Opening the paper…
Strategies for Professional Growth, Quiz 1
Read the case study, then answer the given subquestions that follow in about 200-300 words each.
CASE INCIDENT
Choosing Your Battles
There are situations in which too little conflict can be a problem. Some level of task conflict early in the process of formulating a solution can be an important stimulus to innovation. However, the conditions must be right for productive conflict. In particular, individuals must feel psychologically safe in bringing up issues for discussion. If people fear that what they say is going to be held against them, they may be reluctant to speak up or rock the boat. Experts suggest that effective conflicts have three key characteristics: they should (1) speak to what is possible, (2) be compelling, and (3) involve uncertainty.
So how should you “pick a fight?” First, ensure that the stakes are sufficient to actually warrant a disruption. Second, focus on the future, and on how to resolve the conflict rather than on whom to blame. Third, tie the conflict to fundamental values. Rather than concentrating on winning or losing, encourage both parties to see how successfully exploring and resolving the conflict will lead to optimal outcomes for all. If managed successfully, some degree of open disagreement can be an important way for companies to manage simmering and potentially destructive conflicts. Do these principles work in real organizations? The answer is yes.
How would you ensure sufficient discussion of contentious issues in a team? How can you bring unspoken conflicts into the open without making them worse?
Read the case study, then answer the given subquestions that follow in about 200-300 words each.\ CASE INCIDENT\ Choosing Your Battles\ There are situations in which too little conflict can be a problem. Some level of task conflict early in the process of formulating a solution can be an important stimulus to innovation. However, the conditions must be right for productive conflict. In particular, individuals must feel psychologically safe in bringing up issues for discussion. If people fear that what they say is going to be held against them, they may be reluctant to speak up or rock the boat. Experts suggest that effective conflicts have three key characteristics: they should (1) speak to what is possible, (2) be compelling, and (3) involve uncertainty.\ So how should you “pick a fight?” First, ensure that the stakes are sufficient to actually warrant a disruption. Second, focus on the future, and on how to resolve the conflict rather than on whom to blame. Third, tie the conflict to fundamental values. Rather than concentrating on winning or losing, encourage both parties to see how successfully exploring and resolving the conflict will lead to optimal outcomes for all. If managed successfully, some degree of open disagreement can be an important way for companies to manage simmering and potentially destructive conflicts. Do these principles work in real organizations? The answer is yes. How would you ensure sufficient discussion of contentious issues in a team? How can you bring unspoken conflicts into the open without making them worse? Read the case study, then answer the given subquestions that follow in about 200-300 words each.\ CASE INCIDENT\ Choosing Your Battles\ There are situations in which too little conflict can be a problem. Some level of task conflict early in the process of formulating a solution can be an important stimulus to innovation. However, the conditions must be right for productive conflict. In particular, individuals must feel psychologically safe in bringing up issues for discussion. If people fear that what they say is going to be held against them, they may be reluctant to speak up or rock the boat. Experts suggest that effective conflicts have three key characteristics: they should (1) speak to what is possible, (2) be compelling, and (3) involve uncertainty.\ So how should you “pick a fight?” First, ensure that the stakes are sufficient to actually warrant a disruption. Second, focus on the future, and on how to resolve the conflict rather than on whom to blame. Third, tie the conflict to fundamental values. Rather than concentrating on winning or losing, encourage both parties to see how successfully exploring and resolving the conflict will lead to optimal outcomes for all. If managed successfully, some degree of open disagreement can be an important way for companies to manage simmering and potentially destructive conflicts. Do these principles work in real organizations? The answer is yes. Can you think of situations in your own life in which silence has worsened a conflict between parties? What might have been done differently to ensure that open communication facilitated collaboration instead? Read the case study, then answer the given subquestions that follow in about 200-300 words each.\ CASE INCIDENT\ Doing My Own Thing\ Rita Lowe has worked for the same boss for 11 years. Over coffee one day, her friend Sara asked her, “What is it like to work for old Charlie?” Rita replied, “Oh, I guess it’s okay. He pretty much leaves me alone. I more or less do my own thing.” Then Sara said, “Well, you’ve been at that same job for 11 years. How are you doing in it? Does it look like you will ever be promoted? If you don’t mind me saying so, I can’t for the life of me see that what you do has anything to do with the operation.” Rita replied, “Well, first of all, I really don’t have any idea of how I am doing. Charlie never tells me, but I’ve always taken the attitude that no news is good news. As for what I do and how it contributes to the operation around here, Charlie mumbled something when I started the job about being important to the operation, but that was it. We really don’t communicate very well.” Analyze Rita’s last statement: “We really don’t communicate very well.” What is the status of communication in this professional relationship?