Chapter 9 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3) explores the role of the coach in navigation conflict. Some conflict is always present when humans are involved. Well-managed conflict feeds creativity and is an important component of high-performance teams. Teams without conflict rarely change course or challenge the status quo. A coach can help manage the resolution of conflict. Conflict without a path to resolution will end badly, every time – this might be one of the few things that are absolute in the world (death being another).
The portion of this chapter that struck me as I read and re-read this chapter on my Kindle as I hiked the Rockies over the past three weeks was the discussion of the five levels of conflict. (Note the book is now enabled for later versions on the Kindle.) What most struck me was the last two levels: crusade and world war. Up to those levels, skillful facilitation can generally bring people back together so they can achieve a goal. Most experienced coaches have learned to help solve problems or found ways to disarm win-lose contests. I strongly recommend that all coaches receive training in conflict resolution. Early in my career, I gave into my conflict-avoidant nature. I often avoided getting involved in resolving conflicts out of the mistaken belief that if I pretended they didn’t exist, they would go away. Some did but some did not and those that didn’t usually got worse. Conflict resolution classes (for managers and later for trainers) helped me address my fears and learn when to get involved. A friend has actually found training for couples counseling very helpful as an executive coach. One of the most important things I have learned both in classes and based on experience is that you can help people see a problem but you can’t solve their problems for them.
When conflict gets to the point where it is ideological and one camp can’t abide the existence of the other, most coaches are out of their depth. These are the top two levels of the conflict model. Until his death, one of my mentors was a PhD in organizational psychology. He once described a forty’ish person “team” that had split into two philosophically opposed groups (he used the term “mobs”). The level of inter-team warfare over a database design had gotten to the point where people were injecting viruses into code to try to get people fired. The leadership of the organization would not engage outsiders to try to broker peace, but rather spent time yelling at internal coaches and team leads to fix the problem. Jumping to the punchline, the board brought in a new executive that removed all the players and outsourced the work, the nuclear option. The conflict built up over a long period of time. Conflict, like a sore, should not be allowed to fester. Coaches need to help teams actively see their problems and then facilitate the team in finding a solution.
A word of advice, don’t go out of your way to manufacture conflict. I have often seen leaders and coaches paint people outside their teams as “others” to generate team cohesion. Conflict is useful until it isn’t. Once you cross the line you will have done more damage than you know and as we are seeing in many spots in the world the path to civility is murky at best.
Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3) and read along!
Previous Installments
Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe
Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach – https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg
Week 3: Expect High Performance – https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf
Week 4: Master Yourself – https://bit.ly/3zL8t2n
Week 5: Let Your Style Change – https://bit.ly/3Q8zHWa
Week 6: Coach as Coach-Mentor – https://bit.ly/3QLcSIi
Week 7: Coach as Facilitator – https://bit.ly/3AaP5KY
Week 8: Coach As Teacher – https://bit.ly/3AURGdL
