Creating Win-Win Solutions for Team Conflicts

Summary: Conflicts among team members often result in win-lose decisions that utilize domination or appeasement as the primary behaviors for conflict resolution. The win-win style of conflict resolution behavior requires a different approach, including a re-patterning of entrenched habits, a positive outlook, constructive motivations, sharing of information, and trust. A six-step process for promoting win-win solutions to team conflicts is described. A seven-step model based on four beliefs that encourage win-win solutions is offered and demonstrated by application to a business example and a team-building example.