Communication in the Team Environment

Communication in the Team Environment

ABSTRACT

We live in a world where we will always be working with someone at some point in time at work. No one man is island and in today’s workplace you will be teamed up with others to complete the company’s mission. To be able to express your ideas and thoughts with others we must communicate and understand the other person view so an understanding can be found.

Understanding different methods of communication and how each individual uses them differently the better the communication in the team will be.

In today’s world individuals in the workplace are often asked to work in teams. Working in teams can be one of the best ways to find creative and innovative solutions to the complex issues of running a company. Often, teams are comprised of a variety of individuals with different cultural and emotional backgrounds. A team’s diversity can be one of its greatest assets, when understood and employed properly. However, what was intended to be a positive and, ultimately, a profitable team can be left “dead in the water” if the team is not able to communicate effectively. A solid understanding of a team’s different individual communication styles will lead to successful positive conflict resolution.

People communicate in various ways. One individual in a group may use a bold direct way of communicating, while another individual in the same group may prefer a more subtle way of expressing ideas. It is important to understand that neither way is always wrong or better than the other. They are simply preferences of different individuals. Learning the communication preferences of the individual group members can be one of the most successful conflict resolution tools that a group can possess. According to Rahim, there are five different communication or conflict styles. (Gross & Guerrero 2000)

One style of communication is called Integrating Style. (Gross & Guerrero, 2000)The individual with this style of communication faces conflict while engaging others in the resolution. For instance, this individual will try to find new and creative ways to solve a problem by making analytical statements or soliciting statements from other group members. Individuals with Integrating Style will try to find resolution to conflict by opening the lines of communication. This individual will also try to keep the team’s positive relationships intact for future group interactions. Often, people who use Integrating Style are thought of as facilitators of effective and cooperative resolutions to conflict. However, Integrating Style individuals may not be very effective when it comes to resolving