Paths to harmony: Working with conflict among groupsThe benefits achieved through actual interventions are described from the viewpoints of those directly involved and of those sponsoring improvement. Conflicts having major emotional and commercial elements are considered, between two or more parties of disparate power. Issues addressed include goal and role confusion, responsibility overlaps or underlaps and process mismatches. Utility of some theories and approaches designed to assist understanding and intervention is noted: from participants’ perspectives, much theory seems unhelpful and the best approaches quickly change specific situations, issues or behaviours that exemplify the conflict. Their call for help seems better met by small changes now than by deeper analysis. Examples compare aspects of legalistic and other paths to improvement: one example reinstated harmonious working relationships in a health profession where the previous year had seen over $200,000 spent on lawyers without improvement. Some consequences of path choice, timing and extent of benefits are reported, as well as the impact of readiness, willingness and ability of participants: a brief intervention removed $100,000 in monthly cost in a three-party conflict around annual service contracts of $20M+, despite their failed earlier attempts to find an improvement path.
Citation preview
1. PATHS TO HARMONY Working with Conflict among Groups Frank
OConnor NZ Psychological Society ~ Annual Conference 2009
Palmerston North, Aotearoa / New Zealand Developing Organisations
& Leaders Improving Business Performance & Management Moa
Resources, 103 Overtoun Terrace, Hataitai, Wellington, New Zealand
6021+64 21 386-911[email_address]
2. CONFLICTS WITH MAJOR EMOTIONAL AND COMMERCIAL ELEMENTS
Conflicts between two or more parties of disparate power
Issues addressed
goal and role confusion
responsibility overlaps or underlaps
process mismatches
3. UTILITY OF APPROACHES
Theories and approaches designed to assist understanding and
intervention are noted
Game theory
Family therapy
Motivation and efficacy work
Group dynamics
But utilitys low from participants perspectives
Watch for their comments: they balance effort with
achievement
Much theory seems unhelpful: it takes too long to see
progress
Specific situations, issues or behaviours that exemplify the
conflict
Examples compare aspects of legalistic and other paths to
improvement
Clients calls for help seems better met by small changes now
than by deeper analysis
Best approaches make change quickly
4. CONSEQUENCES OF PATH CHOICE
Some consequences
Choosing a collaborative path after failed earlier attempts to
find an improvement path
Well look at
Impact of readiness, willingness and ability of
participants
Timing and extent of benefits
5. NOTHING WRONG WITH MY IDEA 6. HEALING PUBLIC HEALTH
Two previously competing health service units, one publicly
owned and the other from the private sector, were committed to a
joint venture in delivering a range of community and public heath
services
This joint venture could only succeed if longstanding
differences in work priorities and operating style were
resolved
Levels of manager commitment varied, as some had not been
involved in the bidding process that won the contract
Aided participants in leaving past differences behind by
clarifying common goals for overall businesses, objectives shared
in specific service areas and operational issues to be
resolved
Assisted working parties in defining practice standards and
work processes and then timetable tasks allocated to specific
people so business as usual would continue during the
transition
Participants reported confidence in being able to advance with
the agreed programme by the end of the planning workshop
Follow-up over subsequent months reported regular achievement
of standards
7. A HARD POSITION TO MOVE FROM 8. PARTNERSHIP LUBRICATION
A dozen players:
A District Council (as contract client)
Their contract consultant
Their lead contractor
Expectations:
Clients contracted deliverables
Reasons deliverables were wanted
What would make achievement unacceptablefailure factors
Perspectives from consultant then contractor
Participants discovered their differences:
Much more on the things each group expected to achieve
Not things they really needed to avoid (delays and death)
The similarity of these failure factors made it easy to agree
risks
A clearly understood single page of tangible partnership
objectives
Aligned to the business goals and obligations of the three
parties
Says What we want to happen and What we dont want to
happen
9. AS LONG AS WE KEEP TALKING 10. PUBLIC HEALTH
REGULATIONDISPUTE RESOLUTION
The Minister of Health requested mediation services
A protracted dispute between a health sector regulatory
authority, the leading relevant professional association and the
primary tertiary education institution providing professional
training
The dispute had seen more than $250,000 spent on lawyers
without improvement and was seen to be adversely affecting the
professions ability to safely deliver its services to the
public
A process of structured conversations
Enormous amount of getting ready to talk confidence
rebuilding
Improved communication increased mutual understanding
Participants relationship styles shifted in a constructive
way
Hearing all the grievances was crucial action on each was
not
In five months
agreed to leave the dispute behind them
forged a binding Memorandum of Understanding & Commitment
(their choice of title) to guide their interactions over the years
ahead
11. GETTING MY MESSAGE ACROSS 12. PUBLIC WORKS 1 RELATIONSHIP
BREAKDOWN
Shortfall in communication and ease around the delivery sought
by both parties
territorial local authority (asset owning client)
commercial engineering service contractor
Essential points of the commercial contract were being met
Both parties agreed to assistance in clarifying the issues is
there something wrong with the contract?
