Week 4: Develop a Comprehensive Plan to Address Pervasive
Workplace Conflict
Instructions:
Conflict in the Workplace
This week, you will explore the situation many brokerage
firms regularly deal with: conflict within advisor teams. These conflicts
surface as the result of external stressors typically related to the industry
rather than things within the advisors’ control or having to do with the firm.
While the cause is typically external, group members and organizational
leadership feel the effects internally. Team performance and client
relationships suffer, and thus overall firm performance suffers.
Brokerage teams are intentionally composed of individuals
with varying personalities, skills, and abilities because these individual
traits balance each other and ensure optimal team performance. Conflict is bound
to occur from time to time, but it can be argued that proper leadership and
management of this conflict can reduce the occurrence, impact, and overall
effect on the firm. However, in the case of Wells Fargo Advisors, a
psychologist specializing in workplace conflict was brought in.
The Role of Communication
Communication between leader and team, as well as between
team members, is vital to both addressing conflict and to maintaining a
high-performing team environment in general. Exercises can be used for team
building, which should, in turn, limit conflict; there are an abundance of such
techniques.
Situational leadership and contingency theories, covered in
Week 3, are commonly applied to various contexts related to workplace teams
and, often, conflict. Of course, personality traits and skills, as covered in
Week 1, and behaviors, as covered in Week 2, certainly come into play.
Confliction Resolution
Coaching, while considered a specific situational leadership
style, is also argued to be a fundamental and critical technique for leaders
regardless of the situation. Followers, many believe, need ongoing coaching
from their leaders to thrive. When it comes to conflict, the leader must take
on the role of coach, essentially acting as mediator to guide employees through
the conflict, even when followers resist (particularly when ego is involved).
By expanding two-way communication, coaching often addresses internal and
external stressors, those causing conflict in the workplace.
• Develop a
comprehensive plan to address the conflict documented in the Wells Fargo
Advisors’ case from a team leadership (and leader as coach) perspective. Assume
the role of the Chicago branch manager, leading teams of advisors all over the
region. Incorporate the role of communication into your plan as well as an
analysis of leadership traits and models from Section 1 that you feel are
appropriate and effective for managing conflict within teams.
Support your plan with minimum of five scholarly resources.
In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly
resources, including older articles, may be included.
Length: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages
Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the
ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and
insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect
scholarly writing and current APA standards.
The below resources were provided by the instructor as key
supporting content for the assignment requirements and insights.
Resources:
Lean Leadership (Attached):
Wuestman, D., C.M.A., & Casey, J. (2015). Lean
leadership: Sustaining long-term process change. Strategic Finance, 96(8),
15-16,61. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1655248010?accountid=28180
Bad Apples (Attached):
de Jong, J. P., Cur?eu, P. L., &Leenders, R. J. (2014).
When Do Bad Apples Not Spoil the Barrel? Negative Relationships in Teams, Team
Performance, and Buffering Mechanisms. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 99(3),
514-522. doi:10.1037/a0036284
Exploring the Impact (Attached):
Grant, A. M., & Hartley, M. (2014). Exploring the impact
of participation in a Leader as Coach programme using the Personal Case Study
Approach. Coaching Psychologist, 10(2), 51-58.
Transdisciplinary Framework (Attached):
Kemp, T. J. (2009). Is coaching an evolved form of
leadership? Building a transdisciplinary framework for exploring the coaching
alliance. International Coaching Psychology Review, 4(1), 105-110.
Stressor–Strain Process (Attached):
Kessler, S. R., Bruursema, K., Rodopman, B., & Spector,
P. E. (2013).Leadership, interpersonal conflict, and counterproductive work
behavior.
Conflict Leadership (Attached):
Shetach, A. (2012). Conflict leadership: Navigating toward
effective and efficient team outcomes. The Journal for Quality and
Participation, 35(2), 25-30. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1033210819?accountid=28180
Video – Build a tower, build a team | Tom Wujec-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_yKBitO8M
