Question

What conflict resolution techniques do you believe would be the most effective in a cross-departmental or cross-function team? How would you alter these techniques for a virtual team?

Answer 1

Cross departmental or cross function team includes group of people with different skills, expertise, knowledge, etc and they work together for the achievement of common organisational goal. It involves people from all the department of organisation.

There can be conflicts among the Cross departmental or cross function team due to various reasons like – independent working style, difference in specialisations, their thinking, etc.

Such conflicts can be effectively resolved with following techniques given by “Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model”

1. Avoiding – In this technique you just withdraw from the conflict. This technique is used when the issue is not important and it would not affect the operations. So, just to avoid the wastage of time in solving some conflicts which does not have much negative impact on organisation’s common goal, it should be avoided.
2. Accommodating – In this technique one party adjust themselves for the other party to avoid conflict. This is like letting go your own view point and agreeing on other decision to carry on the work.
3. Competing – In this technique both the parties in conflict compete with each other for proving their point right. Both the parties present facts and figures to prove their idea right. This is useful in important decision making so that only right idea is chosen by everyone.
4. Compromising – In this technique a decision is taken which somehow satisfies both the parties in conflict. Viewpoints of both the parties are considered and conflict is brought to one consensus which satisfies both the parties not fully but partially.
5. Collaborating – This technique is used to find a solution which will fully satisfy all the parties. Under this technique problem is properly identified and proper solution is found, which will solve the problem and bring a solution on which both the parties will agree.

However, virtual team are different from Cross departmental or cross function team. Virtual teams involves group of people from different geographical location working together by using all other communication techniques except face to face like – phone, email, etc.

So, there is need to somehow alter techniques mentioned above for resolving the conflicts among teams and they can be altered in following ways –

• Avoiding technique is not useful in virtual teams as they already do not meet face to face and if conflicts are avoided it will bring more differences.
• Accommodating technique can be altered by doing discussions privately. There should be a medium in which both the parties in conflict can communicate privately. Competing – There should be common share platform like a common group on company’s website where every person can share their view point so that most appropriated idea is chosen.
• Compromising – There should be one person to whom everyone from all the locations can contact. In case of conflict under this technique that person must be contacted and he should bring some consensus that is acceptable to both the parties.
• Collaborating – This technique can be altered in a way like problem should be identified in virtual meeting or on conference call so every point can be discussed and a collaborated decision can be taken up.