COMM11003
Professional & Technical
Communication
Lesson 8
Teamwork, Negotiation, and Conflict
Resolution
Essence of Teamwork
• A team is a collaboration of individuals, all of
whom may come from a different social,
cultural, ethical viewpoint.
• Well-managed or organised teams are often
more productive than individuals.
• Teams can be formal or informal.
• Teams can be self-managed or formally
managed.
Essence of Teamwork
• Teams:
• Operate within a charter
• See themselves as having specified roles
• See the team as accountable for achieving
specific organisational goals
(Dwyer, 2002, p.433)
• Successful teams have strong leadership
(managed) or clear direction (selfmanaged).
Small Group Communication
• Small groups consist of different
personalities who may take on specific
roles.
• Roles can be:
• Group task
• Group building and maintenance
• Self-centred
(Seiler and Bell, 2002)
Negotiation
• Negotiation is “a process in which two or
more parties try to resolve differences,
solve problems, and reach agreement”
(Dwyer, 2002).
• Often seen as Win – Win or Win – Lose.
• Only successful if all parties want
agreement.
Negotiation
• Good negotiators are good
communicators.
• Different styles of negotiation:
• Competing
• Accommodating
• Avoiding
• Collaborating
• Compromising
• Need a collaborating or compromising
style to result in win – win.
Managing Conflict
• Conflict is part of life.
• It is not necessarily a bad thing, and if
managed well, can be very positive for
relationships.
• Groupthink – risk of failing to see alternatives
when the price on agreement is too high.
• Conflict can be produced by a range of
factors, and can come from unexpected
sources.
Skills for Conflict Management
• Conflict is negative – ‘addressing the
issue’ is a positive way of looking at a
potential conflict scenario.
• Need to decide:
• Whether to confront
• When to confront
• How to confront (Dwyer, 2002)
• How important is the relationship vs the
issue?
Readings
• Business Communication: Building Critical Skills
• Module 7 – Positive Emphasis
• Module 11 – Negative Messages
• Module 18 – Working and Writing in Teams
Exercise 8
This week, you should observe a group and
analyse the dynamics of group interaction.
Submit two pages, answering the questions
posed in the study guide.
See your study guide for more details.