Group Communication Networks
In organizations, there are hierarchies of reporting structures. Those official links of authority and responsibility impact communication among individuals and groups. Here are some of those communication networks. In looking at these patterns, consider the lines that connect the endpoints to the other points as communication paths.
The importance of these patterns for team dynamics lies in the direction information flows, the power structure established, and the number of layers in the hierarchy. Communication flows in many directions, yet without structure and planning, it may overwhelm productivity and real communication, as illustrated in the third model in Figure 1.
Communication channels, the legs of these networks, multiply more quickly than people do. If everyone receives every message, information overload may occur, as employees are bombarded with messages in an unstructured manner.
To maintain efficiency and the most effective use of the individuals on your team, take care in determining how and when information is shared. For example, some large organizations use newsletters or internal blogs as structured ways to disseminate routine updates.
Conflict Resolution
Interpersonal conflict occurs in the workplace between individuals. Conflict can also occur within working groups and is sometimes magnified in that setting. When we hear the word “conflict,” we typically think about all the negatives associated with the word. Most of us would like to avoid conflict entirely; however, conflict can also be productive.
Positive Conflict
Positive conflict comes from recognizing disagreement as part of a healthy process. It is an exchange of passionate ideas. This exchange helps us find creative solutions as well as test the weaknesses of current solutions. The difficulty in keeping conflict positive is in having norms regarding how ideas are expressed and discussed.
Some amount of conflict is vital to group success to avoid groupthink and to generate more innovative ideas among members of the group, who may have diverse opinions and points of view. In addition, positive conflict generates buy-in and offers elements of ownership, a sense of cooperation, and enhanced membership to all of the group members. When members of a group feel safe expressing conflicting beliefs and opinions, groups are more productive and less prone to conformity.
Conflict is necessary for good results. Learning to understand and manage conflict is critical when working in organizations. Let’s explore conflict more deeply to understand its broad impact and its direct impact on workplace communication.
Sources of Team Conflict
Let’s take a look at a few examples of conflict within teams.
Fund Allocation
A new product team may find itself split between allocating funds for the second release of the device or bringing a new product to market. The team may find about half of its members preferring one path and the other half advocating for the other.
In this case, the team may split into two factions—or more if there is additional disagreement within each group. Even if business considerations support one group’s position more strongly, powerful personalities, interpersonal complexity, and group history can overwhelm those practical factors.
Differences with Management
Employees may think, “Why doesn’t the boss just ask us? We do it every day and that will never work.” The boss may think, “Those employees don’t realize what that will cost. It will blow the entire department budget in half the time.”
Gaps in communication between leaders and the teams they lead can cause particularly thorny conflicts. There may be conflict with management because management has not given clear goals to the team or may not be supporting the team. The organization could have a culture that does not allow teams to work effectively. In extreme situations, this can lead to the team’s refusal to follow the directions of its leader.
Sales vs. Service
A company organizationally separates its sales employees from its service (installation and maintenance) employees. On more than one occasion, Sales asked, “What are those service people thinking? We can’t charge the customer for every little thing.” Equally frequently, service is asking, “What are those salespeople thinking? Are they giving the company away? We can’t install it for that little.”
When different teams don’t take the time to understand the roles and tasks of individuals on different teams, conflict can arise between different functional groups within the organization.
Unproductive negative conflict should be avoided and must be swiftly addressed and resolved when it does present itself. Because of the dangerous nature of negative conflict and the toll it takes on productivity and morale, it may potentially lead to Human Resource Management issues or even a lawsuit.