. With the legitimate power of Head of IT department, the product development manager is being persuaded to lengthen the project schedule, despite he used the same speech as his subordinate.
Resolving Conflict by Storytelling (Logos)
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Product development manager: We plan to launch a new financial product to the market, please have everything ready in 3 weeks so that we can start selling the product.
IT project manager: Your idea is good, but a new system definitely cannot be launched in 3 weeks’ time.
IT project manager: According to our previous project experience, we need to collect system requirement, define the system functional design, develop the system, perform user acceptance test and then launch the system. This will take at least 6 weeks' time. So we propose a six-week project schedule.
Product development manager: Ok, we concur. Let's do it in 6 weeks.
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In this case, persuasion using logical argument makes the team to agree a longer project schedule.
In this case, persuasion using logical argument makes the team to agree a longer project schedule.
Resolving Conflict by Authority (Pathos)
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Product development manager: It seems that every party cannot make the product ready in 3 weeks' time. However, bringing revenue to the Bank is our common goal. And I know that our competitors also planned to launch similar product in 3 weeks' time. Let's do our best to make it done in 3 weeks to beat our competitors.
All others: Okay, let's try our best to complete it in 3 weeks.
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In this case, the team is emotionally motivated and persuaded by common goal of the Bank and agrees to finish the project with a tight schedule.
By practicing the Three Persuasion Clusters, the intra-organization conflict caused by differences in educational and professional background can be resolved. As a result, the team consists of members with different strengths can work together effectively to become a high performing team.
Reference
Edlund, J., & Pomona, C. (n.d.). Ethos, Logos, Pathos. Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/3waypers.htm
Link to Group Blog
Final Project - Managing Individual Differences
Conclusion
By practicing the Three Persuasion Clusters, the intra-organization conflict caused by differences in educational and professional background can be resolved. As a result, the team consists of members with different strengths can work together effectively to become a high performing team.
Reference
Edlund, J., & Pomona, C. (n.d.). Ethos, Logos, Pathos. Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/3waypers.htm
Link to Group Blog
Final Project - Managing Individual Differences