Survey showed their interface not working smoothly
Many examples of good performance
Expected work not being completed to mutual benefit
Issues needing resolution not addressed fairly and
promptly
Some of the people, some of the time, just didnt get on
13. PUBLIC WORKS 2 TANGIBLE INDICATORS OF DIFFICULTY
Contractor: increased staff turnover, especially in
hard-to-replace experienced staff
Client: increasing public concern about timing and quality of
work, especially where it caused disruption to citizens
activities
Both: low confidence in the other group
Small topics of disagreement were difficult to resolve
Negotiations on substantial matters were stalling and
inflexible
Direct cost incurred by the scrambling: $100,000 per month
Operating loss for the contractor
Recurring rework and repeated communications for both
Real money: We could have used that time to do profitable
work!
14. PUBLIC WORKS 3 RELATIONSHIP RESTORED
According to the client:
Id like you to meet our marriage guidance counsellor he has
saved our relationship
According to the contractor:
The increase in understanding of the our needs and effort
perspective was made possible by open discussion of business
drivers and styles we got listened to
Review after six months
Client: happy with work quality, rate and style
Contractor: Monthly commercial loss turned round and each month
now showed a small profit, due in part to improved collaboration
and in part to renegotiated rates for some work
All staff reported improvement in clarity of expectations and
ease of getting work done the goals of the intervention
15. TENSION PEAKS AT BREAKING POINT 16. TELECOMMUNICATIONS 1
NETWORK CONSTRUCTION
A three year $250M project designed and built a new
telecommunications network
Support was provided at the commencement of the project, with
frequent refreshers, to ensure that the planning, staffing and
focus of the joint project team was sufficient for the task
Effort had been kept up to clarify evolving roles,
responsibilities, management practices and key processes
Many meetings between the partners were facilitated, to promote
a united approach and to plan and agree on the actions and
responsibilities for work programmes with high complexity or high
risk of conflict
17. TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2 NETWORK BREAKDOWN
The partnership between the network owner and a key technology
provider was suffering from exhaustion
Much had been achieved
Differences of opinion about work to be done and quality of
work delivered were requiring more and more management
conciliation
Confidence between the two parties was falling as the public
launch approached
Conflict flared between the parties and the project leaders
sought reorientation of staff to the task in hand, and a
collaborative charting of tasks critical to the projects
completion
18. TELECOMMUNICATIONS 3 CRITICAL CARE
After extensive preparation
A two day conversation involving seventy people
Cleared the air Without prejudice
Refocused on the goal shared and tangible vision of
success
Developed action plans through to operational completion
Relationships were reoriented
capability of people valued Well only get there together
technical failures and delays acknowledged and prioritised for
fixing
Reorientation held through to the completion of the
project
Launch was achieved on schedule within budget and without
public problems
The projects leadership was recognised by national awards.
19. GETTING IT TOGETHER 20. CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY 1 SERVICE
NON-DELIVERY
Field service delivery performance being compromised by the
apparent inadequacy of information systems
Technical review demonstrated that the systems were largely
functioning as expected and the specialist team knew what they were
doing
However, relationship between business management and the IT
service team were characterised by buck-passing and
blame-shifting
Both parties believed they were being reasonable but the other
party would not allow a compromise to be reached
21. CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY 2 GETTING AROUND THE SAME TABLE
Negotiated attendance of key players at a workshop
Defined issues
Agreed priorities
Established joint action plans
Documented responsibilities agreed
Properly heard, both parties found more common ground than was
expected
Priorities were sorted out together
Interface protocols were understood by the little people
Food was enjoyed
Monitored action plans for three months to ensure issues
arising were addressed
Resulting effectiveness improvements and consequent benefits in
business performance were reported in a paper jointly presented by
representatives of the delivery and IT teams at the annual
conference of the New Zealand Computer Society
22. UTILITY RECAP
From participants perspectives
Watch for their comments: they balance effort with
achievement
Much theory seems unhelpful: it takes too long to see
progress
Specific situations, issues or behaviours that exemplify the
conflict
Clients calls for help seems better met by small changes now
than by deeper analysis
Best approaches make change quickly
23. FAVOURITE REFERENCES
Argyris, C. and Schn, D.A. (1974)Theory in practice: increasing
professional effectivenessSan Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Argyris, C. and Schn, D.A. (1978)Organizational learning: a
theory of action perspectiveNew York: McGraw-Hill
Leng, Russell J and Wheeler, Hugh G (1979) Influence stategies,
success and warJournal of Conflict Resolution23 p 655