Conflict is pretty much unavoidable when you work with others.

【小题1】 How you handle that conflict determines whether it works to the team’s advantage.

You can choose to ignore it, complain about it, blame someone for it, or try to deal with it through suggestions; or you can be direct, clarify what is going on, and attempt to reach a settlement through common techniques like negotiation or compromise (妥协). 【小题2】 It has to be dealt with constructively (积极地) and with a plan, otherwise it’s too easy to get pulled into the argument and create an even larger mess.

【小题3】 Healthy and constructive conflict is a part of high-functioning teams. Conflict arises from differences between people; the same differences that often make diverse teams more effective than those made up of people with similar experience. When people with varying viewpoints, experiences, skills, and opinions are tasked with a project or challenge, the combined effort can far surpass what any group of similar individual could achieve. 【小题4】

Understanding and appreciating the various viewpoints involved in conflict are key factors in its settlement. 【小题5】 The important thing is to keep a healthy balance of constructive difference of opinion, and avoid negative conflict that’s destructive (破坏性的).

Getting to, and keeping that balance requires well-developed team skills, particularly the ability to settle conflict when it does happens, and the ability to keep it healthy and avoid conflict in the day-to-day course of team working.